The Small Carpathians Wine Route

The Small Carpathians rise immediately north of Bratislava, and their southeastern slopes have been planted with vines since Roman times, making this the country's best-known wine region and an unusually easy one to visit, since the towns along it are reachable by suburban train from the capital. Svätý Jur, Pezinok and Modra each have a historic centre, a wine museum or a cellar or two, and a scatter of family producers who open their doors. The whites lead, with Grüner Veltliner and Riesling in a crisp, dry style, alongside the aromatic local Devín, while the red to look for is Frankovka modrá. Autumn brings burčiak, the cloudy half-fermented young wine, and a run of village wine festivals, and in November the region holds an open-cellars weekend when dozens of producers pour at once. Modra is also known for its blue-and-white majolica pottery.

What you actually see

• The cellar doors - family producers in Pezinok, Modra and Svätý Jur.
• Open cellars weekends - the twice-yearly events when dozens pour together.
• Modra majolica - the town's blue-and-white painted pottery workshops.
• The vineyard slopes - the foothills and their walking and cycling routes.

When to go

May to October is the pleasant season, and September and October bring the harvest, burčiak and village festivals; the open-cellars weekends in spring and November are the best value if you want to taste widely. Many small cellars open only at weekends or by arrangement, so plan ahead.

Honest expectations

Small family cellars keep irregular hours and often need a call or a booking, so turning up on a weekday can mean locked doors. Tasting means drinking and Slovakia enforces a zero-tolerance drink-driving law, so use the train from Bratislava or arrange a driver. The towns themselves are modest, and the wine and the setting are the reason to come rather than the sights.

Nearby

Bratislava is half an hour south; Červený Kameň castle sits above the vineyards.