Drink like the Romans did along the Carpathian wine route

This article was prepared for an edition of the Spectacular Slovakia travel guideand was published in the travel guide Slovakia.

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There are countless examples of wine cellars in the Small Carpathian Wine Region, a string of more than 30 towns and villages along the east side of the Small Carpathians of which Pezinok, Modra and Svätý Jur are the best known. There are more than 100 winegrowers in this region, each following a tradition that dates from Roman times. ­ Many places are open for wine lovers and booking is not necessary.

In order to satisfy the growing interest in the wine of smaller producers, winemakers organise events. They open their doors to offer wines for tasting at places which are not opened for tourists throughout the year.

These Open Cellars festivals date only from the fall of the previous regime, but there are also a number of grape harvest festivals, known as vinobranie, whose traditions even the communists could not interrupt.

Small Carpathian Wine Region - Spectacular Slovakia travel guide (13 photos)

A lot of wine producers are part of the Little Carpathian Wine Route which is the oldest wine route in Slovakia developed in 1995. The aim of these wine producers has been to foster the development of the Small Carpathian region, especially in tourism connected to its winemaking traditions. MVC’s most popular event is its Day of Open Wine Cellars in May and November.