Dolenjska - The land of gentle hills, vineyards and the Krka
Location
Slovenia has 3 main wine growing regions: Podravska region, Posavska region and Primorska region. Dolenjska is a hilly sub-region of the Posavje wine region in South-East Slovenia, bordering to Croatia. It is surrounded by the river Sava in the East and the river Krka in the West and covers appr. 2,400 ha.
The Dolenjska region is known for its rolling hills covered with vineyards, the Krka river valley with its many castles and monasteries and healing thermal waters. The hilly landscape is interspersed with narrow valleys and very steep slopes, on which the vines prevent soil erosion, but which also means that a lot of the work in the vineyards has to be done manually.
Viticulture in Dolenjska
Dolenjska boasts a continental climate and is known to be the coolest part of the country for vinegrowing due to effects of the colder pre-Alpine climate. The soils are mostly composed of marls and sandstones with a limestone binder.
The region boasts an impressive 7.500 winemakers.
The special features of the region are not only the wines, but also the vineyard cottages (zidanice), which are small brick houses in the vineyards, many of which have been converted into accommodation where you can spend the night.
With its uniqueness, diversity and great potential, Dolenjska is acknowledged as a wine region of the future that can grow top quality grapes and deliver excellent wines with great potential.
Red grapes are predominant in the area, such as Žametovka (Kölner Blau), Modra Frankinja, Sentlovrenka (St. Laurent) and Modri Pinot (Pinot Noir). White varieties grown include Renski Riesling, Traminec (Gewürztraminer), Chardonnay and Rumeni Plavec.
“Somewhere in Dolenjska there are places, a house, a vineyard and a piece of land. It is always May there, where I once was at home.”
“Cviček” - the Giant of Dolenjska
The Dolenjska area is home to Cviček - a fresh, light and slightly sour wine made from both red and white grapes. Cviček has a rich history of over 200 years and is the wine of choice for most households in the area.
Cviček is one of only 3 wines in the world made from red and white grape varieties. Fun Fact: As according to EU law, fully fermented red and white wines cannot be mixed to produce quality wines, a special permit was issued specifically for the Slovenian Cviček.
Our Winery Partner in Dolenjska:
Albiana
The estate on which Albiana’s vineyards are growing, was bought by Albin and Ana Žaren in 1936. First, it was mixed farm, but now it has been a wine estate for over 20 years.
Albiana is currently cultivating over 20 ha of vineyards or more than 90.000 vines. For highest quality possible, vineyard selections for Albiana brand have low yield.