Goriška BrdaWine talks · Wine fair · Gastronomy
The weekend begins with a welcome glass featuring wines from the participating wineries. Meet the winemakers and ease into the stories of Goriška Brda. At Lobby bar Olea, you can hear from them what connects them most closely to this wine region.
Dinner at Olea Restaurant brings the flavours of Goriška Brda to the table: frtalja, sausages, polenta, toč and desserts from Brda. The meal offers more time to get to know the winemakers and wines in this year’s programme. Dinner is a chance to share first impressions around the table and discover how Brda cuisine pairs with the region’s wines.
After dinner, the gathering moves to Lobby bar Olea. Over music and a glass of wine, you can continue conversations begun around the table. The winemakers can share the stories behind their wines in person.
Saturday begins with a Slovenian breakfast and a taste of Brda. Enjoy a slower start before the masterclass and the winemakers’ stories. There is time at the table to talk and look ahead to the wine experiences still to come.
Goriška Brda is recognised on the international wine scene for Rebula, vineyards rooted in the region’s distinctive opoka marl and wines that express their place of origin. Join Ivan Stiblik and Valentin Bufolin to discover the stories and different approaches of Kabaj, Klet Brda, Medot, Vini Noüe Marinič and Ščurek. Together with the winemakers, we will discuss heritage and the next generation, terroir, winemaking and the place of Brda wines in the wider world.
After the morning wine talks, take time to pause. Enjoy the wellness area and pool at Hotel Olea before the afternoon wine fair. This pause between two wine-focused parts of the programme lets everyone enjoy the weekend at their own pace.
Meet Kabaj, Klet Brda, Medot, Vini Noüe Marinič and Ščurek in Olea Multimedia Hall. Taste their wines, meet the people behind the labels and talk about the varieties, styles and character of Goriška Brda. Each tasting is a chance to ask the winemakers questions and find wines that suit your taste.
After the wine fair, the programme moves to Lobby bar Olea. A special on-stage surprise awaits guests before the rest of Saturday evening unfolds. We will reveal the details only on the night.
Olea Restaurant serves a themed dinner inspired by the flavours of Goriška Brda. After the masterclass and fair, the wines and winemakers’ stories meet again around the table. Guests can compare tasting impressions at a more relaxed dinner pace.
Rockatansky Band takes the stage at Lobby bar Olea. Their live performance brings Saturday’s programme to a musical close. After the fair and dinner, guests can stay for a drink and continue the conversation.
Sunday morning is for a leisurely Slovenian breakfast and a taste of Brda. Enjoy the final moments of the weekend at an unhurried pace. Around the table, we can revisit the highlights of Saturday’s fair and wine conversations.
Before departure, there is time for coffee and one more conversation about your favourite wines of the weekend. You can choose bottles to take home from the wine shop. It is a final chance to revisit the tastings and the wines you enjoyed most.
Meet the sommeliers and winemakers bringing the stories of Goriška Brda to life
WINE TALKS · SATURDAY
A driving force behind the Zadar Wine Festival.
A familiar name on the Zadar wine scene, Ivan Stiblik has spent years organising wine events, leading professional tastings, educating audiences and promoting food and wine culture.
He is an organiser and driving force behind the Zadar Wine Festival.
WINE TALKS · SATURDAY
Slovenia’s Best Sommelier 2022 and president of the Sommelier Society of Slovenia.
Valentin Bufolin represented Slovenia at the World Sommelier Championship in Paris in 2023 and at the Europe, Africa and Middle East championship in 2024.
He holds the WSET Level 3 qualification and the title of Italian Wine Ambassador. He has years of experience as an educator, wine judge and ambassador for Slovenian wine culture internationally.
MEDOT
A new generation of the Simčič family and a contemporary voice at Medot, renowned for traditional-method sparkling wines.
A member of the next generation of the Simčič family and a key figure at Medot, a winery deeply rooted in the traditions of Goriška Brda.
Building on the legacy of his grandfather Zvonimir Simčič, known as the “father of Rebula”, Simon shapes Medot’s contemporary identity through elegance, precision and traditional-method sparkling wines in which Rebula has a special place.
VINI NOÜE MARINIČ
A third-generation Marinič winemaker connecting Brda traditions with a Burgundian approach.
A third-generation member of the Marinič wine family and one of the people shaping the contemporary identity of Vini Noüe Marinič in Goriška Brda.
Since 2018, together with the de Noüe family, he has brought Brda winemaking traditions together with a Burgundian approach. The wines come from organic vineyards, with a focus on individual sites, spontaneous fermentation and an authentic expression of terroir.
KABAJ
A French oenologist combining Brda terroir, long macerations and the tradition of amphora-aged wines.
A French oenologist who began his career in Bordeaux and Friuli, Jean-Michel Morel found a new home in Goriška Brda in the late 1980s. There he runs Kabaj.
Since the first commercial harvest in 1993, he has shaped the winery’s distinctive style, combining Brda terroir, long macerations, ageing in wood and traditional amphora winemaking.
This approach has earned Kabaj a strong international reputation; the winery was once listed among the world’s 100 best wineries by Wine & Spirits Magazine.
ŠČUREK
A winemaker from Goriška Brda representing the family winery Ščurek.
Stojan Ščurek represents the Ščurek family winery in Goriška Brda. His family has tended the region’s vineyards for generations, producing wines that reflect the character of Brda.
At Wine Fellowship Weekend, he joins the wine conversations and meets guests to share stories of family winegrowing, local varieties and Rebula.
KLET BRDA
Field sales and wine shop coordinator in Slovenia for Klet Brda.
Damjan Resnik coordinates field sales and Klet Brda wine shops in Slovenia. At Wine Fellowship Weekend, he represents the winery and its wines from Goriška Brda.
Five wineries in Goriška Brda. Saturday, 28.11. · 17:00 · Olea Multimedia Hall
In Goriška Brda, French oenologist Jean-Michel Morel and his wife Katja Kabaj Morel create wines shaped by the local terroir, long macerations, ageing in wood and traditional amphora winemaking.
Since 1957, Klet Brda has brought together the winegrowing families of Goriška Brda. Its wines reflect steep vineyards, respect for nature and Rebula as one of the region’s defining varieties.
The next generation of the Simčič family continues the legacy of Zvonimir Simčič, known as the “father of Rebula”. Medot crafts elegant still and sparkling wines, with a special focus on Rebula.
Since 2018, the Marinič and de Noüe families have connected two wine traditions. Their story centres on organic vineyards, distinctive individual sites, spontaneous fermentation and wines that express their origins.
For generations, the Ščurek family has tended vineyards in Goriška Brda. Their wines combine local varieties, especially Rebula, with careful vineyard work and a desire to express the character of Brda in every glass.
Explore the atmosphere, people and wines of previous Wine Fellowship Weekend editions.
PREVIOUS EDITION · 2025.Tikveš and the Macedonian wine story10 photos · videoVlatko Stefanovski live, wine panels, a fair and encounters over a glass.
PREVIOUS EDITION · 2024.Giusti Wine and Veneto10 photos · videoThe first edition brought guided tastings, a wine fair and Italian gastronomy.
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