Vineyard Census, Slovenia, 2020

Every five years a Vineyard Census provides an insight into the structure of vineyards and winegrowers
According to the results of the Vineyard Census, 28,481 people were engaged in viticulture in 2020; they were cultivating 15,261 hectares of vineyards. The number of producers was 6% lower and the area 3% lower than at the previous census (2015).

Large differences in the size of the areas of each winegrower between the cohesion regions
An average winegrower was cultivating 0.54 hectare of vineyard in 2020. Large differences were observed in the average size of winegrower between cohesion regions Vzhodna and Zahodna Slovenija, since an average winegrower in Zahodna Slovenija cultivated three times larger area of vineyards (1.2 hectare) than in Vzhodna Slovenija (0.38 hectare). Still, 91% of winegrowers cultivated less than 1 hectare of vineyards, or 31% of total area of vineyards in Slovenia.
Nurseries were cultivated by 32 producers on about 64 hectares, while parent vines for root-stock were cultivated by 44 producers on less than 40 hectares.

The average vineyard size was 0.32 hectares, planted vertically, with white grape varieties
Most vineyards are planted in three wine regions, Podravje, Posavje and Primorje. The average vineyard size was 0.32 hectares, planted with 1,227 vines, containing 70% of white grape varieties and 30% of red varieties. The predominant white wine variety was Riesling Italico (17%), followed by Chardonnay and Sauvignon (both 11%). The predominant red wine variety was Refosco (29%), followed by Žametovka (17%) and Merlot (15%). Approximately 85% of all vineyards are covered with permanent green cover, almost all are planted on slopes. 80% of all vineyards were planted vertically and where the slopes are too steep, they are planted on terraces (20%). The terrace arrangement of the vineyards enables the production of grapes on slopes larger than 60%.

Large changes in the size of vineyards between wine-growing regions and districts
Average size of vineyard was different between wine-growing regions. Vineyards were the largest in wine-growing region Primorje, on average 0.46 hectares. They were especially large in the wine-growing district of Goriška brda (Brda), where they measured on average 0.60 hectares. Vineyards were the smallest in wine-growing region Posavje (0.17 hectares), in the wine-growing district of Bela krajina (0.14 hectares). In Podravje, the average vineyard size was 0.35 hectares. The difference between the size of average vineyard between the wine-growing districts of Štajerska Slovenija (0.41 hectares) and Prekmurje (0.14 hectares) was observed.

About half of the vineyards in full production
In the last five years, almost 2,000 hectares of vineyards was planted or replanted with more than 8 million vines. On more than half of the total area of vineyards (56%) grow vines aged 5 to 30 years, which are considered fully productive. Older than 30 years was more than 16 million vines (28%), on 4,742 hectares.
75% of all new planting was done with white wine varieties, predominantly with Riesling Italico and Sauvignon (both 10% of all new plantings), Malvasia and Chardonnay (both 9%). As regards red varieties, in the past five years most of the area was planted with Refosco (8%) and Merlot (4% of all new plantings).

More detailed data are also published in the SiStat Database.