Prekmurje is territorially the largest of the Podravje viticultural areas, but good viticultural sites are concentrated mostly in the northern and southeastern parts of the area. Central Prekmurje is flat with rich arable land - in fact, it is Slovenia's granary.
The northern part of Prekmurje is geologically similar to the northern part of the Maribor area: sandstone and clay of metamorphic origin with eruptive gneiss in some microlocalities. Its southeastern part is geologically similar to the neighbouring Radgona-Kapela area with a shallow relief of low hills; these hills are composed of the youngest sediments of the Pliocene and Pleistocene eras.
Climatically, this area is the most effected by Pannonian plain, with very hot summers and scant summer rainfall. Late summer and August bring frequent spells of thick fog that may persist throughout the day. Winters are very cold as this is a characteristic continental climate. Grapes mature quickly, but due to the scant rainfall yield is low. Late harvests are attempted only rarely, although the foggy autumn weather is quite beneficial to the development of Botrytis cinerea.
Although the area is predominantly flat, the popular Lendavske and Dolgovaçke Gorice sites in the extreme east of the area are quite steep; still, the soils are relatively well consolidated and erosion is not a major concern although it does occur. Most vineyards in these specific sites are vertical, and the predominant wines grown on the flatter upper sections of Lendavske and Dolgovaçke Gorice are white.
Outside the few steeper sites, the hot climate and low relief of the hills make this area better suited to the production of red wine than other areas of Podravje. The combination of climate and specific soils makes the Modra Frankinja a special pride of this area, comparable to the best of Modri Pinot. Unfortunately, the local vignerons are neglecting the red varieties and following the modern trend toward growing white wines.
The white wines of Prekmurje tend to be dry to semi-dry. Laçki Rizling is the predominant grape and occupies over 50% of all vineyards; it produces a moderately strong wine, usually dry and more moderate in acids than those of neighbouring areas.
The specialty of the area is æipon: the must can achieve an outstanding content of aromatic oils and sugar, while the acids are less aggressive. æipon has a long tradition in this area. Just across the border in Hungary, æipon grapes are used in their most famous application: the Hungarian for æipon is Furmint, and these grapes are used to produce the famous Hungarian Tokaj wines.
As in other Slovene winegrowing areas, Chardonnay is becoming increasingly popular. It flourishes quite well and promises to produce some of the best wines of Prekmurje. The local soils and climate also seem to favour Beli Pinot, and in newly planted vineyards Sauvignon, Sivi Pinot, and Rizvanec are quite frequent - Rizvanec being particularly popular in Lendavske Gorice.
The best known blended white wine is LendavŸan, a dry blend of Laçki Rizling and æipon.
