Podravje
Podravje is a large region in north-eastern Slovenia, with famous Drava River, which flows through Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary, and eventually joins the majestic flow of the Danube River. Its typical Pannonian relief with frequent slopes is ideal for winegrowing, so it is no surprise that Podravje wine-growing region boasts the biggest total vineyard area in Slovenia - almost 10,000 hectares, divided among two main wine-growing districts (which are both also official regions of Slovenia): Štajerska and Prekmurje. Although two separate wine-growing districts, Štajerska and Prekmurje offer similar wine grape varieties – mostly white, such as Laški Rizling (Italian Riesling), Renski Rizling, Šipon (Furmint), Chardonny and Traminec (Traminer), although also wines made from red grape varieties have earned acclaim from the international wine community on many occasions.
Štajerska
The wine-growing district of Štajerska is much bigger in terms of vineyards area: it boasts around 8000 hectares, while Prekmurje only has around 1000 hectares. Relatively big cities and towns (for Slovenian standards), such as Maribor, Ptuj, Gornja Radgona, Ljutomer and Ormož, offer Štajerska wine-growing district a lot of opportunities for bigger production of wine, and numerous hills of the area are considered to be among the best in the world for vineyards. The city of Maribor is also the home of the oldest vine in the world, cunningly named the Old Vine, which has been bearing grapes for over 400 years and is used in various popular Slovenian blended wines.
Prekmurje
Prekmurje wine-growing district is much smaller that its western neighbour Štajerska, it has been offering many high-quality wines over the past few decades and put its name firmly on the map of important wine-growers in Slovenia. Located between Austria, Hungary and Croatia, it offers an international taste that has produced many exquisite wines from well-known grape varieties such as Laški Rizling, Chardonnay, Modra Frankinja in Modri Pinot (Pinot noir).
