October 2022
The Season of Genuine Flavours
When tradition meets creative passion
Autumn brings completion, the circle is nearly full. Nearly, because in the Vipava Valley and Goriška many outdoor garden crops thrive all year long. The vineyards, orchards and fields though are getting ready for their winter rest. The crops have been picked, it's time for maturing, for masterful winemaking in the cellar and the creation of all those delights that caress the senses. Autumn is a time when, according to local folklore, the people bow to nature's gifts and keep joyous company in their tasting. Welcome to the land of noble tradition and heavenly flavours.
Unique wine country
Vipava Valley boasts an extraordinary, millennia-lasting tradition of vine cultivation. Among all the winegrowing regions in Slovenia, the valley has preserved the greatest number of its old local grape varieties, most notably the indigenous Zelen and Pinela. Vipava Valley winemakers cherish their legacy and nurture their wines with passion. This is why Vipava Valley wines today express a phenomenal character while reaching for the pinnacle of world quality. Dedication passing between generations makes local tastings in the valley's wine cellars especially unique. Guests are often received by the winemaker personally, with stories inspired by the wines that are soulfully made and crafted with fertile soil and ancestral knowledge in mind.
Tradition of socializing in the wine cellar
In the wonderful local treasury of customs and knowledge related to wine production, one meets the habit of visiting after St. Martin's Day to taste the neighbours' young wine and exchange the wisdom of the land. The Feast of Saint Martin, when grape juice turns into wine, is traditionally celebrated at a table full of home treats, together with all those who helped out during the year in the vineyard and at harvest. From this legacy and the newer tradition of celebrating the wine vintage in the Vipava Valley sprang a unique series of events, for over two decades now appearing under a shared name Vipava Valley Wine Cellars between St. Martin’s Day and Christmas. This year, when there are again no limitations on merrymaking, the cellars, inns and villages are keeping their doors wide open. From 11 November all the way up to 17 December, the valley of heavenly flavours offers at least 35 different public events keeping custom alive and inviting to the sampling of wholesome local foods. Next to the St. Martin feasts, don't miss the many Osmica open-door events, enriching the offer of home dishes with local atmosphere and often music, too. The valley inns and restaurants at this time prepare special menus, while many agritourism farms also offer comfortable accommodation. Welcome to the Vipava Valley for its autumn happenings in the wine cellar, deeply rooted in the local culture, nature and people.
The charm of autumn delights
Ripe is the thick chestnut, exquisite sweetness is already in the persimmon, while forests are this year chock-full of mushrooms. In the Vipava Valley and Goriška, at the many agritourism farms, the local inns and naturally the distinguished haute cuisine restaurants, plates will excite you with these gifts of autumn nature. The ancient motto of local cuisine, always putting seasonal ingredients front and centre, makes autumn dishes especially colourful and tasty. Each plate set on the table in the Vipava Valley and Goriška is packed with a harmony of local ingredients and the love it was prepared with. A mix of history and creative passion, apparent in simple kitchens and those of the famous Michelin star chefs alike, places the Vipava Valley and Goriška into the very summit of the Slovenian culinary offer. It's time to enjoy genuine flavours, savouring them in the Paradise Valley!
