Cviček fountain opening this month
Šmarješke Toplice, 10 August - The town of Šmarjeta in the east of the country will soon become heaven for Cviček lovers, as a Cviček fountain is to open there. The light wine known for its characteristic acidity is home to the region, which will thus boost its tourism offerings that have so far relied mainly on spas.
Šmarjeta
The Cviček fountain project.
Photo: Rasto Božič/STA
Šmarjeta
The location of the planned Cviček fountain project.
Photo: Rasto Božič/STA
Šmarjeta
Alja Rabzelj, the head of the Cviček fountain project.
Photo: Rasto Božič/STA
The latest in a series of Slovenian wine fountains but the first one celebrating Cviček is to open on 21 August.
According to the head of the project dubbed Šmarjeta's Source of Civček, Alja Razbelj, the costs of the fountain have been estimated at under EUR 140,000.
Four-fifths will be covered by grants from the European Fund for Regional Development, while the Šmarješke Toplice municipality and local associations of vineyard owners, which will supply the wine, will chip in the rest.
Razbelj told the STA the fountain would have the same system as Europe's first beer fountain, which opened in Žalec in east-central Slovenia four years ago.
It will have four automated wine pipes, and apart from Cviček visitors will also be able to taste three different sorts of wine produced from the three main grape varieties used to make Cviček.
The fountain will be open every day from 10am to 8pm. Local souvenirs and wine will also be sold at the site.
The Cviček fountain will be located at the town's square, which is to be further renovated soon as part of a EUR 90,000 project.
According to Razbelj, the unveiling of the fountain is to be attended by President Borut Pahor.