When Matija Vertovec, priest, teacher of Vipava Valley winegrowers and the author of Slovenia's first book on winegrowing and winemaking served in Podnanos in mid-nineteenth century, he in his enthusiastic love for the grapevine publically asked our greatest poet France Prešeren, in an article appearing in the Agricultural and Artisan News in 1843, to dedicate an ode to the noble plant. A year later Prešeren wrote Zdravljica (A Toast), our national anthem, and we'll never know if it was precisely the wine of the Vipava Valley that inspired his masterpiece which indeed praises the grapevine. What we do know is that sixty years later, in 1905, the Podnanos composer Stanko Premrl set his words to music, and the rest is history. The seventh stanza of Zdravljica was in 1989 adopted as the anthem of independent Slovenia, with Podnanos justly recorded as its birthplace.

The grapevine and winemaking enjoy a venerable tradition in the Vipava Valley, which also boasts the greatest number of preserved old indigenous grape varieties in Slovenia. Today's winemakers build upon centuries of expertise, rediscovering the value of organic and biodynamic farming and a genuine relationship with nature. With great affection they tend to their vineyards and nurture their wines in the cellar. Accordingly, wines from the Vipava Valley are more than excellent, recognized far and wide. Visit one of the valley's winemakers, sample delicious home dishes and experience an unforgettable getaway. In February, when wines of the recent vintage arrive on the table, stopping by is especially recommended!