In this post, I am presenting You, the Prekmurje wine district, which is a part of the Podravje wine region.
Prekmurje wine district has a fair share of Hungarian influence. It is the second smallest Slovenian wine district. In 2015 an observation tower was built in the Lendava vineyards, called Vinarium. The tower is offering fantastic views of four countries: Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, and Austria.
Prekmurje is in the northeastmost part of Slovenia. The Mura River is close to it, and it borders Austria and Hungary. Prekmurje is considered a flat region, but it also has a hilly part, which is where we can found all of the vineyards in the region.
Climate:
Prekmurje has a continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. The rainfall levels are the lowest in this part of Slovenia. Due to the climate, the wines are “bigger” and with lower acidity levels than the wines in Štajerska Slovenia.
Soil:
Prekmurje district has two sub-districts called Lendava and Goričko.
The Lendava sub-district has steep vineyards on marly soils, the vineyards are planted on very long rows.
The Goričko sub-district lies on the Austrian border, and the vineyards are less steep and more diverse. The soil here is sandy, loamy, marly, and volcanic – it produces mineral wins.
What grows there:
Prekmurje can offer mostly easy-going white blends. Those usually are consumed locally and mix with mineral water. Since 2007 the Marof winery is producing some exceptional wines. Their Welschriesling can be considered the best example of the variety in Slovenia. The Riesling is coming from volcanic soils of Kramarovci offering very distinctive minerality. Some other great examples of the Marof winery are Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blanc from the Breg and Cru lines. They are best in producing Blaufränkish.
Another winery showing potential is Gjerkeš with its Chardonnay wines.
Prekmurje district in a nutshell:
Source: Slovenia Winemaking country, by Robert Gorjak. Page 94-99.