📍 Lower Carniola
The home of light, tart Cviček.
Dolenjska (Lower Carniola) is a wine zone in south-eastern Slovenia, east of Ljubljana, in the Krka valley. It is part of the Posavje region. The hills are covered with vineyards and small chapels, and villages have many small cellars.
The best-known wine of the zone is Cviček: a light, tart wine of pale red, almost pink colour, with low alcohol and a lively aroma. It is made from a blend of red and white grapes, mainly Žametovka, Modra Frankinja (Blaufränkisch) and others. Cviček is drunk young and chilled, and goes with appetisers, home-made sausages and cheese.
Besides Cviček, the zone makes white and red wines, including from Modra Frankinja. The climate is moderately continental, and soils are clay and limestone.
Dolenjska is a zone of family estates where winemaking is tied to village life, and the name Cviček is protected. Bela Krajina and Bizeljsko-Sremič, also part of Posavje, lie nearby. Cviček suits appetisers, home-made bread, sausages and cheese, and simple pork dishes. The road through Dolenjska passes many small chapels and vineyard cottages called “zidanice”, where hosts welcome guests and offer wine. It is one of the warmest-hearted corners of Slovenian winemaking.
How it connects to Wine
📍 Lower Carniola ← main grape of ← 🍇 Blaufränkisch → kind of → 🍇 Grape varieties → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 📍 Posavje
- Related to
- 📜 Cviček, 🥃 Dolenjski sadjevec, 🍷 Still wine
- Where it is
- 🗺️ Slovenian wine
- Grapes
- 🍇 Žametovka, 🍇 Blaufränkisch
- Main grapes
- 🍇 Žametovka, 🍇 Blaufränkisch
- Wines
- 🍷 Red wine, 🍷 White wine
Frequently asked questions
Where is Dolenjska?
In south-eastern Slovenia, east of Ljubljana, in the Krka valley.
What is Cviček?
A light, tart, pale red wine with low alcohol.
Which grapes make Cviček?
A blend of red and white grapes, mainly Žametovka and Modra Frankinja.
What to read next
- 🗺️ Slovenian wine — Slovenian wine: about 17,500 ha of vineyards, three wine regions, nine districts and 17 designations in the EU register.
- 🥃 Dolenjski sadjevec — Slovenian fruit spirit with an EU geographical indication: a fermented mash of apples and pears (sometimes plums) from orchards in Dolenjska, distilled in copper pot stills or columns; 37.5–48% ABV, colourless, sold only in factory packaging.
- 🍷 White wine — Wine made from grape juice without the skins; it can come from pale and even dark berries.
- 🍷 Still wine — Wine without noticeable bubbles: EU category 1, at least 8.5–9 % actual alcohol and no more than 15 % total; red, white, rosé or orange.
Similar
📍 Bizeljsko-Sremič · 📍 White Carniola · 📍 Posavje · 📍 Sopron · 📍 Bükk · 📍 Tolna
⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.