The Vipava Valley lies between the high Trnovska plateau and the low karst region, a separating depression between the high northern karst plateaus and the classic karst region; in the mid-Tertiary period the valley was filled in with flysch (marl, loess, and breccia in alteration). The relief is hilly, although low, between 45 and 300 meters (111 - 741 ft.) above sea level.
The climate here is submediterranean to continental. The rainfall is not scanty and the soils are quite rich, but this is the area where the burja reigns, the cold, dry wind that sweeps down from the north drying the soil and even eroding the top layer. The climate varies along the length of the valley, with the northeastern end exhibiting a distinctly more continental climate than the southwestern end which is quite Mediterranean.
The shape of the vineyards varies, but erosion is not the prime concern here: rows of vine are planted horizontally or vertically depending on the vineyard's position with regard to optimum sunlight. The Biljenski Gri~i hills in the southeastern part of the valley are very low, providing almost flat terrain, but even in the northeastern end of the valley around Podnanos, flat areas can be found on the slopes - here the soil displays the reddish tinge of terra rossa.
The variety of climate is reflected in the variety of wines from the Vipava Valley. The western part bordering on Gori{ka Brda is known for gentle but strong Mediterranean-type white wines: Malvazija, Rebula, Sauvignon, and Beli Pinot. These wines are quite rich in extract, but still harmonious and aromatic. The best red wines of the western Vipava Valley are Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot - the true specialties of this area being the Cabernet Sauvignon Barrique and Merlot Barrique.
The characteristic wines of the central Vipava Valley are very lively with pronounced fragrances. The predominant white wines are Malvazija, Rebula, Sauvignon, and Beli Pinot; Barbera with its special gentleness is the most outstanding red wine.
The wines of the northeastern end of the valley are more continental - solid and aromatic wines, richer in acids that can be quite rough in young wine of poor vintage. The specialties of this sub-area are the autochthonous white wines Zelen and Pinela; among red wines, Merlot, Barbera, and Cabernet are also cultivated.
The area also produces two pleasant white blends, the dry Vipavec - a blend of Zelen, Pinela, La{ki Rizling, and Sauvignon ; and the semi-dry Vrtov~an.
The largest producer of the area is the Vipava Winery that buys most of the area's grapes and ferments, matures, and bottles a wide variety of excellent wines. In the old, classical cellar in the center of the town of Vipava, red wines are aged in oak barrels - this is where the famous Merlot Barrique and Cabernet Sauvignon Barrique are "schooled." Some oak barrels can be found in the new cellar on the outskirts of Vipava, but most of the new cellar is occupied by modern, stainless steel vats that produce the fresh and lively wines: Zelen, Pinela, Cabernet Sauvignon Premiere, Beli Pinot, and others.
Organized visits to the cellars of the Vipava Winery can be arranged - tasting fresh wine from the huge 25,000 liter (6605 gallon) vats is truly an unforgettable experience. An interesting relic from the times when quantity was favoured over quality can also be seen: the enormous 500,000 liter (13,210 gallon) concrete vat in the Vipava cellar was probably one of the largest wine containers in Europe. The vat is no longer used for vinification: modern stainless steel vats have been installed in its floor space, but the wine-stone was intentionally left on the walls - what more appropriate plaster can one have in a wine cellar?
The Vipava Winery shop stocks all the rarest and choicest wines of the area: if Zelen, Pinela, or Cabernet Sauvignon Barrique can not be found anywhere else in Slovenia, they are certainly still on sale in Vipava. Merlot, Malvazija, Rebula, Barbera, and Cabernet Sauvignon are stored in the Vipava archives, but aged wines are not on regular sale. For the connoisseur who does not mind the cost of extraordinary quality, the shop offers Pilon Stari Vinjak (vinjak is the Slovene equivalent of cognac), a 20-year-old brandy with an unforgettable aroma on par with the best of the French aged cognacs.
