At possibly 450 plus years old, she has seen more changes than the relatively young former Yugoslav country. Tended regularly by Tone Zafosnik for more than 30 years, the vine flourishes today and is a major tourist attraction in this town of 110,000. The vine produces about 60 kilos of grapes per year which is a enough for a few hundred 250 dcl. of souvenir bottles of the red wine (but it is only given to dignitaries like the Pope).

I was met by the Director of Tourism for the town and we shared a few minutes of the vine’s incredible history for CNN.

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-616884

Slovenia is a tiny European Union country situated just below Austria about half the size of Switzerland with a population of about 2 million. Wine growing is a major industry there.

Produced and Hosted by: Percy von Lipinski

Associate Producer and Editor: Tracy Bymoen

Special thanks to Maribor Tourism, Old Vine House and Slovenia Tourism