MARIBOR WINE ROUTE

“At the table with good friends and family you do not become old. “
(Italy)

Maribor is not only a place of the oldest Vine in the world, it is also a capital of the largest Slovenian wine region of Štajerska (Styria) which is famous for elegant and registered white wines. Centuries of the regional wine tradition are visible through medals and awards that the regional wine producers gained at the most famous wine fairs in the world. At the same time the region of Štajerska is a real treasury of old wine cellars from the past centuries of which one of the oldest is Vinag Wine Cellar – it is also the largest in the middle Europe space.

The product began to develop in 2012, when Maribor was the proud holder of the title of European Capital of Culture. The number of foreign visitors in the city increased enormously at that time, and the demand for local products increased as well. Since Maribor is the capital of wine due to World’s Oldest Vine a Maribor Tourist Board decided to carry out a pilot project on how to connect wine providers, i.e. wine shops in the city that offer local wines.

The Maribor Wine Route takes visitors through the wine shops in the Maribor city centre where they can admire, select and taste the excellent regional wines as well as the culinary specialities from the same area.

The Maribor Wine Route includes five places where guests are offered the wines from the land of Styria which is one of the subareas of the Podravje region. Styria is one of the largest wine-growing areas in Slovenia and known for its excellent white wines. The first place for wine tasting is a Dveri-Pax Wine Bar than the way continues to the close wine shop in the Water Tower, a medieval building. Further it continues to the vine shop named LeVino and Vinag Wine Cellar. The Route is concluded at the Old Vine House, which is also the »last station” of the Maribor Culinary Route. This place is, in fact, world-known since in front of the house there is the oldest vine in the world – more than 400 years old. All four places of the Maribor Wine Route are situated close to or by the river Drava which divides the city of Maribor in two parts.

Beside the pleasant view to the old architecture combined with modern elements the guests can admire a nice social atmosphere since the host is always ready to chat with them and to encourage the networking among the guests themselves. The impressions of the guests who visited cellars and vine shops on the Maribor Wine Route areexpressed on social networks like Facebook and Twitter and Instagramstraight orthrough the webpages of vine shopsthemselvesAdditionally at some places the book of compliments ofvisitors is available. Concerning the Maribor Wine the guests are expressingcompliments to theexcellent wine and ‘magic’ underground spaces as well as historic buildings.

The Dveri-Pax Wine Cellar continues the 800-year-old Benedictine tradition of winemaking in north-eastern Slovenia. They cultivate the 73 hectares of their own vineyards in harmony with nature and tradition, while at the same time following the latest developments in wine production. All lovers of wine and rarities are also invited to the guided visit a wonderfully renovated 450-year-old manor, located at their estate close to the city. At the Dveri-Pax Wine Cellar they are extremely proud of this true treasure with a rich history.

The Water Tower is a mighty Renaissance town fortification from the 16th century. It can be seen by the river Drava in the Usnjarska ulica / Usnajrska street, one of the oldest streets in town. The inhabitants of the old Maribor have built the tower because of the constant fear of Turkish raids and this way the tower moved the defence of the town down to the river. Today the Water Tower stands on new foundations which are 140 cm higher than originally. This was due to the rising surface of the river on the completion of the dam and belonging hydro power plant near Maribor. Above the Water Tower from the walls of the old Jewish quarter the Jewish Tower is raising. The wine shop in the toweroffers a variety of wine and guided tastings assuring a great wine experience. In the round and medieval hall a tourist groups can be accommodated and various events can be organised.

Le Vino in Slovenian means »only wine«. It is a wine shop in the old city centre with an interesting inner space including the cellar from the Middle Ages. Although this is one of the strong points that attract the guests, the main reason for visiting the place is a large wine offer comprising more than 70 types of local wine producers. The selection of wines has carefully been made by the oenologist The wines range from white, red and sparkling wines to the orange and organic wines. They can all be served just in the glass which is unique in Slovenian space. If needed the cold cut, cheese plates and snacks can be served as well. Of course, the warm drinks like tea and coffee are not missing.

In the Maribor city centre there is situated one of the largest and oldest classical wine cellars in Europe. The oldest part of the »Vinag Cellar« is spreading in about 15,000 m2 and is boasting a 2.1 km long underground passage built in 1847. Wooden barrels, concrete tankers and bottles with wine patina have a total capacity of 3 million litres. The most precious particularity is definitively the wine archive where bottles of the best vintages from the 20th century are stored. After exploring the “Maribor underground”, the visit is continued in the tasting room where an excellent wine experience is expecting the guests. The last station of the Maribor Wine Route is the same as with the Maribor Culinary route which is the The Old Vine House Winery« is a true treasure trove of Maribor wine-growing districts. It represents around 55 local winemakers who contribute to the collection of more than 200 different wine labels, including the Oceanus sparkling wine that matures for several months at the bottom of the Bay of Piran, earth-ripened orange Dolium wine and others. The place is offering wine tasting, snacks and cultural performances

List of Local Producers

The Dveri-Pax Wine Cellar:

Own production: Dveri-Pax Wines

The Water Tower

DVERI-PAX

HOUSE OF WINE JOANNES

STEYER WINERY

WINERY VALDHUBER

GAUBE WINES

ŠUMENJAK (in Slovenian language only)

HORVAT WINES

RAMŠAK WINES