Jump to content Page index

Stories from Slovenia

St Martin's Day Celebration, joy at the new wine vintage

Toast the new wine in Slovenia!

The holiday of fruitful autumn

The most widespread celebration in Slovenia related to wine and the culture of wine is the celebration of St Martin's Day. It is celebrated on 11 November and for a week or two after that. You will not experience autumn dancing like this anywhere else in Europe, so visit one of the large celebrations of St Martin's Day. To really experience the celebration of St Martin's Day, you should drive to the source of wine—to vineyards and winemakers. St Martin's Day is celebrated not only in all Slovenian wine-growing regions, but from the Mediterranean Sea to the Pannonian plains.

When must turns into wine

The roots of St Martin's Day celebrations supposedly arise from a Celtic holiday which paid tribute to the fruitfulness of the autumn in the fields and vineyards. St Martin, a bishop from Tours in France with Hungarian roots, seemed like the most appropriate successor and protector of this important time. The joy as must turns into real wine is incomparable with any other holiday in Slovenia. Almost every seventh Slovenian is a winegrower and it is no coincidence that the greatest Slovenian TV soap operas of all time are related to wine dynasties.

St Martin's Day is redolent of like wine and delicacies

In addition to the celebration of a new wine vintage, St Martin's Day is characterised by its typical dishes, including, in addition to other types of poultry, the most typical roast goose or duck with shredded flatbread (mlinci) and stewed red cabbage. You will find St Martin's Day menus in most restaurants in Slovenia. Indispensable dishes include pogača, potica and other sweet delicacies.

St Martin’s Day with Michelin – an original feast according to Tomaž Kavčič’s recipe

St Martin’s Day is associated with a traditional feast, but you can also prepare it with a modern, innovative twist. This time, we contacted chef Tomaž Kavčič from Gostilna pri Lojzetu at Zemono Manor, which boasts a Michelin star. Tomaž entrusted us with his innovative recipe for a St Martin’s feast, Zemono style.

Explore

Wine stories from Slovenia

The winegrowing and oenology of Slovenia are represented by three wine-growing regions with 9 wine-growing districts. The first written testimonies to winegrowing in the area of present Slovenia date as far back as the 3rd century B.C. Large quantities of excellent wine have been produced here since then. Certain Slovenian winemakers win the most prestigious prizes and awards at world competitions. A special feature of Slovenian winegrowing and oenology are certain indigenous grape and wine varieties. Among them, two truly special wines are Karst Teran and Cviček from Dolenjska, and there are also Zelén, Pinela, Grganja, Klarnica and others. Have you tasted them? St Martin's Day is the perfect opportunity to do so.

Explore

St Martin's Day Celebrations in Slovenia

On St Martin’s Day, there is no shortage of interesting events all around Slovenia. Check the locations where you can toast with young wine.



Stories from Slovenia

Sign up for our monthly newsletter to receive a green piece of Slovenia in your inbox, and learn about holidays, seasonal offers, upcoming events and travel options.

Share with friends

ALMA Virtual Traveller
Which part of Slovenia would you like to explore? Reply to Alma