Old Vine Festival begins in Maribor

The key wine and culinary festival in Slovenia, in honour of the oldest vine in the world, has begun in Maribor. From the ceremonial grape harvest of the Old Vine at the beginning of October until the biggest celebration of St. Martin’s Day on 11 November, the second largest Slovenian city will celebrate the symbol of Slovenian wine and persistence.

The 30th ceremonial grape harvest of the Old Vine on 2nd October announced the beginning of the 16th Old Vine Festival. The city guardian of the vine, Stane Kocutar, counted 119 grape clusters before the harvest and assessed it as above average.

The Old Vine Festival is a culinary and cultural tribute to the oldest vine in the world, which grows in Lent, the oldest part of Maribor. The guest of honour at this year`s harvest was William Carson, an American who lives in California, but his thoughts often wonder to Maribor. He is an outstanding promoter of the oldest vine in the world even across the ocean: "Maribor has had a huge impact on my life.”

In the company of thirteen Wine Queens from all the Slovenian wine regions, last year’s Maribor Wine Queen, Urška Bračko, handed over the crown to the 10th Maribor Wine Queen, Kaja Šerbinek.

Until St. Martin’s Day on the 11th November, the Festival will host more than 70 events, most of them in front of the Old Vine House. The programme is available on the website of the event here.

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