The oldest vine - World's Oldest Grapevine

On December 9th, the new look and offerings of the House of the Oldest Vine in Maribor were presented. The renovation, which took place over the past five months, was supported by the Ministry of Economy, Tourism, and Sports, as well as the City Municipality of Maribor. Since its opening in 2007, the House of the Oldest Vine has become the most visited tourist attraction in Maribor. It will now enter a new era as the Oldest Vine, featuring more than 200 wine labels from over 50 Styrian winemakers. The house will reopen its doors for all visitors 365 days a year in the second half of December.

With an age of over 450 years, the vine is listed in the Guinness World Records

The vine flourishes in the oldest part of the city, Lent, where it climbs the building that was once part of the city’s medieval walls. Its story speaks of resilience and extraordinary life energy, having survived everything from Turkish sieges, numerous fires, phylloxera, to the bombing of the city.

Descendants of the Old Vine grow around the world, and its wine has been presented as a prestigious diplomatic gift by the City Municipality of Maribor to famous personalities such as Garry Kasparov, Václav Havel, Bill Clinton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the Dalai Lama.

• The grapes of the Old Vine, a variety known as Žametovka or Modra Kavčina, are among the oldest domesticated noble grape varieties in Slovenia.

• The symbolic annual harvest, ranging from 35 to 55 kg of wine, is bottled in 2.5 dcl bottles designed by the renowned artist Oskar Kogoj. These bottles represent a precious diplomatic gift – no more than 100 bottles are filled each year!