We’re both very excited and honoured to say ‘Na zdravje!’ to wine lovers the world over with this Slovenia In Your Pocket guide to Slovenia's incredible wine tourism experiences, covering all three of the country’s distinct wine regions, and their nine constituent districts. From the earthy reds of Primorska in the west, to the sweet whites of Podravje in the northeast to the limitless supply of refreshing cviček of Posavje in the southeast, the pages below are intended to give only a brief overview of the many incredible wine experiences that can be had in Slovenia, one of the oldest centres of winemaking in the world and yet still, for many, an unexplored destination.

After spending nearly a decade tasting wine and visiting unique destinations across all of Slovenia’s wine regions, we’ve put all of our favourite wine-related experiences together here. While there are no shortage of internationally acclaimed, award-winning producers in Slovenia, this book wasn’t written for professional sommeliers or other viticulture experts, but for those visitors who would enjoy spending a day, weekend or longer holiday strolling through picturesque hilltop villages surrounded by vineyards, meeting (often eccentric) winemakers, listen- ing to stories of Slovenia’s centuries-old wine traditions, attending one of countless wine-related events, savouring a mouthwatering slow food meal with perfectly paired wines, and generally just enjoying themselves by experiencing all that the country’s wine regions have to offer.

Over the past couple decades many of Slovenia’s winemakers - from the largest cooperatives to the smallest family-run operations - have expanded, renovated and/or modernised their facilities with state-of- the-art equipment and gorgeous tasting facilities, and have been duly rewarded for their efforts with a plethora of prestigious awards and increasing recognition from the international media. Many have also added accommodation and other services, which makes visiting them easier than ever before. If you choose to do so, it’s always best to make advanced arrangements, either directly with the winemakers or through the local tourist offices, who are also usually more than happy to help with suggestions for itineraries and trips.