A pale, low-alcohol blend of red and white grapes from Dolenjska — unusual in the EU for mixing red and white together, which is normally forbidden. It sits at around nine percent and is drunk in quantity.
It is a protected Slovenian appellation with a legally defined blend of red and white grapes, made in a licensed cellar.
What goes into it
- Žametovka, Kraljevina, Laški rizling and Modra frankinja
- yeast
How it is made
Red and white grapes are picked and fermented together, which is what the appellation specifically permits and what gives the wine its pale colour and low alcohol. It is bottled young and drunk within the year, and it is deliberately light rather than accidentally so.
How long it takes: one vintage a year
How it is eaten
Cool with cured meat, cheese and štruklji, in quantity.
History
A Lower Carniolan blend of Žametovka, Kraljevina, Laški rizling and Modra frankinja, unusual in the EU for mixing red and white grapes.
Frequently asked questions
What is Cviček?
Cviček is a wine & spirit from Slovenia: pale, low-alcohol blend of red and white grapes from Dolenjska. A Lower Carniolan blend of Žametovka, Kraljevina, Laški rizling and Modra frankinja, unusual in the EU for mixing red and white grapes.
How is Cviček made?
Red and white grapes are picked and fermented together, which is what the appellation specifically permits and what gives the wine its pale colour and low alcohol. It is bottled young and drunk within the year, and it is deliberately light rather than accidentally so. It takes one vintage a year.
Can I make Cviček at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. It is a protected Slovenian appellation with a legally defined blend of red and white grapes, made in a licensed cellar.
What goes into Cviček?
Žametovka, Kraljevina, Laški rizling and Modra frankinja, yeast.
How is Cviček eaten?
Cool with cured meat, cheese and štruklji, in quantity.
