With the founding of Klet Brda in 1957, around 38 agricultural families joined forces and collectively purchased about 230 hectares of land from the then landowner to establish a new, cooperatively organized wine production.
The winery Klet Brda was founded in 1957 as a cooperative and has since united the wine-growing families of the Goriška Brda region. In doing so, Klet Brda continues a much older winemaking tradition: viticulture in Brda dates back to ancient times, when vines were cultivated even before the Roman conquest — archaeological findings confirm early vineyards in villages such as Golo Brdo. During Roman rule, winemaking further expanded, evidenced by amphora discoveries that point to an active wine and olive-oil trade.
Over the centuries, viticulture in Brda survived considerable challenges. The phylloxera crisis of the 19th century in particular devastated many vineyards; only through grafting onto resistant rootstocks could the vineyards be renewed and stabilized. The first modern, treeless vineyards were established from 1881 onwards — a crucial step toward structured, large-scale wine production.
With the founding of Klet Brda in 1957, around 38 agricultural families joined forces and collectively purchased about 230 hectares of land from the then landowner to establish a new, cooperatively organized wine production. A modern cellar was subsequently built in Dobrovo, and the first vintage of this new era was soon processed. Since then, Klet Brda has grown into Slovenia’s largest winery, coordinating hundreds of family-run vineyards — today around 400 — and producing millions of litres of wine each year.
Today, Klet Brda produces a wide range of wines: white, red, rosé and sparkling wines, from easy-drinking, accessible varieties to premium lines aged in wood, as well as specialties and experimental wines. The indigenous variety Rebula plays a particularly central role — it thrives on the hills and marl soils of Brda and forms the basis of many of the winery’s white and even sparkling wines.
However, Klet Brda stands for far more than wine production alone. The winegrowing families maintain a deep connection to their land and traditions, respect nature and natural cycles, and often farm steep, terraced vineyards by hand where mechanization is difficult or impossible. At the heart of the winery’s philosophy is the belief that excellent wines originate in the vineyard — through sustainable cultivation, careful site selection and meticulous work.
At the same time, Klet Brda combines tradition with innovation. Alongside classic single-varietal wines, the winery produces experimental ranges and high-quality wines crafted with creative methods, such as the premium Bagueri line, which comes from selected old vineyards and is aged in wood. Furthermore, Klet Brda is committed to quality, diversity and international presence, and is now recognized both nationally and globally — exporting to numerous countries and serving as an important ambassador of Brda’s winemaking heritage.
