Page 160 - Terčelj, Dušan. 2015. The Culture of Wine in Slovenia. Edited by Aleš Gačnik. University of Primorska Press, Koper.
P. 160
he Culture of Wine in Slovenia
St. Michael’s church in Biljana in Goriška Brda, Šmartno v Brdih, Dobrovo Castle, 2006.
Photos: Staša Cafuta.
Šmartno, which was once a Roman stronghold, is a
town-museum with an interesting church of St. Martin,
a Gothic house and a gallery. The first mention of the
village dates back to 1317. It was surrounded with a
wall and fortified defence towers. The border between
the Venice and the Habsburg empires ran here, on the
line Šmartno – Vipolže – Kojsko – Števerjan. Kojsko is
a village with interesting architecture and boasts the
largest Gothic winged altar in Slovenia. Višnjevik,
which was first mentioned in 1258 and where there
are still the remnants of the old castle, is considered
the home of Rebula. It boasts the first written record
of this grapevine in 1336.
Dobrovo, the present-day centre of Brda is the modern
centre of the area’s viticulture, with a large modern
grape-processing and bottling cellar. There is also an
attractively restored castle with a museum of Renais-
sance ceramics, medieval wall paintings and a gallery
The viticultural landscape of Goriška Brda, with the works of the painter Zoran Mušič. Medana,
2006. Photo: Staša Cafuta. the birthplace of the poets Alojz Gradnik and Ludvik
Zorzut, is known for its festival of poetry and wine.
In the nearby villages of Plešivo, Ceglo and Vipolže there are numerous winemakers who
independently bottle and market their wines at home and abroad. Just across the Italian
border near Hum, there is a largish Slovene village Števerjan (San Floriano del Collio) with
very interesting wines.
In the Brda, the following wine-related events take place: in Medana, in April there is the
event Spring, Nature and Wine; the event Moments in a Glass takes place in Dobrovo
on 10 August; and in Medana, Vipolže, Cerovo and Dobrovo on 11 November there are
celebrations of St. Martin’s Day.
156
St. Michael’s church in Biljana in Goriška Brda, Šmartno v Brdih, Dobrovo Castle, 2006.
Photos: Staša Cafuta.
Šmartno, which was once a Roman stronghold, is a
town-museum with an interesting church of St. Martin,
a Gothic house and a gallery. The first mention of the
village dates back to 1317. It was surrounded with a
wall and fortified defence towers. The border between
the Venice and the Habsburg empires ran here, on the
line Šmartno – Vipolže – Kojsko – Števerjan. Kojsko is
a village with interesting architecture and boasts the
largest Gothic winged altar in Slovenia. Višnjevik,
which was first mentioned in 1258 and where there
are still the remnants of the old castle, is considered
the home of Rebula. It boasts the first written record
of this grapevine in 1336.
Dobrovo, the present-day centre of Brda is the modern
centre of the area’s viticulture, with a large modern
grape-processing and bottling cellar. There is also an
attractively restored castle with a museum of Renais-
sance ceramics, medieval wall paintings and a gallery
The viticultural landscape of Goriška Brda, with the works of the painter Zoran Mušič. Medana,
2006. Photo: Staša Cafuta. the birthplace of the poets Alojz Gradnik and Ludvik
Zorzut, is known for its festival of poetry and wine.
In the nearby villages of Plešivo, Ceglo and Vipolže there are numerous winemakers who
independently bottle and market their wines at home and abroad. Just across the Italian
border near Hum, there is a largish Slovene village Števerjan (San Floriano del Collio) with
very interesting wines.
In the Brda, the following wine-related events take place: in Medana, in April there is the
event Spring, Nature and Wine; the event Moments in a Glass takes place in Dobrovo
on 10 August; and in Medana, Vipolže, Cerovo and Dobrovo on 11 November there are
celebrations of St. Martin’s Day.
156
