In the past, great cities and castles relied on the resources of their immediate surroundings for supplies, and Ljubljana was no exception: the city once had its own vineyard on the slopes of Castle Hill. To revive that legacy and honor its title of “City of Vine and Wine,” awarded in 1987 by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) in Paris, a new vineyard was planted in 2016, the same year Ljubljana was recognized as the European Green Capital, with its first harvest taking place two years later.
The vineyard features 1,050 vines: 500 of the white variety Belpin, the Slovenian synonym for Chardonnay based on a cross of Belina and Pinot, and 550 of the red variety Rdečegrajc, a translation of the original Rotburger, renamed Zweigelt in 1975. Every stage of the process, from spring pruning to harvesting and bottling, is carried out by the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia. The castle completes this wine story by hosting in its courtyard a descendant of the oldest grape vine in the world, originating from the Lent district in Maribo