Goriška Brda Wine Tours: Rebula Tastings
Goriška Brda is the Slovenian half of Collio: a fold of hills on the Italian border where Rebula grows on marl and flysch, the villages are walled and the cherries ripen in June, and where a handful of producers turned white grapes fermented on their skins into the orange wine the world now drinks. This page compares the top-rated Goriška Brda wine tours and tastings: cellar visits in Šmartno, Dobrovo and the Brda villages, day tours from Ljubljana, and the cherry-season and harvest visits.
What you’ll taste: Rebula, fresh and skin-macerated; Malvazija, Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio; Merlot and Cabernet from the warmer slopes; and the orange wines.
The villages: Šmartno, the walled village; Dobrovo and its castle; Medana; the Gonjače lookout tower for the whole picture.
When: the cherry festival in early June, harvest in September, St Martin’s in November.
Wine in Goriška Brda: Rebula, orange wine and the hills
Brda means hills, and the region is nothing else: ridges of vineyards and orchards running from the Soča river to the Italian border, with Collio on the other side of a line that cuts through vineyards. The grape is Rebula, Ribolla Gialla in Italian, a white that makes crisp wines young and, fermented on its skins for weeks, the amber, tannic orange wines that put Brda on the map in the 1990s. Merlot, Sauvignon and Malvazija fill out the cellars, and every farm also grows cherries, olives and persimmons.
Cellar visits
Tours visit two or three producers, usually one of the famous names and one or two family cellars: a walk through the vineyard, a look at the amphorae or old oak, a flight of six wines with Brda prosciutto and cheese. Lunch is in a village gostilna or at the winery. Half-day tours from the region run 50 to 90 euros; full days from Ljubljana with transport and lunch 120 to 180.
Šmartno, Dobrovo and the lookout
Šmartno is a walled medieval village restored house by house, with wine bars and a few rooms; Dobrovo has the Renaissance castle where the cherry festival is held; the Gonjače tower gives the view over all of Brda into Italy. Tours stop at all three.
From Ljubljana
An hour and a half by road, often with a stop in the Vipava Valley on the way; day tours combine Brda with Vipava or with Kobarid’s Soča valley. See Slovenia wine tours and Vipava Valley.
When to go
Early June for the cherry festival at Dobrovo castle, sixty years old in 2026; September for harvest; October for persimmons and colour; 11 November for St Martin’s Day. Summer is warm and the cellars are cool.
How we choose
We list only experiences with a strong rating over a meaningful number of reviews and free cancellation where available, and we favour small-group and family-run hosts. FindEatLocal earns a commission when you book through GetYourGuide or Viator links on this page; it doesn’t change the price you pay. More about how we choose.
FAQ about Goriška Brda Wine Tours: Rebula Tastings
Frequently asked questions
Why Brda?
Because it is Slovenia’s most famous wine region and one of Europe’s most beautiful small ones, and its producers pour for visitors in cellars that the wine press writes about.
What is Rebula?
The white grape of Brda and Collio, known as Ribolla Gialla in Italy: crisp and mineral when young, amber and tannic when fermented on its skins as orange wine.
How far is Goriška Brda from Ljubljana?
About an hour and a half by road; day tours with two or three cellars and lunch run year-round.
Can I visit Brda wineries without a car?
Yes, on a tour from Ljubljana or from Nova Gorica; the cellars are spread across the hills and appointments are usual.
When is the Brda cherry festival?
The first weekend of June at Dobrovo castle; 2026 is its sixtieth year.
Is Brda the same as Collio?
Geologically yes; the border of 1947 split one wine region into Slovenian Brda and Italian Collio, and the same grapes grow on both sides.