Slovenian Natural Wine

Slovenia is one of the most important countries in the natural wine world. The Brda hills, directly across the border from Friuli, are home to some of the pioneers of the skin-contact movement, among them Movia, Klinec, and Cotar, while the Vipava Valley, Kras plateau, and Dolenjska region each add their own terroir. Rebula, Malvazija, Vitovska, and Zelen are the key indigenous white varieties, and Teran, the local Refosco, leads the reds. Many thrive with minimal intervention in the cellar.

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Slovenia's fame in natural wine rests on Brda and the neighboring Kras and Vipava. Brda is the same hillside as Italy's Collio, simply on the other side of the border, and it was here that growers like Ales Kristancic of Movia helped revive long skin-contact maceration for white grapes, making some of the wines that put modern orange wine on the map. On the windswept Kras plateau, iron-rich red terra rossa soil gives structured Teran and mineral Vitovska, while the Vipava Valley is a little warmer and broader in range.

The signature style is amber wine: Rebula and Malvazija fermented on their skins, sometimes in large oak barrels or buried clay, giving wines with grip, savor, and real aging potential. Alongside them you will find fresher whites, structured reds from Teran, and a growing number of pet-nats. Many growers here farm organically or biodynamically and keep additions to a minimum, in a tradition that predates the modern natural label.

Amber Slovenian wines love the table, standing up to cured meats, aged cheese, mushroom dishes, and anything off the grill. Serve them cool but not cold and give them air. If skin-contact wine is your thing, this is one of its heartlands. See also our orange wine and Italian wine collections.

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Frequently asked questions

When is my order shipping?

We are doing your best to ship your order in 2-3 business days.

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Do I have to sign upon delivery?

Yes, someone 21 years or older must sign for the package.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

What if I miss a delivery?

Worry not, we have options, but please read carefully.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

Why is Slovenia important for natural wine?

Slovenia, and the Brda hills in particular, is one of the birthplaces of modern orange wine. Growers here helped revive long skin-contact maceration for white grapes, producing amber wines that influenced the whole natural wine movement. Brda is the same hillside as Italy's Collio, just across the border.

What is Slovenian amber wine?

It is white wine made like red: grapes such as Rebula and Malvazija are fermented on their skins, sometimes in large oak or buried clay, for weeks or months. The result is deep gold to amber in color, with tannin, savor, and real aging potential, quite unlike a conventional white.

What are the main Slovenian grapes?

The key indigenous whites are Rebula (Ribolla Gialla), Malvazija, Vitovska, and Zelen. Teran, the local Refosco, leads the reds, giving structured, high-acid wines especially on the iron-rich soils of the Kras plateau.

Is Slovenian wine natural?

Many of the growers we carry farm organically or biodynamically and keep cellar additions to a minimum, often working in a low-intervention tradition that predates the modern natural label. Not every estate is certified, but the approach is hands-off by design.

What food pairs with Slovenian amber wine?

Amber wines have the grip and savor to handle cured meats, aged cheese, mushroom dishes, and grilled food. Serve them cool but not cold, around 55 degrees, and give them air. Treat them more like a light red than a white at the table.

Do you ship Slovenian wine across the United States?

Yes. We ship to 45 states with careful, temperature-conscious packaging. Options and any state restrictions appear at checkout.