"Wine Under the Bridge" is a unique event held under the bridge spanning the Vipava River in Renče, where charity is combined with relaxed socializing, tastings of select wines, and local cuisine. Numerous local winemakers showcase their wines, and visitors can learn about their stories, wine styles, and the unique characteristics of each vintage in the pleasant atmosphere beneath the bridge.

STORY OF 2026: Where Did the Wine from Under the Bridge Disappear To? 

Every year, divers from DPD Soča submerge an iron cage filled with wines from local winemakers under the bridge in Renče into the Vipava River. There, beneath the surface, in the silence of the river, the wine matures throughout the year, waiting for its moment.

But this year, the Vipava decided otherwise.

In winter, the river swelled, overflowing its usual course and bringing with it silt, sand, and a force that could not be stopped. When the time came to retrieve the wine, it was nowhere to be found. Divers returned to the water several times. They searched among the sediment, sucked up silt from the bottom, and checked every nook and cranny under the bridge. But the cage was gone.

Did the river hide it? Did the sand bury it? Did the Vipava take it for itself?

Questions, speculations, and even rumors began to circulate among the locals.
Where is the wine? How can something that was always there just disappear?

The organizers had to postpone the event. And on that very Sunday, when it seemed the mystery would remain unsolved, something almost unbelievable happened in the distance.

There, far beyond the weir, an iron cage glinted in the water.

Is it possible that the Vipava River carried it over the weir? Is it possible that it survived such a fall? And that the wine remained intact?

It was there. Nearly 150 meters away from where it had been submerged. And even more astonishingly, all the bottles were intact.

As if the river had first taken the wine, hidden it from people, and then returned it at just the right moment. As if it too wanted to become part of the story of Wine from Under the Bridge.

There has never been anything like this in all these years. This year, the wine was marked not only by aging underwater, but also by a journey that no one expected. And it is precisely these even more special, even more resilient bottles that we will be auctioning off at a charity auction on May 31. Will you become the new owner of these exceptional bottles? 

2026 Program
"Wine Under the Bridge" Charity Auction, May 31, 2026

More information: Facebook event