Ljubljana related

06 Dec 2020, 12:49 PM

STA, 4 December 2020 - Slovenia's major beverage companies are no exception when it comes to the devastating impact of the pandemic on the industry worldwide. Some companies have recorded a major drop in sales in the second Covid-19 wave, particularly due to the hospitality sector lockdown.

Retail demand has increased due to the closure of hotels, restaurants and bars, however the drinks companies do not believe that this uptick could offset or significantly mitigate the overall contraction.

Slovenian brewers, including the country's largest beer maker Pivovarna Laško Union, have been experiencing the ramifications of anti-coronavirus restrictions since beer consumption largely depends on socialising.

An estimate by the Association of Slovenian Brewers shows that some 38,000 jobs are at risk due to the closure of restaurants, bars, pubs and cafes.

There is a silver lining - online shopping trends, which are expected to continue to point up.

Nevertheless, the situation is expected to remain precarious in the coming months, Pivovarna Laško Union has told the STA.

The Slovenian beer sector estimates that domestic sales of individual producers may drop by at least 30%, some may even experience a 95% contraction of sales.

Mineral water producer Radenska has told the STA that hospitality sector sales had ground to a halt during the second wave.

The wine sector is seeing similar problems. The winery Vina Koper told the STA that most of its plans had to be pushed back. After stabilising operations between May and September, it faces a challenging period, a season deemed vital for the sector.

The winery Klet Brda used to generate almost half of its income via exports, but this advantage turned to dust under current circumstances.

The company remains an optimist given foreign distributors' forecasts and first positive signals from the US market.

09 Sep 2020, 15:05 PM

STA, 9 September 2020 - Slovenia has lost another case targeting its neighbour as the General Court of the EU dismissed its appeal to annul the European Commission's delegated regulation that allows Croatian wine producers to use Teran, the name of a red wine protected by Slovenia, on their wine labels. The decision was met with frustration and blame game at home.

Under the derogation granted to Croatia in 2017, the designation Teran may be used to refer to a wine grape variety on the labels of wines produced in Croatia, but only for the designation of origin Hrvatska Istra and on condition that Hrvatska Istra and Teran appear in the same visual field and that the font size of the name Teran is smaller than that of the words Hrvatska Istra.

Slovenia had Teran, a red wine traditionally produced from the Refosk grape grown in the region of Kras, recognised as a protected designation of origin (PDO) in 2006.

In challenging the regulation, Slovenia raised its retroactive effect, alleging infringement of the second subparagraph of Article 100 (3) of Regulation No 1308/2013, which is the legal basis of the contested regulation, and infringement of the principles of legal certainty and the protection of legitimate expectations.

The third paragraph of Article 100 reads: "Where the name of a wine grape variety contains or consists of a protected designation of origin or a protected geographical indication, that name shall not be used for the purposes of labelling agricultural products."

The second subparagraph says: "In order to take into account existing labelling practices, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 227 laying down exceptions from that rule."

The court found that the Commission had indeed applied the subparagraph concerned retroactively - it took effect on 1 January 2014 - but said the regulation pursued an objective in the public interest, which made it necessary for it to be given retroactive effect.

It said the objective pursued by the contested regulation was "to protect legal labelling practices existing in Croatia on 30 June 2013" when the country joined the EU, and "resolve the conflict between those practices and the protection of the Slovenian PDO Teran".

The court also held that Slovenia failed to prove the Commission failed to have regard to the principles of legal certainty, the respect for acquired rights and the protection of legitimate expectations by giving retroactive effect to the contested regulation.

The court fully upheld the Commission's arguments that Teran was also a grape variety in Croatia so the exception was possible under EU rules to use the name without affecting Slovenian Teran wine producers, who preserve exclusive PDO rights.

The row over Teran goes back to spring 2013 when Slovenia removed Croatian wine carrying Teran labels from its store shelves. Croatia protested, calling for a joint cross-border protection of Teran, which Slovenia said was not possible because of different agroclimatic conditions in which the grapes are grown and wine produced.

Despite the ruling, the row may not be over yet, as General Court judgements may be appealed at the Court of Justice of the EU. Slovenia has two months to appeal, but it is not clear yet whether it will, with those responsible saying they would first need to examine the judgement before deciding on further steps.

Wine growers from Kras who produce Teran believe the government should appeal and will seek a meeting with PM Janez Janša to explain to him how they are affected by the judgement.

Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec said the judgement would cause damage to Slovenian Teran producers with concerns that Croatian Teran could flood the Slovenian market, but also said the judgement needed to be respected.

Slovenian officials were quick to engage in a blame gave over who is responsible for the outcome, the second such after Slovenia lost its case against Croatia over its failure to implement the border arbitration award.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar criticised the Slovenian diplomatic service for "falling asleep", failing to react promptly on time in the preliminary procedure.

Announcing a debate in parliament on the matter and an examination of all activities pertaining to it, Logar raised the issue of "responsibility of those who opted for the legal action we lost".

"Let's remember another suit that we've lost. Lost suits certainly do not testify to active and confident foreign policy action that would improve the position, influence and reputation of foreign policy, rather the opposite," he said.

However, Dejan Židan, who served as agriculture minister at the time of crucial developments between 2010 and 2018, and who championed the idea to challenge the derogation in court, dismissed the allegation against him saying he was "proud" of action to protect Teran.

Returning the ball to the incumbent government, the Social Democrat said the government of the time had little chance to communicate within the European People's Party that key decision-makers came from, asserting that had Germany or Italy been in Slovenia's place the Commission "would never have adopted such a delegated regulation".

Similar frustration was expressed by Teran growers and experts involved in the case, who argued that Slovenia's arguments were sound, but the problem was politics and a lack of unity in Slovenia.

Regretting the development, parliamentary parties argued that experts should decide whether Slovenia should appeal against the General Court's decision. Many were critical of Židan, as well as a lack of unity among Slovenian political representatives.

Meanwhile, the Commission responded by saying that both Slovenian and Croatian wine producers can continue producing and selling their wines.

"The delegated regulation allows Croatian wine producers that had traditionally produced wine with Teran grape variety to continue labelling the wine with this name. However, it also introduces three conditions restricting the scope of the derogation and avoiding any sort of confusion between this wine and the Slovenian PDO wine Teran, reads a release from the Commission.

29 Aug 2020, 14:37 PM

STA, 21 August 2020 - A wine fountain spurting the Dolenjska-grown wine Cviček was opened in Šmarjeta on Friday, a move designed to promote wine making and further boost tourism in the thermal retreat town. The ribbon was cut by President Borut Pahor, who said he was "in awe of the moment we're witnessing".

Pahor's office said the president was truly happy to be able to meet people after a long time. He expressed gratitude to mayors across the country who forged innovative plans for the future while facing the coronavirus pandemic in their communities.

Slovenia is a perfect fit for sustainable development, the president said, this is noticed by all visitors and makes the country better known abroad.

The fountain, modelled after a very popular beer fountain in Žalec, cost EUR 140,000, with about 80% of the funds coming from the EU regional development fund.

The fountain has four automated taps featuring Cviček and three other locally produced wines.

26 Aug 2020, 13:29 PM

STA, 26 August 2020 - The 24th Days of Poetry and Wine (Dnevi poezije in vina ) festival will kick off in Ptuj on Wednesday featuring more than 30 poets, including this year's guests of honour Scottish poet and novelist John Burnside and Italian poet Patrizia Cavalli. The festival's Open Letter to Europe will be penned by Hungarian author Krisztina Tóth.

Apart from the main venue, the oldest Slovenian town, events will take place in various other towns and cities across Slovenia.

The international festival, hosting poets who have gained international acclaim as well as up-and-coming authors, has had to adjust to the coronavirus and all of its ramifications.

Running until Saturday, Days of Poetry and Wine will unfold in both the physical and virtual worlds since in-person events have even greater value in the current circumstances, said Aleš Šteger, the festival's director and a poet himself.

"We need the other, their words, a sense that someone else is there," he said, adding that culture had been one of the areas taking the brunt of the corona crisis.

Due to health reasons, Cavalli and Burnside will not be able to attend the festival in person, the Scottish poet will however address the visitors via videoconference.

Burnside is one of only three poets to have won both the T. S. Eliot Prize and Forward Poetry Prize for the same collection of poems.

Cavalli, another prolific author, is one of the most renowned poets of contemporary Italian poetry.

Tóth, acclaimed Hungarian author and literary translator, will deliver a public reading of the 2020 Letter to Europe at the opening ceremony on Thursday.

The author warns in the letter that there is something wrong with Europe, urging deep reflection on the current state of affairs, including by reading poems, and heeding wake-up calls, such as the corona, climate and migrant crises.

The Open Letter to Europe project was launched in 2017 in cooperation with the Berlin-based foundation Allianz Kulturstiftung and aims to address burning issues by invoking the language of art.

All the letters so far have been well-received and translated and published in numerous languages. They have also been sent to decision makers, including MEPs and members of the EU Council and EU Commission.

Apart from discussions with guest poets and wine-tastings, there will also be poetry readings, including one in the dark tunnels deep under the Ptuj Castle.

Moreover, acclaimed Slovenian poet Dane Zajc will be honoured in an exhibition about his life and work at a library in Ptuj.

Saturday, the final day of Days of Poetry and Wine, will bring another highlight of the festival - the first Ptuj wine promenade will be held in cooperation with the Salon Sauvignon arts and wine festival.

Visitors will be able to indulge in quality poetry and wine in various venues, including cafes, courtyards, pubs, libraries, museums and gardens.

There are capacity restrictions due to Covid-19 precautions and advance bookings are required. Evening events are an exception since they can accommodate more people, said the organisers.

More details on Ptuj's Days of Poetry & Wine

10 Aug 2020, 11:15 AM

STA, 10 August 2020 - The town of Šmarjeta in the east of the country will soon become heaven for Cviček lovers, as a Cviček fountain is to open there. The light wine known for its characteristic acidity is home to the region, which will thus boost its tourism offerings that have so far relied mainly on spas.

The latest in a series of Slovenian wine fountains but the first one celebrating Cviček is to open on 21 August.

According to the head of the project dubbed Šmarjeta's Source of Civček, Alja Razbelj, the costs of the fountain have been estimated at under EUR 140,000.

Four-fifths will be covered by grants from the European Fund for Regional Development, while the Šmarješke Toplice municipality and local associations of vineyard owners, which will supply the wine, will chip in the rest.

Razbelj told the STA the fountain would have the same system as Europe's first beer fountain, which opened in Žalec in east-central Slovenia four years ago.

It will have four automated wine pipes, and apart from Cviček visitors will also be able to taste three different sorts of wine produced from the three main grape varieties used to make Cviček.

The location of the town, not the fountain

The fountain will be open every day from 10am to 8pm. Local souvenirs and wine will also be sold at the site.

The Cviček fountain will be located at the town's square, which is to be further renovated soon as part of a EUR 90,000 project.

According to Razbelj, the unveiling of the fountain is to be attended by President Borut Pahor.

02 Aug 2020, 13:18 PM

STA, 2 August 2020 - Growing interest in wine tourism in the south-eastern Dolenjska region among Slovenians, sparked by introduction of holiday vouchers, will help improve the tourist season in the region, Dolenjska tourism providers who base their services on vineyard cottages known as zidanice have said.

 The zidanice, regionally well-known simple houses with wine cellars surrounded by rolling hills and vineyards, have been the mainstay of the region's tourism for years, apart from spa resorts.

The increased interest, brought about by the vouchers, the government measure designed to boost Slovenian tourism in the wake of the Covid-19 epidemic, will have a long-term positive effect in terms of promoting these rural retreats.

Petra Štukelj, a representative of the Zidanice Tourism Consortium Association, told the STA that at the beginning of the epidemic, up to 90% of zidanice bookings were cancelled, mostly by foreign tourists, who had accounted for the majority of guests in previous years.

Launching the vouchers has mitigated the situation, with Slovenians opting for discovering their own country amid coronavirus concerns and travel restrictions, she said.

In April, vineyard cottages were virtually empty, whereas in May, the situation started turning for the better. June compared to the same period last year and in July, the occupancy rate increased by as much as some 40% on July 2019.

The providers expect to see the upward trend carry on into the following months.

The share of domestic guests was less than 25% last year, whereas this year it has climbed to 75%. Summer months and September are the busiest, with the zidanice being perfect for smaller groups of visitors.

Apart from Dolenjska, the consortium also provides accommodation services in wine-growing regions of Posavje, Bela Krajina and Obsotelje in south-eastern and eastern Slovenia.

Holidaying zidanice-style comes with wine-tasting and culinary experiences, countryside hospitality, gorgeous views of rural landscape and a plethora of sports activity options, the association said.g

30 Jul 2020, 13:30 PM

STA, 30 July 2020 – Poor wine sales brought on by the coronavirus lockdown not only affected the pockets of winemakers but at least in one case appear to be bad news for the environment as well. After fish began to die off in a stream near Gornja Radgona and other animals were seen behaving as if drunk, analysis showed high amounts of sulphur and alcohol in the water.

Since Monday, local anglers in Gornja Radgona, a town in the idyllic wine country of Slovenske Gorice, have been retrieving dead fish from the Lisjakova Struga stream, a tributary of the Mura river.

While the fish likely died from sulphur molecules tying to the oxygen in the water, analysis conducted for a fishpond feeding from the stream on Monday showed alcohol level as high as 0.47%, while alcohol content in the stream was 0.35%.

The local angling association suspects that somebody had dumped large amounts of wine in the stream or had been cleaning barrels with alcohol and sulphur. Their suspicions stem, in part, from the fact that wine sales tanked during the Covid-19 epidemic.

Franek Radolič of the angling association told the STA that truly large quantities had to have been dumped into the stream considering that the waterway is over 1.5 kilometres long. The association took immediate action, liming the pond and taking measures to raise oxygen levels, but to no avail.

Radolič said that oxygen levels in the water had dropped significantly; whereas there are usually between 5mg and 6mg of oxygen in a litre of water, the levels in Lisjakova Struga dropped to a mere 1mg.

The anglers also said that animals drinking the water from the stream had been behaving unusually, as if they had been drunk, the newspaper Slovenske Novice has reported.

Although a report has been made to the police and the relevant Environment Inspectorate, the anglers doubt that a culprit will be found for what they say is not the first such incident.

27 Jul 2020, 22:33 PM

STA, 27 July 2020 - Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec has defended her conduct after questions were raised about potential ethics breach over her appearance in a wine maker's promotional video and uncertainty over who paid for her family's trip to western Slovenia at the end of June.

Pivec said in a Facebook post on Sunday she had paid for the accommodation for herself and her sons during the 25-26 June visit to Kras region. If necessary, she will show the receipts to the competent institutions.

As for her starring in a promotional video for Vinakras, she said that as minister she had committed to visiting people and companies working in the agri-food chain since she became minister.

"I'll always be proud to wear T-shirts, badges, aprons ... of farms, associations, organisations and companies in my sector," she said, adding that all Slovenians should be proud of domestic food producers.

She said she would continue to "proudly represent our farmers, farms, associations and companies".

The statement comes after Dnevnik reported last week that she had visited Vinakras and starred along with her family in the company's promotional video, wearing a T-shirt with the company's logo.

The minister later explained the first day of the visit had been private and on the second day she was a guest at Vinakras, where she attended several meetings and launched a renovated courtyard in the evening.

POP TV later presented leaked emails showing a vice-president of Pivec's party had arranged the details of both the official and private parts of the visit.

Prime Minister Janez Janša yesterday defended Pivec, saying on Twitter that "It is expected of members of the government of the Republic Slovenia like everywhere else in the normal world that they will promote domestic companies, entrepreneurs and farmers, their products and destinations. The more the better."

The cooperative Vinakras today issued a press statement in which it rejected in the strongest terms the allegations of corruption as unacceptable and ill-willing.

It said the minister's visit had never been planned as the cooperative's promotion but rather for her to inaugurate a refurbished traditional farmyard, and to present the state of agriculture in Kras and the need to link agriculture and tourism.

Vinakras noted that the minister had also met the local mayors and farmers, viewed the farmyards and visited several other spots.

The release said that the video shot during the minister's visit featured several companies, young farmers and sights in the Kras area. "Our desire was in good faith to combine the recordings into a video presentation for remembrance and to present the actual state of agriculture and tourism in Kras."

02 Dec 2019, 15:55 PM

STA, 2 December 2019 - The General Court of the European Union will start with oral hearings Tuesday related to Slovenia's legal action against the European Commission for granting Croatia a derogation enabling it to use Teran, the name of a red wine protected by Slovenia.

Hearings at the General Court are similar to those at the European Court of Justice. Each side presents their views and then judges ask questions.

The hearings will be similar to the July oral hearing in a case that Slovenia has brought against Croatia due to Croatia's failure to implement the 2017 border arbitration award.

However, judges of the General Court usually ask more questions and the questions are more detailed, and there is also no advocate general.

A ruling is expected a few months after the hearings, the court has said.

The hearings will be open for the public but may not be recorded. A panel of five judges will be ruling in the case, and their identity will be revealed on Tuesday.

EU institutions and member states can express their support to either of the parties involved but other than Croatia no other countries are expected to present their views on the matter.

Slovenia brought the legal action on 15 September 2017, protesting against the Commission's decision to enable Croatia to use the name Teran for a grape variety for the designated Hrvatska Istra (Croatian Istra) wine label under certain terms.

Slovenia, which will be represented by the State Attorney's Office and German lawyer Roland Knaak, argues that the derogation is unlawful and that it would cause economic damage to Slovenian producers of Teran.

Slovenia will argue that the delegated act on Teran, which took effect on 21 July 2017, is null and void because it runs contrary to the principles of EU law, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food.

The ministry claims that the EU-proposed condition that the name Hrvatska Istra on the wine label is bigger than the Teran name is misleading for consumers, because they can wrongfully assume that this is the protected Slovenian Teran wine.

During the procedure to adopt the delegated act, Slovenia had been presenting numerous remarks related to the procedure and had been arguing that Croatia should have raised the Teran issue during its EU accession talks, before joining the EU.

In a response to Slovenia's action, the Commission reiterated that the delegated act in no way affected the status of the Slovenian protected wine and that the labelling conditions had made sure that consumers would not be misled.

The dispute over Teran broke out in April 2013 at a meeting of EU agriculture ministers in Luxembourg. After Slovenia removed Croatian wine that was sold under the name of Teran from store shelves, Croatia protested and called for a joint cross-border protection of Teran.

The European Commission said at the time that Slovenia had protected Teran as a Slovenian wine on the EU market, so no Croatian wine can be sold under that name, and that Croatia had not opposed to Slovenia's move.

But as the Commission's leadership changed in 2014, rumours started that the Commission was planning to adopt a delegated act on Teran in line with an agreement made during Croatia's accession talks, which Slovenia knew nothing about.

In December 2016, the Commission decided to grant Croatia a "limited exception" in the case of Teran, meaning that the country would be allowed to use the name for wines justifying existing labelling practices.

Subsequently, Slovenia has brought legal action against the Commission. After the General Court delivers its ruling, both parties will have the right to appeal to the Court of Justice of the European Union.

09 Nov 2019, 11:30 AM

STA, 8 November 2019 - Considering themselves a nation of wine lovers, Slovenians will celebrate St Martin's Day throughout this weekend. Every year, thousands turn out at public celebrations, while many wine makers throw their own parties and nearly all cooks in the country serve a traditional dinner of goose, red cabbage and mlinci, a flatbread speciality.

St Martin's Day, observed on 11 November, is arguably one of the most party-dense weekends in Slovenia. And being the day when, in folk tradition, grape juice turns into wine, it is always accompanied by police warnings against drunk driving.

Remember the Drink Driving Limit in Slovenia

The biggest public celebration will be held in Maribor, which prides itself on its wine-making tradition, on Monday, when 20,000 people are expected to gather in the city centre.

Between today and Monday, a variety of events featuring wine, food and music will take place across the country, even in regions where wine making is not a tradition. In Kranj, for example, a wine tour takes participants into the ancient catacombs under the city.

Ptuj in the northeast will also hold a number of events over the weekend and on Monday. Here St Martin's Day is not merely a day when juice turns into wine, but also the start of carnival celebrations, which will culminate in late February with the biggest carnival party in the country.

Meanwhile, many vineyard owners and winemakers will hold their own parties for friends and family. By tradition, these also feature a priest, or somebody dressed up as priest, blessing the barrels of young wine.

A dinner of roast goose, red cabbage and mlinci, a softened dry flatbread, is served at these parties, but also at low-key family meals in the days around St Martin's Day.

Slovenia Wine: Lower Sava Wine Growing Region

This year's wine harvest produced around 66 million litres of wine, some 30% less then last year. The harvest was very good nonetheless, as 2018 was an exceptionally good year in terms of quantity.

Slovenian wine makers can be relatively optimistic despite the additional demands put on them by the weather this year. Despite interchangeable spells of warm and dry weather, the quality of wine is satisfactory, Dušan Brejc, the head of the Slovenian Wine Company, an association of winemakers, has told the STA.

"Those who make their living with grapes and winemaking have made such a giant leap in know-how that they manage to meet all the demands to produce healthy grapes even in demanding circumstances," said Brejc.

Slovenian Wine: Littoral Wine Growing Region (Primorska)

The output of Slovenian vineyards in terms of quantity is moderate, which means that winemakers are building above all on quality, with the bigger ones focusing on export.

In the past five years, winemakers have started exporting more to China, which has allowed an increase in price of wine, while the US remains a key export market.

While import of wine was on the increase until 2016, there has now been a slight drop in imports. "Most of the imported wine is in the lower price range, the production of which Slovenian winemakers have abandoned," said Brejc.

Cheap Imports a Threat to Slovenian Winemakers

Slovenian winemakers, like their peers all over the world, face climate change challenges and will need to adapt to demands for lower pesticide use, according to Brejc.

"New varieties will be introduced, more resilient to some diseases. We could predict that Slovenia will face rather big changes in terms of weather predictability in the next ten years," he said, adding that a lower use of pesticides will drive the demand for more manual labour in vineyards.

The wine is blessed by some comedy religious figures before it becomes wine

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