Slovenia and Fruili

What is this trip? An adventure for someone who loves wine and the outdoors in equal measure. This area of the world is arguably where natural wine got its soul and where the landscape is so beautiful it almost distracts you from what's in your glass. The Brda hills of Slovenia and the Collio of Friuli share a border, a limestone karst, and a philosophy. Producers here made wine in ways the industry told them were wrong. They did it anyway. What grew out of that defiance is now what the whole world calls natural wine. We'll drink in some of the cellars where it happened. Then we go higher. The Soča river cuts through the Julian Alps in a color that doesn't look real with glacial turquoise waters running through Triglav National Park. Hemingway country, the quiet Slovenian alps that most travelers never find. We'll hike. We'll breathe. We'll swim. We'll eat well. And not to be missed, the karst coast. The same limestone that shapes the vineyards drops suddenly to the Adriatic near Trieste. The Rilke Trail winds along the cliffs from Duino to Sistiana with castle ruins, sea views, the kind of walk that makes you want to stay. Wine is the thread. Everything else is the reason. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Itinerary subject to change Day 1: Arrive at our basecamp Pool. Cooking class. Wine tasting. Rest. That's it. You've been traveling and you deserve a soft landing. We'll get to know each other over a glass and figure out the rest from there. Day 2: Water day Morning at the beach, afternoon picnic lunch on a catamaran along the Adriatic coast. The karst cliffs from the water are something else entirely. A hike and sunset dinner on the Rilke trail to close it out. Day 3: The vines Three wine tastings across the Brda and Collio, woven around a long lunch at a castle. Dinner and wine at Hisa Stekar and a sunset walk through the vineyards. Day 4: Soča and the Slovenian alps We leave the coast and head into Slovenia. The Soča river is a specific shade of turquoise that makes people stop talking mid-sentence. The Julian Alps rise above it all. Kobarid, the valley, the quiet. Day 5: The last glass Coffee on the Soča river and a short hike under the Solkan Bridge followed by three more tastings as we make our way back through the Brda and Collio with a proper farewell to the region. Long dinner, open evening, no agenda. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ What's included Five nights lodging · in-region transportation · 6-7 producer visits and tastings · most meals · group tours and activities · wine throughout Not included International airfare · personal purchases and gifts · additional activities and transportation outside the itinerary · wine you fall in love with and need to ship home Who this is for? The curious non-expert You want to understand wine by being in the place that made it. No quiz, no performance. Just context, landscape, and the right glass. The solo traveler You want meaningful travel with interesting people and a guide who actually knows the region. Not a tour group. Not 40 strangers on a bus. The outdoor person who also drinks The Soča. The Julian Alps. The Rilke Trail. The wine is the reason but the hiking is real. The industry insider You know wine but you've never been to the source. Come be a student again. Signup Our first trip is set: Slovenia, Friuli, and the Slovenian alps. Summer 2027. Only eight spots. Join the list for first access.