Brda and Wine Festival
Brda and wine festival, one of the largest enogastronomic events in Brda, has a long tradition. Here mouth-watering food (more than 30 selected Slovenian restaurants) and top quality wine (37 winemakers from Brda) go hand in hand. The wine and culinary festival takes place last Saturday in April in Šmartno village, one of the most beautiful preserved medieval villages in Slovenia.
The weather forecast was not promising but as soon as I arrived to Brda region, sunny weather with a bunch of dramatic clouds at the background greeted me. Driving on a curving road, passing by hilltop villages, vineyards, orchards and olive groves was really a blast.
Hill top fortified medieval village of Šmartno with its 5 preserved towers, 3 narrow cobbled paved alleyway and 2 main squares overlooking Brda region, is truly a paradise for photographers searching perfect shots. Šmartno will not leave you indifferent because each corner of the village is photogenic.
After entering Šmartno through the main archway and following the beats of The Chorinho & Samba Brasileiro band, I stumbled onto the first square packed with food, wine and art stalls.
The music was played at almost every corner and I was roamed the festival, dancing along the drum beats, taking photos, tasting excellent wine and trying superb food.
Guess what? Due to the festival, Šmartno village is closed for daily visitors!!! If you do not intend to attend the festival, check what you can do and see in Brda region here.
Besides culinary and wine stalls, local artisans with their products (extra virgin olive oil, lavender products, cheese, honey products, wood, ceramic, etc.) tantalized the taste buds of the visitors and many of them bought hand-crafted goods.
What is more, visit art, photographic and ceramic exibitions as well. With a glass of wine from wineries Ronk, Movia, Medot, Brda Wine Cellar, Ščurek, Mulit, Uou, Čarga, Mavrič, Emeran Reya and others, admire unique arhitecture of Šmartno village (balconies with outer staircases, extended kitchens, wide lintels, decorative chimneys).
Enjoy a pleasant walk through the picturesque village of Šmartno, a cultural monument that lies in the central of the Brda region, listen to the live music, sit on a fortified wall and admire a sunset. Grab a glass of rebula local grape variety and a dish prepared by famous Slovenian chef. What more do you need?
I asked Eva, one of the organizers how the festival actually started. “The festival was originally set up for wine producers to promote their wines. 6 years ago Hiša Marica and Hotel San Martin took over the organization and change the character of the original wine festival to the wine and culinary festival, with restaurants coming from Slovenia and also some renewed Slovenian chefs. Other local producers come mostly from Brda. Every year more restaurants, winemakers and other providers are interested to promote their offer at the festival. The festival is based on friendship and connections among the providers who present their offer at the festival. In order to be part of the festival, visitors need to buy a ticket. Once you find yourself inside the old medieval walls, you start to enjoy food, wines and other local products. Music and dance groups can be found more or less on every corner of the village. Visitors of the festival are mainly coming from Slovenia, Austria, Italy but also from Croatia, Bosnia and recently from the whole Europe. As place and offer in the village is limited, the number of tickets is limited too. That is the reason the tickets are sold in advance. This year for the first time the tickets were sold out before the event even started. The organizers of the whole event are Hiša Marica and Hotel San Martin from Šmartno, latest edition with cooperation of cultural society KOLO from Brda. The future aim of the festival is to keep the quality level of the festival, to promote excellent Brda wines and Slovenian cuisine. What is more, to promote Brda region in particular as unique wine and culinary Slovenian destination worth to visit. We don’t want that Brda and Wine Festival becomes a mass event. We do believe that our festival has real potentials to become one of the best wine and culinary festivals in Europe.”
Brda and Wine Festival is a great festival that a foodie and a wine lover should visit while exploring Slovenia in April because Brda region is a land of top quality wines (check orange wines as well!) and yummy local cuisine.
FOOD
Bar Pr’Naad
Domačija Belica
Fabrika
Galerija okusov
Gostilna in penzion Resje
Gostilna Repovž, Šentjanž
Gostilna Štirna Gostilna Termika, Kamp Lijak
Gredič
Hotel Kristal, Restavracija pri Lovu
Hiša Fink
Kruh in vino
Mesarija Peršolja
Mesnine Peloz
Osteria – gostilna Koršič
Ošterija Žogica
Pr’Andreju
Restavracija Grad Kromberk
Restavracija Hiša Marica
Restavracija Hotel Park
Restavracija Hotel San Martin
Restavracija Mama
Restavracija Rizibizi
Restavracija Špica
Restavracija Strelec
Restavracija Tiffany
Ribogojnica Fonda
Stara Gostilna
Turn Šmartno
Vila Prešeren Bled
WINE
Atelier Kramar
Belica
Benedetič
Bjana
Čarga 1767
Domačija Bizjak
Edi Simčič
Emeran Reya
Fana Estate
Klet Brda
Kmetija Prinčič
Kristalvin
Mavrič Danilo
Medot
Movia
Mulit
Na Bregu – Marinič
Radikon
Reja vino
Ronk
Ščurek
Simčič Karol & Igor & Marijan Valentinčič
Valter Sirk
Villa EVA
Vina Blažič
Vina Erzetič
Vina Fikfak
Vina Mavrič
Vina Moro
Vina Reia
Vina Silveri
Vina Sosolič
Vina UoU
Vinarstvo Bregar
Vinarstvo Sirk Aljoša
Vinoteka Brda
Zanut
MARKET
Apiturizem Robert Skubin
Bio dobrote Studenec
Bose Oil
Čebelarstvo Batištuta
DOMA Dolores Ličen
Ekološka kmetija pri Kumru Čadrg
EmiLina unikatni izdelki
Hiša sira Gorišek
Kmetija Drnovšček Kovačevi
maQfino Mesnine Bernardis Paolo
Nanni, domača pražarna in čajarna
Nona Luisa
Sadno zeliščna hiša Kikrca
Vitadar Naravni kis
Vonj poletja
Pletarstvo Luciijan Grudina
ART
Skulpture Ivana Skubina – Sculptures of Ivan Skubin
T-wood – izdelki iz lesa – art of Timon Brataševec
Stalna razstava Briška hiša- Permanent exhibition on Brda house (Brda House)
Gea Tanja Rusjan – unikatna keramika – ceramics (Briška Hiša – Brda House)
MUSIC&DANCE
Brencl banda
Kvartet saxibille
Sherzer brigade
Chorinho and samba brasileiro
Trio tocai
Glasbena skupina briška pomlad
Briška godalna skupina
Vokalna skupina brike
Dance klub l’uniti
Pupa zaplaš
Basic information about Brda and Wine Festival
Duration: from noon (12pm) to 7pm.
GPS location: N 46° 0′ 19.445″ E 13° 33′ 16.01″
Price: 60 EUR/adult, 10 EUR/child from 7-15 years old, 15 EUR/child from 15-18 years old. The price includes program, food, drink and a tasting glass.
Information about taxi: 00386 51 366 182, taxi.brda@live.com
Zero waste vibe: bio degradable plates and wooden accessories, separating waste.
Where to sleep during Brda and Wine Festival?
Brda and Wine Festival is getting more and more visitors every year and 700 tickets are sold out very fast so as the accommodations can get booked months in advance. Need a place to sleep during Brda and Wine Festival? Check accommodations in Brda here. In case all of them are already occupied, send inquiry to Herbal Rooms Homestay has well. The rooms are only 10 minutes driving away from Šmartno.
I visited Brda and Wine Festival by invitation from Agencija Marica. They want to promote the festival among foreign visitors in Slovenia as well.
