The taste of pršut and cheese is further complemented by Zelén wine. Back in 1844, Matija Vertovec wrote in the Viticulture for Slovenes that Zelén had an “exceptional vintage spirit.” Vertovec also wrote, “We are not sure if it is known elsewhere…” We know today that this aromatic wine, straw yellow in colour with shades of green is an authentic wine of the Vipava Valley, and thus an authentic – and compelling – Slovene wine. MORE…

One of the greatest curiosities among the tastes of Slovenia’s Vipava Valley is the dried ham known as vipavski pršut, which is quite different from the one we fi nd in the neighbouring Slovene Karst region.
Here they use only meat produced in Slovenia. Another of its particularities is a longer period of maturation; Vipavski pršut is dried by the bora wind, leaving the meat softer and sweeter.
Producer: MIP Nova Gorica
Author: dr. Janez Bogataj
Illustration: Vasja Lebarič

Cheese production on the Slovenian Nanos plateau dates back to the sixteenth century. The 1572 Land Register of the Vipava Manor stated that those using the Nanos pasture land had to pay taxes in cash or in kind, with sheep or cheese and cottage cheese. The Vipava Dairy modernised its cheese production line in 1986; since then they’ve been making it from cow’s milk as well. Nanos cheese is slightly spicy and pleasantly salty. Gastronomically it ranks among the top-quality cheeses. MORE…