One of the reasons for staying in Maribor was to explore the Slovenian wine region Štajerska. Two of the wineries I contacted weren’t doing tastings because it was harvest season but one did accept my booking – Frešer. We decided to visit the very scenic village of Ptuj (pronouced pa-tooey!) as well.

In Ptuj we found a free parking lot next to the castle on the edge of town and made that our first stop. We also had some lovely views as we descended from the castle into the city center, then wound our way through to the opposite side of town. Ultimately, Eric thought the best views were from the pedestrian bridge.

After an hour of exploring, we continued to our wine tasting appointment, with beautiful hill views on the way.

Andrea was our host and she did a lovely job of describing the wines, their wine-making philosophy and generally making us feel welcome. We enjoyed our tasting at a wooden table in their shaded courtyard, along with the shenanigans of their two cats. In all we tried seven wines, six whites and one red.

Wine #1: Cuvee of three grapes; notes: stonefruit (white peach), tea, rocky mineral. nice balanced acidity, med length finish. 7€
Wine #2: Welchrielsling (Laski Riesling), notes: Bergamot, no mineral, lower acidity, 8€
Wine #3: Sauvignon Blanc 2022, notes: all steel, lots of mineral, a little apple with a little spice warmth (nutmeg). Light acidity, Light finish. 8€
Wine #4: 402 Sauvignon Blanc 2022, notes: matured in oak, light and buttery, oak coming through. Drier. Light finish that lingers
Wine #5: Riesling Markus 2022, notes: can age 10-15yr, lots of acidity. Fruity ad nice. Definitely petrol, lots of fruit. Medium finish, medium dry. 15€
Wine #6: Muscat, notes: Mostly dry. Orange peel! Some pumpkin? Thin finish. 10€
Wine #7: Markus Pinot Noir 2021, notes: Dr. Pepper nose, cherry and cola. Light smoke, dark cherry, plastic. Mild bitterness on medium lingering finish, med acidity. 15€

Bought one each of the Pinot Noir, Riesling, and the opening Cuvee.