Šmarje was first mentioned as a place in Urbar for Vipava in 1499, but the origin of the place is much older. Šmarje got its current name after 1624.
Grofova klet, one of the oldest cellars in the world, has been owned since 1574 by Count Hans Cobenzl from the family of the same name, originally from Štanjel.
During this period the place was called “SAMARIA or WEINSTEGEN”, which means “The place where the vine bears good fruit and gives good wine”

The family of Counts Cobenzl, with its most prominent member Hans Cobenzl, is one of the most important noble dynasties that lived and worked in today’s area of Goriška, Tolminska, Kranjska and Koroška for almost six centuries.
The extraordinary life story of the founder of the Cobenzl family, Count Hans Cobenzl, reflects the ambition of the hard-working Karst, who was distinguished by his hard work and care, and last but not least, his attachment to his hometown. As an international diplomat, the Austro-Hungarian envoy in Rome and a man with an extensive network of politico-ecclesiastical monarchical connections, he could have easily found residences near Vienna or Graz, but on the contrary, he invested all his efforts in finding properties in Štanjel nearby places and countries, and invested considerable sums in their arrangement.

The Cobenzl dynasty was concluded by Count Filip Cobencl (1741-1810), who, as the last member of the family, bequeathed all his property to his nephew from the Coronini family, Michele Coronini, after his death. (1793-1876) Among the estates, in addition to architectural and historical pearls like Predjamski Castle, Lože Castle, Prosek Castle, Spesa Castle, palaces in Ljubljana and Vienna and many others, the Grofova klet is also part of the legacy.

Matija Vertovec, born in the hamlet of Jakulini in 1784, who is one of the most important Slovenian professional authors of the 19th century, visited Grof’s cellar during his long-term professional research work.
For many years, he devoted a large part of his creative energy to the improvement of viticulture and winemaking in the Vipava Valley and Slovenia. His book Vinoreja was published in 1844, which is considered the first professional book in Slovenian language. The Vinoreja laid the foundation for viticulture and winemaking technology. Vertovec is a bright star of Slovenian culture and national life of the period in which he lived and worked. In Kmetijske in rokodeljske novice (Agricultural and handicraft newspaper), he published his first ode to wine “Vinske trte hvala”, which partly became the inspiration for poet Prešeren and for his Zdravljica, today Slovenian national anthem. In honor of Matija Vertovac, a monument still stands today in front of the church in Šmarje.

With Grof wines, we respectfully preserve the six-hundred-year tradition of producing top-quality wine in Šmarje and continue our work following the guidelines of modern and nature-friendly viticulture and winemaking.