Page 166 - Kerma, Simon. 2018. Vinski turizem z geografskim poreklom. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem.
P. 166
Vinski turizem z geografskim poreklom
domesticated (recommended, permitted and old local) vine varieties. In
this context, the concept of terroir proves as crucial for the protection of
wines or the identification of their designated origin. Terroir operates ac-
cording to the belief that each wine contains the characteristics of a par-
ticular environment in which the grapes ripen, from physical factors to
cultural aspects. It is at the heart of geography, which gives the wine a
sense of place and makes it special or different from wines produced else-
where. The applicability of terroir is thus reflected in more or less binding
systems of rules that define the control of the designation of origin in in-
dividual countries, wine regions or districts. In the context of the Primor-
ska wine-growing region, which is dominated by many old and also au-
tochthonous grape varieties (from the point of view of commercial wine
production, not all of them are commercially interesting), Slovenian Is-
166 tria predominantly deals with two widely accepted recommended vari-
eties (i.e. Refošk and Malvasia), which are supplemented by Muscat, as
well as some old varieties (e.g. Maločrn and Cipro).
A rather tight situation on the global wine market dictates the in-
tegration or the intertwining of the wine and tourism economy into
joint activities. Often and increasingly so, the mentioned sectors comple-
ment each other, resulting in the synergistic effects seen in the flourish-
ing development of wine tourism regions. When trying to identify pol-
icies or strategies of tourist promotion in the context of wine tourism
development in Slovenia and its wine regions, we are constantly reiter-
ating that in development plans wine tourism is (still) not given the at-
tention it deserves, even though almost all documents, at least in writ-
ing, emphasize its importance for local and regional development. The
development of wine tourism - even if it takes place in cities, further-
more, outside wine-growing areas - is in any case directly linked to the
rural development. In Slovenia, at least in the infrastructural sense, one
of the key development impulses was the establishment of wine tourist
routes (WTR), which Slovenian Istria expected and still expects a lot
from. Upon its establishment, the Istrian WTR was a well-designed pro-
ject with a wide support of the local community. However, due to poor
coordination between the municipalities and the problem of a non-de-
fined trustee, the Istrian WTR never really got off the ground. On the
other hand, we can witness the flourishing of various wine events, less
in the wine growing country than in the seaside towns where the tourist
offer is concentrated and seasonal tourists predominate. This could be a
great advantage and opportunity for the countryside, although its poten-
tial is still poorly exploited.
domesticated (recommended, permitted and old local) vine varieties. In
this context, the concept of terroir proves as crucial for the protection of
wines or the identification of their designated origin. Terroir operates ac-
cording to the belief that each wine contains the characteristics of a par-
ticular environment in which the grapes ripen, from physical factors to
cultural aspects. It is at the heart of geography, which gives the wine a
sense of place and makes it special or different from wines produced else-
where. The applicability of terroir is thus reflected in more or less binding
systems of rules that define the control of the designation of origin in in-
dividual countries, wine regions or districts. In the context of the Primor-
ska wine-growing region, which is dominated by many old and also au-
tochthonous grape varieties (from the point of view of commercial wine
production, not all of them are commercially interesting), Slovenian Is-
166 tria predominantly deals with two widely accepted recommended vari-
eties (i.e. Refošk and Malvasia), which are supplemented by Muscat, as
well as some old varieties (e.g. Maločrn and Cipro).
A rather tight situation on the global wine market dictates the in-
tegration or the intertwining of the wine and tourism economy into
joint activities. Often and increasingly so, the mentioned sectors comple-
ment each other, resulting in the synergistic effects seen in the flourish-
ing development of wine tourism regions. When trying to identify pol-
icies or strategies of tourist promotion in the context of wine tourism
development in Slovenia and its wine regions, we are constantly reiter-
ating that in development plans wine tourism is (still) not given the at-
tention it deserves, even though almost all documents, at least in writ-
ing, emphasize its importance for local and regional development. The
development of wine tourism - even if it takes place in cities, further-
more, outside wine-growing areas - is in any case directly linked to the
rural development. In Slovenia, at least in the infrastructural sense, one
of the key development impulses was the establishment of wine tourist
routes (WTR), which Slovenian Istria expected and still expects a lot
from. Upon its establishment, the Istrian WTR was a well-designed pro-
ject with a wide support of the local community. However, due to poor
coordination between the municipalities and the problem of a non-de-
fined trustee, the Istrian WTR never really got off the ground. On the
other hand, we can witness the flourishing of various wine events, less
in the wine growing country than in the seaside towns where the tourist
offer is concentrated and seasonal tourists predominate. This could be a
great advantage and opportunity for the countryside, although its poten-
tial is still poorly exploited.
