Cycling in Western Slovenia's wine country

Sun-drenched slopes. Gentle hills sloping into fertile valleys. Terraced vineyards, orchards and olive groves. Every few kilometres, another pretty hilltop hamlet with a stone church, a small square and a different grape variety to try.

From the highest hills, views of the Gulf of Trieste to the south and Alpine peaks in the distant north. The air feels clean: Alpine fresh. The aromas are enticing: Mediterranean.

This is what it’s like to cycle through Slovenia’s key wine region, Primorska, in the country’s far west.

It’s a special place – especially for wine. Rebula (also sometimes called Ribolla here, after its Italian name Ribolla Gialla) and Refošk are the key grape varieties, but a few grapes are as local as the dialects.

Many French varieties, brought to the region in the second half of the 19th century, have found homes here, too. Italian varieties have spread from neighbouring Friuli, just over the national border to the west. It’s a vinous melting pot.

And the best way to explore the region? By bike… well, e-bike – there are a lot of hills.

Since 2025, three of Primorska’s sub-regions – Brda (or Goriška Brda), Vipava and Kras – have been linked by a 93km circular cycling route as part of an EU-funded project called Bike Time.

Serious cyclists could do it all in a day or two, but they would miss out on so much. Instead, base yourself in each of the sub-regions for a couple of days and go on loops from the hotel (this also means you won’t need to transport your luggage).

At a glance: Key areas, travel and bike hire

How to make it happen

• Nearest airports Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, or Trieste in Italy.
• Best time to visit Late spring to early autumn.
• Bike rental Bike Vibe delivers bikes to hotels in all three districts.
• Top tip Many cellars welcome cyclists, but book tastings in advance – the smaller estates sometimes require a reservation.

Key sub-regions

• Goriška Brda (Brda) Slovenia’s best-known wine region, which sits cheek-by-jowl with northeast Italy’s Collio. Known for highquality white and orange wines, particularly those made from Rebula, and red blends made from Bordeaux varieties.
• Vipavska Dolina (Vipava valley) Specialises in light, crisp white wines made from rare grapes Pinela and Zelen
• Kras (Karst) An iron-rich plateau that produces a notable red wine, Teran or Terrano, from the Refošk variety. This is also the region I go to for white and orange versions of Vitovska Grganja.

Day 1: Brda – The kingdom of Rebula

The bike route

Kabaj → Dobrovo → Medana → Gredič → Ceglo → Vipolže → Kaba

Focus on Rebula

The recommendation for your first day in the saddle is to get to know Rebula, the key grape in Brda.

Although it also grows across the border in Italy, Slovenians swear their version is more mineral, more elegant, more itself.

Rebula has been here since Roman times and now comes in a variety of styles, including unoaked, oak-aged, skin-contact, sparkling and passito.

Try them all, but don’t forget to spit – you’ll need your wits about you for some of the descents.

Wineries to visit on this route

The central town, Dobrovo, is home to Slovenia’s largest wine cooperative. Klet Brda brings together 400 growers and nearly 1,000ha of vines (more than half of the region’s roughly 1,900ha).

It’s a good place to get an overview of Brda’s wide range of wines. Try Bagueri’s Sauvignon Blanc for reference, then Bagueri’s or Krasno’s Rebula.

South of Dobrovo, in the border village of Ceglo, is the acclaimed biodynamic winery Movia, Slovenia’s most celebrated producer. A pioneer of natural wines, the charismatic and idiosyncratic Aleš Kristančič has now handed the reins to son Lan.

Highlights of a tasting include a complex Rebula, an orange Pinot Grigio and the unique sparkling wine Puro, which is disgorged in front of you – in an ice bucket filled with water.

Also in Ceglo is organic producer Marjan Simčič – another standard-bearer for Brda wines.

French and local grapes grown on marl-rich schist (opoka) are fermented with native yeasts and boosted with a little bit of skin contact – try the Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay to see a different side of these grapes before experiencing three different Rebulas.

Where to stay in Brda

A good base for this first part of the adventure is Homestead Kabaj Morel in the village of Šlovrenc, near Dobrovo.

Also known as Kabaj Wine & Dine, the homestead combines a top winery and charismatic French winemaker with an amazing restaurant and comfortable rooms.

Jean Michel Morel crafts wines that he likes to drink, regardless of trends and commercial viability.

Enjoy his skin-contact, low-intervention whites and old-school Bordeaux-style reds with dinner on the restaurant’s terrace. There’s no menu – the dishes are inspired by ingredients gathered in the market that morning.

Day 2: Brda beyond Rebula

The bike route

Kabaj → Biljana → Šmartno → Gonjače → Kojsko → Višnjevik → Kabaj

Wineries to visit

Brda is small but dense with excellent boutique producers. Whatever route you take, you’ll probably come across a good, family-run cellar.

Today’s loop explores the district’s other grape varieties and its underrated bubbles. Among the best sparkling wine producers in Slovenia is the specialist Bjana in the village of Biljana, east of Dobrovo.

Start the day with a sip of Miran and Petra Sirk’s Cuvée Prestige Extra Brut – typically 50/50 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, roughly four years on lees. Another good family-run winery in Biljana is Marko Sirk Wines (contact: vina.marko.sirk@gmail.com).

Father Marko and son Miha produce two premium sparkling wines, excellent Sauvignon and Malvasia varietals, and a delicious red blend made from Merlot and Cabernet Franc, among others.

At the Ferdinand winery, a small detour off the road between Gonjače and Kojsko, winemaker Matjaž Četrtič has teamed up with Italian friend Robert Prinčič (owner of Gradis’ciutta in Collio) to create a special fizz, Sinefinis Rebolium.

It’s a blend of Rebula/Ribolla Gialla grapes grown on either side of the border, paying tribute to the Brda and Collio terroirs, which have been divided since the imposition of that border in 1947.

The other white grape to try in this part of the world – perhaps at the end of the day in the quaint medieval village of Šmartno, northeast of Dobrovo – is the underappreciated Sauvignonasse (formerly Tocai Friulano; now simply Friulano in Italy).

It makes a beautiful aperitif, but few producers like its official name; Kabaj calls it Ravan, Zanut calls it Zakaj, others call it Jakot (Tokaj backwards) and Sauvignon Vert.

Whatever the name, it’s a fitting glass with which to conclude your time in Brda.

Day 3: Vipava valley – Indigenous treasures

The bike route

Slap → Planina → Vipava → Slap

Wineries to visit

The beautiful Vipava valley, a broad corridor flanked by mountains and dotted with vineyards, is home to three of Slovenia’s rarest, most delicate whites (which sound more like Marvel heroes): Zelen, Pinela and Klarnica.

A key feature of the terroir here is the strong wind, known as the bora or burja, which can exceed 200km/h.

This is why the old villages have narrow streets, the terracotta roofs are littered with rocks to keep tiles in place and such finicky grapes are able to thrive here and nowhere else.

In the picturesque village of Slap, eighth-generation winemaker Urban Petrič at Vino Petrič is working hard to get more complexity into the typically light, easygoing Zelen and Pinela.

He’s harvesting later, maturing longer and selecting the best southeast-facing, limestonerich sites for planting.

Planina is a bit of a climb, but has two producers worth visiting: Guerila and Štokelj.

The terrace, tasting room and three apartments at biodynamic producer Guerila offer amazing views over the valley. These views are best paired with their benchmark versions of Zelen and Pinela, or a sparkling wine made from both varieties: Castra Brut Nature.

Meanwhile, among the Štokelj wines to try are the still and sparkling Pinelas, and a very serious Merlot-Barbera blend.

Next, head to Vipava, a picturesque town situated at the source of the river of the same name, which consists of nine karst springs. It has a large winery, the former cooperative Vipava 1894, which makes good-value conventional wines.

However, the bistro and wine bar Gustl has better views, a more eclectic wine offer, and some very tasty dishes – such as the Vipava jota, a stew made from turnips fermented in grape marc.

Where to stay

Majerija in Slap, a 300-year-old estate with 10 rooms located under the herb garden and a superb restaurant, is a good base for the next two nights. Owner Matej Tomažič offers traditional cuisine with a contemporary touch and some excellent pairing suggestions.

Day 4: Vipava valley – International interlopers

The bike route

Slap → Branik → Sveti Martin → Dobravlje → Podraga → Orehovica → Slap

Wineries to visit

The medieval Rihemberk castle, overlooking the village of Branik, is one of the best and oldest in the region. It’s a fitting place to begin a day exploring the other face of the valley: the invading varieties.

There’s a lot of good Merlot here, but plantings are in decline. It’s largely being replaced by in-demand white Malvazija Istarska. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Rebula and Cabernet Sauvignon are also widespread among the valley’s 2,060ha of vines.

From the castle, head north and then east towards the village of Sveti Martin and the Stegovec family’s Vina Sveti Martin.

As well as offering white and skin-contact Pinela and Rebula, Peter Stegovec can pour a good Barbera and Merlot, among others.

Heading northeast towards Dobravlje, the Tilia Estate in Potoče stands out as a Pinot specialist. Matjaž Lemut even calls his winery ‘the House of Pinots’. It’s one of the few wineries in the valley to offer consistently good Pinot Noir and Gris.

Beyond Vipava, near the eastern end of the valley, there’s a cluster of top-notch wineries.

In the village of Podraga, Mitja Lavrenčič of Sutor has built a good reputation for precise, elegant versions of Chardonnay, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc.

A little further south, in Orehovica, the Burja Estate’s Primož Lavrenčič offers an excellent Pinot Noir (dubbed Burja Noir) and an exceptional red blend named Reddo that combines the valley’s traditional red grapes: Modra Frankinja (Blaufränkisch), Pokalca (Schioppettino) and Refošk (Refosco).

Biodynamic Pasji Rep has a superb Pinot Noir and Merlot, and one of the best examples of the valley’s traditional white blend, known as Vipaveca.

Pasji Rep’s iteration, Moser, contains Rebula, Welschriesling, Malvazija and Zelen.

Restaurant to know: Gostilna Pri Lojzetu

If you want a culinary crescendo to complete your visit, there’s the fine-dining theatre that is Gostilna Pri Lojzetu in Zemono Manor, near the town of Vipava.

You’ll have to book way in advance to land a table. Chef Tomaž Kavčič is one of the best in Slovenia and the wine list is a carefully curated love letter to Primorska.

Day 5: Karst – Where Teran rules

Karst plateau bike route

Štanjel → Sežana → Dutovlje → Krajna Vas → Gorjansko → Štanjel

Cycling the Kras wine road

It would be easy to concentrate on Brda and Vipava and skip the smaller (525ha of vines), more compact Kras, but Kras has a special terroir.

The Karst plateau, which underlies the region, is a table of limestone with a thin layer of rust-red, iron-rich (terra rossa) soil on top.

Refošk or Refosco is the signature variety, accounting for about 70% of plantings. It’s used to produce a wine called Teran (not to be confused with the Croatian grape of the same name) or Terrano, a dark, robust red with pronounced acidity, flavours of sour cherry and wild berries, and distinctive minerality.

To fully appreciate it, try it with fatty meats such as kraški pršut (Karst prosciutto). The region’s signature white Vitovska Grganja was once just a component in the local blend, but now produces elegant varietals and complex orange wines.

The Kras wine road connects almost 170 cellars across the plateau, along with two of the main settlements, Štanjel and Sežana.

The former – a medieval hilltop village – makes a good base. From there, make your way to the largest town, Sežana, in the region’s centre.

Wineries to visit

The Vinakras cooperative in Sežana, the area’s largest producer, is a good place to try different versions of Teran: from young, fruit-driven styles aged in tanks to full-bodied, oak-aged wines.

The ‘must-try’ is the single-vineyard La Marie Izbrani Teran, which is partially matured in concrete eggs. The La Marie Vitovska is also a good introduction to the variety.

On the way back to Štanjel, stop in the village of Dutovlje for Terans and Vitovskas from biodynamically farmed Renčel or family-run Domacija Lisjak – or continue to Krajna Vas for one of the area’s benchmark producers, Vina Štoka.

While Teran is central to their output, father and son Primož and Tadej Štoka also produce traditional-method sparkling wines that mature in a natural karst cave. Amazingly, these are also made from Teran and Vitovska.

But the ‘must-visit’ winery is Gorjansko-based Vina Čotar, a natural-wine reference in Slovenia. Father and son Branko and Vasja Čotar farm organically and bottle distinctive, terroir-driven whites (Vitovska, Malvasia Istriana, Sauvignon Blanc) and reds (Teran, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon).

Back in Štanjel, order a well-deserved glass of Vitovska in the castle’s prettily decorated bistro and reflect on your whole experience: Primorska isn’t just a wine and food destination, it’s a feel-good place where ancient grape varieties are kept alive out of love.

Where to stay

Hotel St Daniel is an ‘ecological’ boutique hotel in Štanjel with a range of rooms, suites and apartments, a restaurant that uses only ingredients from certified organic producers, and an outdoor pool.

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Eleftherios Hanialidis began his career in the hospitality industry in 2001 and has since worked extensively as a head sommelier, as well as a consultant for restaurants, wine bars, and wine retail stores. In August 2023, he achieved the distinction of becoming the first Greek Master Sommelier, having previously earned the A.S.I. Diploma (Gold Pin) in 2018.

Competing for the first time in 2017, he secured 3rd place in the Best Sommelier of Greece competition and was honored with the award for Best First Appearing Sommelier of Greece. In 2020, he won the prestigious title of Best Sommelier of Greece.

Eleftherios is a columnist for Oinoxoos magazine of Kathimerini newspaper and an instructor at Genius in Gastronomy.

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Anne is an experienced wine professional with her own consultancy specialising in sustainability, but also covering brand, marketing and commercial strategy.

Having joined the wine and spirits buying team at Waitrose in 2008 she has extensive tasting experience within retail and also as a judge and independent consultant. With a particular focus on the UK wine scene with clients including WineGB and a selection of English wine producers, and she also works for the Regenerative Viticulture Foundation.

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Igor Luković is a judge at the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA)

Igor Luković

Igor Luković is a wine critic, writer, journalist and a certified sommelier from Serbia, who has worked in the wine business since 2003.

He is Editor in Chief at “Vino & Fino” magazine and associate of many other wine media. He is one of the founders of the Wine Identity initiative, which manages wine events in Serbia and the surrounding countries. For many years, he has been President of the Sommelier Association of Vojvodina and CEO of the Serbian Sommelier Association.

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He started in the wine industry as owner and Editor of “Gurman” and “Gastro Svet” magazines, and later he became General Manager of “Vinodrom”, company for importing and distribution of wine.

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Dr. Ágnes Csiba Herczeg is a judge at the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA).

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Dr. Ágnes Csiba-Herczeg is a distinguished wine professional and consultant with over two decades of experience in the wine industry. She holds a PhD in Economics, specializing in international relations, and has been immersed in the world of wine since 2000. In 2010, she earned the WSET diploma and became a WSET certified educator, followed by the fine and rare wine specialist title in 2011. Her accolades include the woman of the year entrepreneurial award in 2015 and the wine winner of the future 50 award in 2019.

Dr. Csiba-Herczeg has been leading her own wine consultancy since 2007, collaborating with numerous Hungarian and international wineries. She has served as a wine consultant and advisor for Lidl Hungary and currently holds the position of leading wine strategist at SPAR Hungary, where she plays a pivotal role in shaping the company’s wine selection and strategy.

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Dr Wojciech Bońkowski MW is the Joint Regional Chair for the Balkans, Central & Eastern Europe, and Croatia & Slovenia at the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) 2026.

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Dr Wojciech Bońkowski MW, a wine writer & consultant from Poland, is the joint Regional Chair at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2026. He became Poland’s first Master of Wine in 2023, notably obtaining the the Outstanding Achievement Award and Madame Bollinger Medal for excellence in tasting.

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2016 was Wojciech Bońkowski’s first year as a DWWA judge.

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Marking its 11th edition, the Salon of Decanter medal winners once again brought together wine lovers, producers and trade professionals in Slovenia to celebrate winemaking excellence. Held just an hour outside Ljubljana at the Brdo Congress Centre, the event welcomed hundreds of guests for a day of tasting Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) winners and meeting the producers behind the bottles.

This year’s Salon featured more than 50 winemakers, showcasing nearly 150 award-winning wines from Slovenia, Serbia, Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina and for the first time, Argentina.

A real wine revolution has taken place in Slovenia in the recent years reflected in the country’s strong results at this year’s awards. For the first time ever, Slovenia received the highest accolade, Best in Show, for a dry wine – awarded to Vinakoper, Capris Orange Rumeni Muškat, Slovenska Istra, Primorska 2015.

In total, Slovenian producers claimed 211 medals, including 13 Golds, two of which fall in the Value category (wines under £15 at the time of judging).

While Slovenia is best known for its fresh, aromatic whites, this year’s results also highlighted the strength of its reds, which earned four Gold medals. Sparkling wines also proved their high level of quality with three Golds.

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• Vinakoper, Capris Orange Rumeni Muškat, Slovenska Istra, Primorska, Slovenia 2015 (Best in Show, 97 points)
• De Baguer, Single Vineyard Merlot, Goriška Brda, Primorska, Slovenia 2019 (Gold, 96 points)
• Dveri Pax, DP Brut, Štajerska Slovenija, Podravje, Slovenia 2014 (Gold, 96 points)
• Puklavec Family Wines, Jeruzalem Ormož Pinot Blanc Spätlese, Štajerska Slovenija, Podravje, Slovenia 1983 (Gold, 96 points)
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• Vinakoper, Capo d’Istria 1072, Slovenska Istra, Primorska, Slovenia 2022 (Gold, 96 points) 
• Despotika, Krunski Dokaz, Oplenac, Šumadija-Great Morava, Serbia 2017 (Gold, 95 points)
• Edvard Wines, Edvard XXI, Maribor, Podravje, Slovenia 2021 (Gold, 95 points)
• Istenič, Cuvée Natura Extra Brut, Bizeljsko-Sremič, Posavje, Slovenia 2020 (Gold, 95 points)
• Klet Brda, A Plus Special Selection, Goriška Brda, Primorska, Slovenia 2019 (Gold, 95 points)
• Klet Brda, Quercus Beli Pinot, Goriška Brda, Primorska, Slovenia 2024 (Value Gold, 95 points)
• Rouna, Zelen, Vipavska Dolina, Primorska, Slovenia 2023 (Gold, 95 points)
• Tarpoš, Prokupac, Oplenac, Šumadija-Great Morava, Serbia 2023 (Gold, 95 points)
• Vinarija Jovac, Stella Noir, Jagodina, Šumadija-Great Morava, Serbia 2021 (Gold, 95 points)
• Vinarija Zvonko Bogdan, Merlot, Not applicable, Subotica-Horgoš, Serbia 2023 (Gold, 95 points)
• Vina Kotolenko, Renski Rizling, Štajerska Slovenija, Podravje, Slovenia 2023 (Gold, 95 points)

More Silver and Bronze medals were also available to try.

The day began with a press conference featuring Decanter representatives, DWWA judges, Salon organisers and winemakers, followed by an awards ceremony where all exhibiting winemakers received their DWWA certificates on stage.

Commenting on the quality of Slovenian wines, DWWA Regional Chair for the Balkans, Central & Eastern Europe, and Croatia & Slovenia, Dr Caroline Gilby MW noted: ‘Slovenia is moving away from large volumes and semi-dry styles towards quality dry wines. I am impressed by the emphasis on a sense of origin.’

DWWA Co-Chair, Beth Willard added: ‘There is great excitement building around winemaking in Slovenia and the Balkans and the annual Salon is a great opportunity to share this excitement with the world. ‘Events like this salon are a great opportunity to introduce these unique styles to a wider audience and show the diversity, tradition and innovation that are at the heart of Slovenian winemaking.’

Special thanks to Robert Gorjak and Belvin Wine School. Visit Belvin for more information.

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Christopher Martin MW is a judge at the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA).

Christopher Martin MW

Christopher Martin MW has recently become the director of education at the Wine Scholar Guild and was previously head of educator training at the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET). He has over 17 years of teaching experience and has taught wine and spirit WSET courses all over the world.

Chris achieved the MW qualification in February 2024 and is one of the first MWs of the 2024 vintage of Masters of Wine.

He judges at wine competitions in Korea, Japan and the UK. He joined the Decanter World Wine Awards as a judge for the first time in 2022.

See more judges for the 2026 DWWA.

Zsuzsa Toronyi is a judge at the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA).

Zsuzsa Toronyi

Zsuzsa Toronyi is an international wine marketing expert. After launching Coke Zero to the Hungarian market, Zsuzsa started her wine career as a wine buyer at Zwack Izabella Borkereskedes.

She is co-founder of the Central European Wine Institute, which offers WSET courses in Budapest. She worked there as the marketing director and a wine educator for nearly 8 years.

To deepen her technical wine knowledge, she completed an eonology MSC at the Corvinus University, Budapest.

Nowadays, her wine communication work focuses on promoting Central and Eastern European wines to the UK market.

Zsuzsa has extensive experience in judging regional and international wine competitions. She was a judge at the Decanter World Wine Awards for the first time in 2021.

Follow Zsuzsa on Instagram.

See more judges for the 2026 DWWA. 

Saša Špiranec is a judge at the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA).

Saša Špiranec

Saša Špiranec has been a journalist and wine writer since 2006. He has a wine column which is published every Sunday in the Croatian daily newspaper Jutarnji List. He is also a regular contributor to Dobra Hrana, food and wine magazine published on a monthly basis.

Saša has written three wine books: “A Guide to the Wines of Croatia”, “Wine Roads” and “Wines of Croatia” and is co-author of “Croatian Gourmet Icons” and “Fairy Tale Flavours of Međimurje”.

He is co-founder of wine laboratory Vinolab, whose primary goal is wine production quality improvement in Croatia, by providing expert oenological consulting and laboratory wine analyses.

He is founder of Vinart, a publishing, wine marketing and event organizing company. He initiated the Vinart Grand Tasting, a leading business wine fair in Croatia, as well as Vinski Grad, a Croatian open-air summer wine festival.

Saša is an experienced international wine judge. His area of expertise are the wine regions of New Europe and Central Europe, with particular focus on the wines of Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary and Austria. These mostly form the subject matter for his reports, articles and books.

See more judges for the 2026 DWWA.

Dr Orsi Szentkiralyi is a judge at the 2025 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA)

Dr Orsi Szentkiralyi

Dr Orsi Szentkiralyi is a Hungarian-born wine professional, judge, and author.

She runs her wine consultancy Liquid Talent. Her wine career began in hospitality where she worked as a sommelier in top restaurants worldwide. Later, she transitioned to luxury wine retail, eventually starting her own consulting company.

She is an experienced wine judge and the managing editor of the Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia.

Her doctorate is in law, specializing in the protected origin of wine.

Dr Szentkiralyi joined the Decanter World Wine Awards as a judge for the first time in 2021.

Follow her on Instagram.

See more judges for the 2025 DWWA. 

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Salon of Decanter medal winners in Slovenia — an annual event that celebrates winemaking excellence in the region. On 3rd September, winemakers, consumers and trade gathered in the Brdo Congress Centre, just an hour outside Ljubljana for an exciting one day event.

The event featured more than 150 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) 2024 winning wines from Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia, Herzegovina and Italy.

Following the first awards celebration to date in Croatia with Vinistra, this year’s DWWA results support the excitement building around wines from the Balkans.

Slovenia saw its first Platinum medal awarded since 2022 to Bjana for its Cuvée Prestige Extra Brut 2019, as well as five Gold medals (including a Value Gold) and a record 100 Silver, underlying an overall increase in quality.

A consistent top performer, Croatia received 12 Gold, 138 Silver and 217 Bronze medals while Serbia won four Gold, 45 Silver and 68 Bronze medals. Winners from North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina were also present.

The Gold medal-winning wines from Slovenia available to taste on the day included:

• Gasper Wines, Cabernet Franc, Goriška Brda, Primorska 2021
• Klet Brda Dobrovo, Quercus Pinot Grigio, Goriška Brda, Primorska 2023 (Value Gold)
• Klet Brda Dobrovo, Single Vineyard Motnik, Goriška Brda, Primorska 2017
• M-Enostavno Dobra Vina, Extrem, Štajerska Slovenija, Podravje 2021

For the Salon’s 10th anniversary, there was a special highlight: a premium bar showcasing all Platinum winners (97 points) Slovenia has claimed at DWWA over the years. Attendees had the unique opportunity to taste this top-tier selection, underscoring Slovenia’s growing prominence in the global wine scene.

Among others, the line-up included DWWA 2007 winners Jakoncic, Carolina 2004 from Goriska Brda, Primorska and Pra-VinO, Sipon Ice Wine Prestige 2004 from Ljutomer-Ormoz, Poreklom, as well as DWWA 2008 winner Čurin-Prapotnik, Laski Rizling Icewine Prestige, Podravje 2005.

More Platinum-awarded wines available to taste at the premium bar included:

• Jurij Brumec, Laški Rizling Suhi Jagodni Izbor, Štajerska Slovenija, Podravje 2006 (DWWA 2009) 
• Bracko, Laški Rizling, Ledeno Vino, Štajerska Slovenija, Podravje 2008 (DWWA 2010) 
• Marof, Breg Chardonnay, Prekmurje, Podravje 2008 (DWWA 2010)
• Dveri – Pax, Sipon – Slamnato Vino, Radgona-Kapela, Podravje 2009 (DWWA 2011) 
• Sutor, Chardonnay, Vipava, Primorska 2008 (DWWA 2011) 
• Otmar Šturm, Rumeni Muškat – Ice Wine, Bela Krajina, Posavje 2007 (DWWA 2012) 
• Marjan Simčič, Leonardo, Goriska Brda, Primorska 2006 (DWWA 2013) 
• Kristančič Dušan, Pavó Rdeče, Brda, Primorska 2009 (DWWA 2013)
• Dveri-Pax, Šipon Slamno Vino, Štajerska, Podravje 2012 (DWWA 2014) 
• Pullus, Dry Sauvignon, Haloze, Podravje 2013 (DWWA 2014) 
• Pullus, Sauvignon G, Haloze, Podravje 2013 (DWWA 2014) 
• Zlati Grič, Modri Pinot, Štajerska, Podravje 2012 (DWWA 2014) 
• Bjana, Brut Rosé, Brda, Primorska NV (DWWA 2015)
• Gross, Furmint, Štajerska, Podravje 2013 (DWWA 2015)
• Ptujska klet, Pullus, Laški Rizling, Štajerska, Podravje 2012 (DWWA 2015)
• Bjana, Brut Zero, Goriška Brda, Primorska 2010 (DWWA 2016)
• Bjana, Rosé Brut, Goriška Brda, Primorska NV (DWWA 2017)
• Bužinel, Ledano vino iz Medane, Goriška Brda, Primorska 2009 (DWWA 2017)
• Domačija Ražman, Malvazija Antiqua, Slovenska Istra, Primorska 2015 (DWWA 2018)
• Gross, Colles, Štajerska Slovenija, Podravje 2015 (DWWA 2018)
• Vinska Klet Brda, Bagueri Ribolla Gialla, Goriška Brda, Primorska 2013 (DWWA 2018)
• Gašper, Cabernet Franc, Goriška Brda, Primorska 2017 (DWWA 2019)
• Simčič, Leonardo, Goriška Brda, Primorska 2013 (DWWA 2019)
• Ščurek, Rebula Up, Goriška Brda, Primorska 2013 (DWWA 2019)
• Bjana, Cuvée Prestige Extra Brut, Goriška Brda, Primorska 2015 (DWWA 2020)
• Marc, Pinela, Vipavska Dolina, Primorska 2019 (DWWA 2020)
• Ščurek, Up Rebula, Goriška Brda, Primorska 2016 (DWWA 2020)
• Krapež, Malvazija, Vipavska Dolina, Primorska 2018 (DWWA 2020)
• Ščurek, Zero Brut, Goriška Brda, Primorska 2019 (DWWA 2022)

The annual Salon in Slovenia offers wine lovers the chance to discover DWWA-awarded wines in a walk-around tasting, as well as participate in a variety of masterclasses and workshops led by DWWA Co-Chair Beth Willard and long-time judge Igor Luković.

More DWWA judges were also present at the event, including Richard Baudains, Regional Chair for Veneto, and Simon Woolf, Joint Regional Chair for the Balkans, Caucasus & Eurasia.

There is great excitement building around winemaking in the Balkans and the small nation of Slovenia, with its vastly varied landscapes, produces some superb wines. Whites from international varieties predominate, but also wines made from lesser-known indigenous varieties. Fresh sparklers are also worth seeking out.

Special thanks to Robert Gorjak and Belvin Wine School. Visit Belvin for more information.

Search all DWWA 2024 award-winning wines 

Related articles

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• Buzz of the Balkans: Croatia’s white wines
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Alexandre Fréguin is a qualified sommelier, educator and wine event organiser – in August 2024, will be taking his Master Sommelier examination. Having begun his career in 2009 as an apprentice at Michelin one-star Restaurant Pierre Reboul in Aix-en-Provence, Fréguin has since worked in prestigious establishments in France and the UK. In 2018, he won the Taittinger UK Sommelier of the Year award, and he has served as the wine director for Famille Perrin in the southern Rhône since 2020.

Ah, Slovenia! I fell, hard and fast, in love with the country in 2016 during my first trip there – a visit planned on a whim after reading about it in Decanter. I dream about moving there one day, my heart captured by the Alpine beauty, endless valleys and clear lakes as blue as the sky.

Nature is everything here, and every Slovenian has so much respect for the land that it’s no surprise to discover some incredible wines being produced there.

From east to west, Slovenia has three main wine regions: Podravje, Posavje and Primorska. All wine styles are produced, but my primary passion is for the bright whites. The profound sense of terroir here is simply astonishing, proud women and men growing exciting indigenous grapes such as Rebula, Vitovska (my favourite), Zelen and Malvazija Istarska.

There are two winemaking dynamics. Inevitably, you’ll find larger cooperatives, often producing more commercial styles. But the real excitement is found among the smaller growers who are crafting incredibly layered, complex and vibrant wines. I would call them gardeners, given the intimate relationship they clearly have with their vines.

Looking at the white grapes in more depth, let’s start with Zelen (meaning ‘green’): found in the western region of Vipava valley, it delivers lively, zingy, aromatic wines. Rebula – shared with northeast Italy’s Fruili region, where it’s known as Ribolla Gialla – has a home here in Brda, and produces an array of styles from fresh and fruity, through skin-contact examples, to sparkling and sweet wines – Marjan Simčič producing one of the best examples of the latter with the passito-style cuvée Leonardo.

Moving to Malvazija Istarska – what grace here, a grape that delivers a clear Istrian stamp of character. In textured and powerful examples that have been aged in large old oak with some lees contact, you have a wine ready to match any seafood fresh from the Adriatic.

The Vitovska grape and the Karst region is a match made in heaven. I will never forget my first glass. Powerful, with a lingering palate – and often with ‘yellow’ characteristics of dried straw, honey, ripe apricot and cooked peaches, plus a white pepper lift – this grape responds well to skin contact and long ageing. Whatever the expression in your glass, Vitovska makes you feel alive.

All of these are some of the very best food companions, matching pretty much the whole range of vegetables, especially root vegetables, as well as any kind of white meat. The skin-contact styles will shine with mushrooms, and Malvazija is perfect with any seafood.

A word of advice: as a general rule, these are wines to serve not too cold – around 10°-12°C – but most importantly, if you can, open the bottle a few hours before you plan to drink it and the experience will reach another level.

Discovering Slovenian white: Alexandre’s three to try

First, Burja’s Zelen 2022 (£24-£25.15 Les Caves de Pyrene, Sip Wines). This is a textbook version of this ancient variety with personality and vibrant aromatics, from the Vipava valley. I love the clean expression of the grape, preserved by a simple vinification in stainless steel.

Over in the Istrian part of Slovenia, Uroš Klabjan farms vines planted 3km from the Adriatic, bestowing a marked marine influence on its Klabjan, Black Label Malvazija 2019 (£43-£49.50 Highbury Library, Roland Wines). A four-day maceration on skins gives a profound and perfumed expression, with notes of ripe orange peel and jam. There’s also a delicate fragrance of almond. The length is incredible, driven by an infinite salinity.

Last but not least, Marko Fon’s Vitovska, Kras 2018. Fon has spent more than 30 years making some of Slovenia’s greatest expressions of the Vitovska grape. Long ageing in botti has given the wine a sense of serenity. It’s elegant but fleshy, very complex but shy at the same time.

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Wojciech Bońkowski became Poland’s first Master of Wine in 2023, holding many more titles and credentials including a PhD in musicology.

He first started writing about wine in 1999 and by 2012 this became a full-time career with the launch of his online wine magazine, Winicjatywa, followed by print magazine Ferment in 2017.

Balancing the economic requirements of running a publishing business with maintaining editorial independence, Bońkowski commented, ‘I am happy and proud to have been able to make wine writing a living, despite the significant challenges faced by publishing in the modern era.’

Active internationally as a writer, consultant and judge, judging at Decanter World Wine Awards since 2016, Bońkowski will be joining Dr Caroline Gilby MW and Simon J Woolf as the new joint Regional Chair for the Balkans, Central & Eastern Europe, Croatia and Slovenia.

Ahead of DWWA judging this May – and with entries open now until 15 March – we get to know more about Bońkowski, including his recommendations on regions to explore, inspirations in the wine world and advice for producers.

What’s a typical day like for you?

My typical days are full of either tasting wines or writing articles about the wines I’ve tasted! Of course, there is a lot of wonderful wine country travel and meeting fantastic enthusiastic people involved, too.

How do you feel about becoming Poland’s first Master of Wine?

It has certainly been a long and tortuous journey through dark valleys of self-doubt, but I am glad I could stay motivated and optimistic, to no little degree thanks to the support of my family and mentor, Caro Maurer MW.

Now I look forward to leveraging my authority as an MW to spread the word about the wines I believe in, such as those of Central and Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean.

Which wine producing regions would you encourage people to explore?

European regions south of Tuscany and east of Berlin have long stayed in the shadow of the mighty industries of France, Italy and Germany but are now experiencing a fascinating renaissance of their winemaking tradition and offering fantastic value for money.

Greece is arguably at the forefront of this quality revolution, while I feel there is still a lot of untapped potential in countries like Croatia, Lebanon, Cyprus, and even Albania. Hungary has enormous potential as well. And the next big thing? Wines from Poland!

What do you find most inspiring in the wine world right now?

I have witnessed many exhilarating changes in my 25 years of tasting. The emergence of a young generation that is widely-travelled and open-minded is one such change. Another is the growing acknowledgement of the important environmental contribution that we can bring as a wine industry, pioneering aspects such as regenerative viticulture and responsible supply chains.

But most importantly, I am deeply moved by the renewed pride vintners take in their age-long traditions in many hitherto neglected regions.

What do you look forward to most as a new Regional Chair at DWWA?

I very much look forward to working with a brilliant team of tasters to showcase the outstanding quality of many of the wines emerging from these regions in recent years, with special emphasis on their traditional grape varieties.

Why should people explore wines from the Balkans, Central & Eastern Europe, Croatia and Slovenia?

These are generally regions with venerable winemaking traditions and a plethora of local diversity, from grape varieties to winemaking techniques and traditional styles. From cool-climate crisp dry whites to generously flavourful Mediterranean reds, there is almost an infinite choice for the drinker, and the quality has never been higher.

In your opinion, what do you think makes a successful panel of judges?

I have always valued Decanter World Wine Awards because, besides a transparent, robust tasting protocol, its culture has always been about getting to the core of each wine we taste and making sure we are understanding it. A successful panel is where tasters are respectful of each other’s opinion, open-minded to look at a wine again, and confident enough to never give up.

Do you have advice for DWWA entrants who don’t win a medal?

Your wine is tasted by the world’s best palates against the best of the competition. Well done for making it here, and persevere—we are always looking for wines of identity and personality.

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Slovenia is host to three main wine regions: Primorska, Posavje and Podravje. Whites predominate and some of the most interesting are made from little-known autochthonous varieties.

You’ll probably arrive through Ljubljana, with its elegant Baroque and Vienna Secession architecture, and hilltop castle overlooking the Ljubljanica river. From here, Slovenia’s top destinations lie west. There’s Triglav National Park with its rugged snow-capped peaks, the superbly photogenic Lake Bled, and the Soča Valley, carved out by the emerald-green Soča river. South from here lie the hills of Goriška Brda planted with vineyards (more about this later), then Kras (a geographic area formed of water-soluble carbonate rocks), and a glorious strip of Adriatic coast, home to the lovely Venetian-era towns of Koper and Piran.

Any first-time visitor would do well to spend a couple of days in Ljubljana and Triglav National Park before descending to Primorska to explore the sub-regions of Goriška Brda and the Vipava Valley, where stunning landscapes and numerous boutique wineries await. Each vintner has a special story to tell – many are experimenting with sparkling wines, orange wines and biodynamic production, and using terracotta amphorae and concrete eggs for ageing their wines.

Primorska

Primorska or the Slovenian Littoral, backing the Adriatic coast, divides into four sub-regions: Goriška Brda, Vipava Valley (Vipavska Dolina), Kras and Slovenian Istria (Slovenska Istra). Culturally Primorska has close ties with neighbouring Italy – sitting between the Adriatic and the Alps, it enjoys a sub-Mediterranean climate.

Goriška Brda

The hills of Goriška Brda conceal dozens of sleepy rural villages – medieval-walled Šmartno, a huddle of stone cottages centring on a Baroque church dedicated to St. Martin, the protector of winemakers – and Dobrovo, with its white 17th-century Renaissance castle of four towers, are the biggest. Green and lush, Brda’s hills are planted primarily with vineyards, as well as olive groves, cherry orchards and clusters of elegant cypresses, while the valleys are traversed by rivers and streams. On a clear day, you might see the snow-capped Julian Alps to the north and the sparkling blue Gulf of Trieste to the south.

Some 140 winemakers live here, producing 70% white and 30% red, organic and harvested by hand. They’re especially proud of the indigenous Rebula (or Ribolla Gialla as it is known in neighbouring Italy), known since the 13th century and Brda’s flysch soil gives it full flavour and minerality. It’s very resilient (with roots up to 12 metres long) and versatile, making everything from dry sparkling to dessert wine. Many wineries are open for tours and tasting. You really need a car to explore the region, though sporty visitors might attempt by bike.

Klet Brda, in the village of Dobrovo, the heart of Brda, is Slovenia’s major wine producer and importer, producing more than five million bottles annually. It unites 400 local wine growers cultivating vineyards on steep slopes in its circle of family and friends. Wine tastings are available for visitors in the main cellar as well as in the exclusive De Baguer cellar at Dobrovo Castle. For something exceptional, taste the De Baguer Motnik 2017, made from Rebula fermented in barrels smoked using local herbs before harvest. Klet Brda picked up two Gold and seven Silver Medals at the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) 2023.

Also in Dobrovo, Medot was founded by Zvonimir Simčič when he retired from managing Klet Brda. Medot specialises in sparkling wine and Rebula. Try its top seller, fresh fruity Medot Brut 48, a blend of Rebula, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and its elegant Medot Extra-Brut Cuvée, made from Chardonnay and Rebula.

In Višnjevik, Erzetič uses amphorae and also experiments with different types of wood. The Orbis Rebula 2018, aged in barrels of oak, mulberry, wild cherry, ash, and acacia was awarded a Gold Medal at DWWA 2022.

High up in north Brda, at the foot of the Soča Valley, newly-built Ferdinand commands sweeping views down onto steep terraced vineyards. Its Sinefinis Rebolium 2017, made in collaboration with Collio producer Gradis’ciutta, is made from Rebula. Some of the grapes come from Slovenia and some from Italy to create ‘a wine without borders’.

Moving south to Ceglo, Marjan Simčič does all sorts of wonderful things with Rebula, as well as international varieties. Try his sweet Leonardo 2017, made from dried Rebula grapes before being aged in oak for four to five years.

At neighbouring Movia, Aleš Kristančič is a pioneer of natural wine. Don’t miss the chance to visit the Kristančič home to try sparkling Movia Puro, made from Chardonnay. Opening the bottle is an event in itself as it is only rid of its lees upon serving. After being stored upside down for 24 hours, the bottle is disgorged in a large glass bowl of cold water by a sommelier – so you can see the whole process – and then the wine is poured into Movia crystal glasses for guests to enjoy.

Other producers worth noting include Dolfo of Ceglo for Brut Nature fizzes, Zanut of Neblo, Ščurek in Plešivo and Edi Simčič, which has a contemporary tasting room filled with artwork in the village of Vipolže.

Vipava Valley

East of Goriška Brda, the Vipava Valley is home to small family wineries working with native varieties Pinela and Zelen, which do well on the region’s flysch soil. Historically, producers in this area supplied wines to Vienna.

In Slap, head to Marc winery to taste its fresh and delicate Pinela 2021. The 2019 vintage of the same wine won a Platinum at DWWA 2020.

Near Planina, modern winery Guerila overlooks an amphitheatre-shaped vineyard devoted to biodynamic wines. Taste the Guerila Zelen 2022, or Guerila Amfora 2020, made from the Rebula grape.

In Osek, Lepa Vida hosts tastings which tell amusing anecdotes based on the history of the region. The Zelen 2022 is herbal and spicy, while the ‘O’ 2021 is an orange wine made from Malvasia Istriana and a small amount of Rebula, with the skins in contact with the juice during fermentation.

Kras

Kras is famed for its caves – each year, tens of thousands of visitors enter the labyrinthine depths of Postojna and Škocjan, to admire vast underground halls and tunnels graced by stalactites and stalagmites.

Up above ground, the red soils of Kras are rich in iron and best known for red wine made using the Teran grape – try it at Vinakras Sežana in a vaulted stone cellar in Sežana. Its La Marie Teran 2018 won a Silver Medal at DWWA 2023.

Slovenian Istria

The sun-warmed flysch soils near the sea also produce good reds. From Vinakoper in the portal city of Koper, the red Capris Refošk 2020 won a Silver at DWWA 2023. The producer also makes Vinakoper Spa body treatment products from grape seeds. Nearby in Triban village, at MonteMoro, try orange wine Malvazija aMorus.

Podravje

In northeast Slovenia, Podravje produces almost half of all Slovenian wine. In Maribor, the 400-year-old Žametovka vine at the Old Vine House, – listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the ‘oldest vine’– is a must-see for wine lovers. Nearby, tour the 2.2km tunnels in the vast Vinag cellars.

In neighbouring Ptuj, Ptujska Klet produces one million litres annually. Founded by Franciscan monks in 1239, it’s Slovenia’s oldest winery. Its aromatic Pullus Sauvignon won a Gold Medal at DWWA 2023.

Northeast, in Mačkovci, Marof produces the esteemed organic Marof Bodonci Sauvignon Blanc, aged on fine lees for 35 months in 2,500 litre oak barrels.

Posavje

In southeast Slovenia, the Sava Valley runs east towards Croatia. Posavje can be divided into the sub-regions of Dolenjska, Bizeljsko Sremič and Bela Krajina. It is known for Cviček, a curious sour wine made from a mix of reds and whites, but there’s more to Posavje than this.

Near Metlika in Bela Krajina, visit Šuklje to try the summery white Lozice (made from single-vineyard Sauvignon Blanc) and flagship red Vrbanjka (made from single-vineyard Blaufränkisch matured in second fill French oak). For sparkling wines, Istenič in Bizeljsko won a Gold Medal at DWWA 2022 with its Prestige Extra Brut 2013, while near Tržišče in Dolenjska, Domaine Slapšak’s Penina range is also worth attention.

My perfect weekend in Ljubljana

Book in at the elegant Grand Hotel Union Eurostars on Miklošičeva Street, near the Triple Bridge.

Friday

If you’re here from May to October, check out Friday’s Open Kitchen street food fair, on the Central Market near the Triple Bridge, with several stalls representing Slovenian wineries. If it’s winter, toast your arrival with a glass of sparkling wine at Vinoteka Movia (run by the wine producer).

Evening

Ride the funicular up to Ljubljana Castle to dine at Strelec (‘archer’) in the 15th-century Archer’s Tower. Opt for the tasting menu with wine pairing.

Saturday

Morning

Take a private guided city tour, to discover the Unesco-listed works of architect Jože Plečnik, including the Triple Bridge, the covered market and Križanke summer theatre.

Afternoon

Stroll up to Ljubljana Castle, set in parkland with tree-lined avenues. On its southern slopes, the castle vineyard grows 1,050 vines, made up of roughly half white (Belpin) and half red (Rdečegrajc). Have lunch at the wine bar in the castle, then head to Tivoli Park to the National Museum of Contemporary History, tracing Slovenia’s past from 1914 up to the present.

Evening

Dine at JB on Miklošičeva Street, then head to Šuklje’s (owned by the wine producer) wine bar for a riverside nightcap.

Sunday

Morning

Drive out of town to the verdant Vipava Valley, one of Slovenia’s loveliest wine regions.

Afternoon

Have lunch at Faladur in Vipava, then visit local wineries Marc, Guerila and Lepa Vida.

Return to Ljubljana for your homeward flight.

Your Slovenia address book

Restaurants

Strelec

Michelin-star fine dining at Ljubljana Castle, with delicacies such as truffles, foie gras and venison.

JB Restaurant

In a building designed by architect Jože Plečnik, chef Janez Bratovž creates elegant dishes highlighting the natural flavours of local ingredients.

Hiša Marica

In Šmartno, in Goriška Brda, enjoy local seasonal specialities, along with the owner’s wines and home-cured pršut (prosciutto).

Faladur

Family-run eatery serving authentic local fair in Vipava and running Vipava Valley wine tastings.

Hiša Franko

In Kobarid in the Soča Valley, cult restaurant Hiša Franko has three Michelin stars and a Green Michelin, plus ten guest rooms.

Accommodation

Grand Hotel Union Eurostars

Big prestigious hotel dating from 1905, near Ljubljana’s Triple Bridge.

Kabaj 

In Šlovrenc in Goriška Brda, this welcoming winery has six cosy rooms, and an excellent restaurant serving its own organic wines – try the superb red Cuvée Morel aged seven years in oak.

Hotel Gredič 

In Ceglo in Goriška Brda, 17th-century Gredič has seven rooms, a fine-dining restaurant and a spectacular wine cellar.

Aldila

Five cosy double rooms in a lovely renovated building in medieval Šmartno in Goriška Brda.

Guerila

This biodynamic winery has three modern self-catering apartments overlooking hillside vineyards in the Vipava Valley.

Wine shops and bars

Vinoteka Movia

Small cosy wine bar below Ljubljana Castle, stocking Movia wines from Goriška Brda along with other outstanding offerings.

Šuklje

Riverside wine bar near Ljubljana’s Triple Bridge. Wine flights and selections by the glass, including the owners’ wines from Bela Krajina, along with platters of Slovenian charcuterie and French cheeses.

Grajska vinoteka

In a vaulted brick space inside Ljubljana Castle, come here for quality Slovenian wines plus snacks.

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Now in its 9th edition, the Salon of Decanter Medal Winners was held last week in Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana, featuring 42 producers and their recently awarded wines from the 2023 Decanter World Wine Awards.

Around 300 wine lovers, trade and press from more than 10 countries gathered together on 4th July to taste some 130 award-winning wines, including 14 Gold medal winners from across Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia.

The Balkans had much to celebrate this year with Serbia’s first ever Best in Show as well as top Gold performances for Croatia and Slovenia.

Croatia won 44 more medals compared to last year – nine more Golds, 18 more Silvers and 20 more Bronze. The majority of wines awarded were white single-varietal wines, although 90 out of the county’s 358 medals were awarded to red wines, including a Gold for Kozlovic Winery’s Teran Selekcija 2021, presented at the event.

Slovenia had its best-ever Gold and Silver performance with 12 Gold and 80 Silver medals, signifying an overall increase in quality. In total, the country saw a record 195 medals awarded.

The Gold medal-winning wines from Slovenia available to taste on the day included:

• Bjana, Cuvée Prestige Extra-Brut, Goriška Brda, Primorska 2018
• Bužinel, Wine Brothers Chardonnay, Goriška Brda, Primorska 2021
• Domačija Bizjak, Sivi Pinot, Goriška Brda, Primorska 2022
• Gašper Wines, Selekcija Cabernet Franc, Goriška Brda, Primorska 2020
• Klet Brda, A Plus, Goriška Brda, Primorska 2017
• Klet Brda, De Baguer Merlot-Cabernet Franc, Goriška Brda, Primorska 2017
• M-Enostavno Dobra Vina, Extrem, Štajerska Slovenija, Podravje 2020
• Ptujska, Pullus Sauvignon, Štajerska Slovenija, Podravje 2022
• Simčič Karol & Igor & Marijan, Selection Vineyards Sivi Pinot , Goriška Brda, Primorska 2020
• Zuljan, Merlot, Goriška Brda, Primorska 2018

During DWWA judging week, co-chair Andrew Jefford said: ‘You look at newer regions like the Balkans, from where we get terrifically good entries. Increasingly we see real literacy of winemaking coming from it and similar regions, so that is very exciting to monitor.’

Jefford’s comments were emulated at the event by long-time DWWA judge, Slovenian wine expert and organiser of the Salon, Robert Gorjak who added, ‘The quality of wine in Slovenia is growing.’

The annual Salon in Slovenia offers wine lovers and trade the opportunity to discover Decanter medal-winning wines in one place and is a chance for producers to showcase and celebrate their newly awarded wines.

This year there was more to celebrate than ever, and the success of the region was felt at the sold-out event.

Simon Woolf, new joint regional chair for North, Central and Eastern Europe alongside Caroline Gilby MW at DWWA 2023, attended the event for the first time, taking part in the awards ceremony to congratulate all award-winning producers in attendance.

More DWWA 2023 judges were in attendance too, including Saša Špiranec and Miquel Hudin.

Commenting on all DWWA results, and relevant to this year’s results from the Balkans, co-chair Michael Hill Smith MW said: ‘Decanter World Wine Awards has evolved through time, but it’s still kept to its core principle of regions being judged by regional specialists. What I’ve really enjoyed is that mixture of the old and the bold. There’s a nice mixture of experience and enthusiasm and youth.’

This enthusiasm and youth, in particular, is very much felt in Slovenia – a country well worth a visit for wine lovers of classic styles and new wave and experimental wines alike.

See below for the full list of producers who showcased their award-winning wines on the day:

Slovenia

• Albiana Wines
• Domačija Bizjak
• Bjana
• Klet Brda
• Bužinel
• Dveri Pax
• Vinska klet Ferjančič
• Vina Fornazarič
• Vina Frešer
• EVINO
• Gašper Wines
• Vina Kotolenko
• Kristančič Winery
• Klet Krško
• Vina Kulčar
• Medot
• M-Enostavno Dobra Vina
• Vinska klet Metlika
• Moro Wines
• Nebó
• Vini Noue Marinič
• Protner
• Ptujska klet
• Puklavec Family Wines
• Radgonske Gorice
• Simčič Karol & Igor & Marijan
• Penine Simonič
• Aljoša Sirk
• Marko Sirk
• Ščurek
• Vino Šibav
• Kmetija Tomažič
• Vinakras
• Zalatel Wines
• Posestvo Zarova
• Zlati Grič
• Zoria
• Vinarstvo Zuljan

Croatia

• Kozlovic Winery
• Kutjevo

Serbia

• Jovac Winery

North Macedonia

• Popov Winery

Special thanks to Robert Gorjak and Belvin Wine School. Visit Belvin for more information.

Search all DWWA 2023 award-winning wines

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Caroline Gilby MW, Isa Bal MS and Darrel Joseph tasted 151 wines, with 8 Outstanding and 67 Highly recommended.

Adriatic whites panel tasting scores

151 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 8

Highly recommended 67

Recommended 72

Commended 4

Fair 0

Poor 0

Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their current-release white wines from Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro or Bosnia-Herzegovina, single varietals or blends using any grapes, but preferably including a large proportion of indigenous varieties

The eastern shore of the Adriatic sea is better known for its tourism than for wine, but results from this tasting showed that it’s home to many wines to spark wine lovers’ interest. Croatia, with some 1,800km of Adriatic coastline, submitted most wines, but there was also a good showing from Slovenia (47km of coast) and a handful from Bosnia & Herzegovina (just 20km of seashore).

This was an impressive, and often exciting, two-day tasting, with very few poor wines. As Isa Bal MS pointed out: ‘I found the quality to be of a very high standard,’ highlighting, ‘some excellent Malvasia from Croatia and some very well-made, pyrazine-free examples of Sauvignon Blanc from Slovenia.’

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top wines from the Adriatic whites panel tasting

Local grapes dominated the entries and provided many of the top-scoring wines. Malvasia Istriana (Malvazija Istarska is the local spelling) was the superstar, showing its potential in several styles. It has gone from ordinary workhorse to something quite special in the last two decades. It makes great bright, fruity, appealing wines when vinified cool in steel, though even these simpler versions can keep remarkably well. Among the 2021 wines, the main reservation was that, though quality was generally very good, the wines were all quite similar.

Malvasia is also capable of greatness in a whole range of styles, from classic oak fermentation to skin contact, orange and natural wines aged in other vessels such as clay amphora, larger casks and even acacia wood. Bal noted ‘some very competent winemaking using skin contact and natural yeast’.

Other local grapes also showed well, not least the incredibly rare Grk – grown on a handful of hectares on the island of Korčula – as did Korčula’s other special white grape, Pošip. There’s real intensity and great texture, underscored by a sea-salt mineral freshness in these unique local grapes. Darrel Joseph noted that ‘most of these wines are gorgeous exotica, treasures of where they are so at home’.

See all 151 wines from the Adriatic whites panel tasting

There were only a few examples submitted to the tasting of the flagship Rebula grape (Ribolla Gialla) from western Slovenia – though these did show its quality and versatility.

Bosnia & Herzegovina’s flagship Zilavka was praised by Joseph: ‘Zilavka has really been coming into its own in recent years,’ he said. ‘The variety’s wonderful Mediterranean herb and citrus characteristics and its gently elegant acidity shine through in the wines with such focus, clarity and freshness. Even better, Zilavka’s diversity is so enticing. It’s not just about young and fresh steel-aged wines; it does so well also as barrel-matured and – joyously – even as a natural, amber-style wine with age. Such exciting potential!’

Yet it’s not just about local grapes here, and you’ll find several excellent examples of international varieties that can also showcase the terroir. Pinot Gris was particularly strong, with several high-scoring wines showing an intensity and balance that wouldn’t be out of place in Alsace or Collio. There were also some excellent Chardonnays, and Sauvignons in a unique regional style between the aromatic fruitiness of New World and the mineral intensity of the Loire.

All in all, this tasting was evidence of a dynamic, if less well-known part of the wine world that is well worth exploring.

Top scoring Adriatic whites

The judges

Caroline Gilby MW is an awarded wine writer, author and speaker, with a passion for the wines of the Balkans, central & eastern Europe and the Black Sea. She is joint DWWA Regional Chair for North, Central & Eastern Europe.

Isa Bal MS is a consultant Master Sommelier. Winner of the prestigious Sommelier Award 2022 from Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland, he was also winner of the Best Sommelier of Europe competition in 2008, and was head sommelier for The Fat Duck Group for more than 12 years.

Darrel Joseph has been writing about the wines of central and eastern Europe since 1995, now also covering Croatia, Serbia and all other Balkan wine countries. He is a regular wine judge, educator and speaker, and is joint DWWA Regional Chair for North, Central & Eastern Europe.

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Where is it?

The Balkans or the Balkan Peninsula refers to the region that stretches from the Adriatic Sea to the Black Sea, with the Mediterranean and Aegean seas to the south. Its northern boundary is usually defined by the Danube and Sava rivers, and it’s named after the Balkan Mountains in central Bulgaria. The name was first used in the early 19th century, and it remains somewhat controversial so some of the countries here prefer ‘southeast Europe’.

The geopolitical Balkan region is usually considered to comprise Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey. The self-declared republic of Kosovo should also be mentioned, now recognised as a country by 117 other nations.

The region is a fascinating meeting place of cultures, with Orthodox, Catholic and Islamic influences overlapping. It’s also a region with amazing history, important archaeological sites and fantastic wildlife.

What is its wine history?

Wine has been present in the region for a very long time and it may even be where wine first arrived in Europe. There are traces of harvesting grapes as early as Neolithic times (dated to between 6000-5650 BC / BCE), so it’s not hard to make the leap to wine, even though evidence of winemaking has not yet been uncovered.

Various cultures across the region including the Varna, Vinča and Cucuteni-Trypillian all seemed to grow grapes. The earliest specific wine evidence may date to Thracian times according to written records from Greek and Egyptian poets and historians.

It appears wine was more than just a drink, and had an important ceremonial role, as shown by the ornate Thracian drinking vessels that have been uncovered in Bulgaria. This connection with wine is so strong that Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria all claim to be the birthplace of the mythical wine god Dionysus in ancient Thrace.

Evidence of highly-regarded winemaking continued into the Roman period and beyond. Later, much of this region came under rule by the Ottoman Empire, when winemaking was largely suppressed, but survived in monasteries for Christian rituals.

There was a new era towards the end of the 19th century when winemaking developed strongly across the region and many international grape varieties arrived. As in the rest of Europe, the arrival of the phylloxera louse caused widespread devastation in the late 19th century, and many local varieties were lost to cultivation.

What grapes does the region grow?

Depending on the exact definition, the Balkans may cover as much as 666,700km² making it bigger than the Iberian Peninsula. That means it is incredibly diverse and as a result, the region grows a wealth of indigenous, and often unique, varieties. Each country has its own particularly important local grapes, some of which are potential flagships.

Some of the most important include Kallmet, Shesh i Zi and Shesh i Bardhë in Albania while Mavrud, Rubin, various Melniks, Gamza and Dimiat lead the way in Bulgaria.

In Croatia, Graševina is the leading grape (and may have its homeland here), joined by Malvazija Istarska, Plavac Mali, Teran, Babić and Pošip to name but a few.

The inky dark Vranac or Vranec is the superstar in Montenegro and North Macedonia, but it also appears that Kratošija (aka Primitivo/Zinfandel) most likely originated here after all.

Romania has its unique Fetească Neagră, Fetească Albă and Fetească Regală plus Băbească Neagră, while Serbia has Prokupac, Grašac (a historic name for Graševina/Riesling Italico/Welschriesling being revived to rebuild its reputation) and recent arrivals on the scene like Probus and Morava.

Slovenia’s leading local white grape is Rebula, with Laški Rizling (aka Graševina/Welschriesling), Malvazija and Šipon (aka Furmint) important too; Refošk (aka Refosco) and Modra Frankinja lead the red front (the latter is the local name for Blaufränkisch which probably originated on today’s Slovenian territory).

Greece and Turkey have been widely covered elsewhere – but each has its own amazing diversity of unique grapes. It’s also fair to point out that international grapes have been present in most of the Balkans for over a century and can make incredibly good, global standard wines here (many winning Decanter World Wine Awards).

What’s the climate like?

The climate varies from Mediterranean to continental, and from cool alpine to very warm, with long sunshine hours. Mountains, rivers and seas moderate the climate, giving rise to a huge diversity of terroirs to grow grapes.

What are the styles of winemaking?

Winemaking has made enormous strides forward in recent decades, with the best wines now seriously impressive. Communism and socialism had an impact in the 20th century when there was widespread collectivisation of winemaking. But since independence, and especially over the last two decades, there has been a complete revolution, so modern winemaking with up-to-date equipment and know-how is pretty much universal.

Even more recently, winemakers have developed real confidence in the quality of their grapes and their land, so the best wines aren’t overwhelmed with high alcohol, extracted tannins and lots of oak, but offer balance and harmony allowing the grapes and the place to shine.

The region has also become a bit of a niche hotspot for the reinvention of more traditional approaches including orange/amber skin-contact styles, natural wines and pét-nat. Alternative vessels like clay amphorae, large neutral oak and even alternative woods like acacia, mulberry and ash are also finding a place.

Sparkling wines are increasingly good, most often made by the traditional method. White wines come in all styles from fresh, fruity and delicate, to complex, layered and long-lived. Rosé wines may be anything from almost red to trendy pale pink, depending on the grape. Reds range from refined and graceful to weighty and powerful, and there are even a few spots where sweet wines can be fantastic.

This is such a diverse region that a visit (or several) is the best way to get to know it, and you can be certain of a warm, hospitable welcome. One event to look out for in 2023 is the recently-launched Wine Vision by Open Balkan wine fair, which in 2022 brought together Serbia, North Macedonia and Albania to recognise their open border agreement, and to showcase the diversity and exciting quality of wines of this region.

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The 8th annual Salon of Decanter Award Winners was held in Ljubljana, Slovenia last week – a Decanter World Wine Awards-focused event featuring some 40 award-winning producers who sampled their recently awarded wines from the 2022 competition.

Held in the heart of Ljubljana, the event saw around 250 attendees, both consumers and trade, come together to taste more than 120 medal winning wines, primarily from Slovenia with a selection from Croatia and North Macedonia.

Organised by Belvin Wine School and long-time DWWA judge Robert Gorjak, the event offers wine lovers the opportunity to discover Decanter medal-winning wines in one place, and is a chance for producers to showcase and celebrate their newly awarded wines.

Caroline Gilby MW and Darrel Joseph, joint Regional Chairs for North, Central and Eastern Europe, judged the wines blind during DWWA judging week back in April, and were in attendance to meet the producers, re-taste the wines and award certificates to all medal winners.

In total, the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards saw 196 medals awarded to wines from Slovenia, including 118 Bronze, 70 Silver, seven Gold and one Platinum for Ščurek, Zero Brut, Goriška Brda, Primorska, Slovenia 2019.

At the Salon of Decanter Award Winners there were two Platinum, five Gold, 48 Silver and 65 Bronze medal-winning wines open to taste, offering attendees the incredible opportunity to sample a majority of awarded wines from Slovenia, while highlighting the quality of wines awarded at the Decanter World Wine Awards.

Award-winning producers in attendance included:

• Anima Wine
• Bjana
• Brič
• Deci
• Domačija Bizjak
• Erzetič
• Gašper Wines
• Hrvatin
• Istenič
• Klet Brda
• Koglot
• Kozlović
• Lavrenčič
• M – enostavno Dobra Vina
• Marko Sirk
• Matočec
• Medot
• Moro
• Nebó
• Penine Simonic
• Puklavec Family Wines
• Radgonske Gorice
• Ronk
• Statera
• Steras Wines
• Ščurek
• Vina Benčina
• Vina Čuk
• Vina Kotolenko
• Vina Mramor
• Vina Zaro
• Vinag 1847
• Vinska Klet Frelih
• Vinska Klet Metlika
• Vislander
• Winery Jaunik
• Žaren

Special thanks to Robert Gorjak and Belvin Wine School. Visit Belvin for more information. All photos taken by Rok Dezelak RD2.si

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Highlights from the 7th Salon of Decanter Award Winners

Expert’s Choice: Slovenia & Croatia

Search all DWWA 2022 medal winners

This month Decanter World Wine Awards medal winners celebrated success at the 2021 competition, joining together to showcase their award-winning wines at the 7th annual Salon of Decanter Award Winners.

Hosted by wine writer, founder of Belvin, Slovenia’s first wine school, and DWWA judge Robert Gorjak, the event took place on 7 September in Ljubljana, Slovenia to promote the quality of DWWA awarded wines and winemakers.

Connecting award-winning winemakers with restaurants, importers and consumers, attendees were invited to sample more than 86 DWWA 2021 award-winning wines from the 31 producers in attendance.

Three Platinum medals were showcased, including Slovenia’s two highest-scoring wines from the 2021 competition: Gašper’s 2019 Selekcija Cabernet Franc from Goriška Brda, Primorska and Radgonske Gorice’s 2017 Zlata Radgonska Penina Rosé Extra Dry from Štajerska Slovenija, Podravje.

One of the oldest wines entered in the 2021 Decanter World Wine Awards, attendees were also able to sample Puklavec Family Wines’ Archive Furmint from the 1971 vintage, described by the DWWA judges as ‘multilayered, very expressive and long.’

A majority of wines from Slovenia were showcased alongside wines from Croatia and Bosna and Hercegovina.

On the event, Gorjak commented, ‘As organisers of the event we were really pleased to be able to bring together such a nice number of DWWA winners as well as visitors. Besides established names, it was great to see numerous new producers who proudly presented their awarded wines.’

Medal winners were awarded their DWWA certificates in person, and to close the event, tributes were paid to Steven Spurrier, co-founder of the Decanter World Wine Awards and an advocate for Slovenia and the country’s wines.

Visit Belvin for more information. All photos taken by Peter Irman, Vision.si

Highlights from the 6th Salon of Decanter Award Winners

Search all DWWA 2021 medal winners

Most people are glad to leave memories of 2020 behind; to wave goodbye to one of the most challenging years in our lifetime. But amid seemingly endless clouds, there were silver linings.

The Covid-19 global pandemic presented us with an amazing opportunity to learn, adapt and demonstrate resilience both as individuals and professionals.

Scroll down for Dirceu Vianna Jr MW’s tasting notes on wine trends for 2021

It was no different for the wine industry. Many businesses have thrived, while others suffered irreparable damage – especially in the hospitality sector – as well as those in wine regions also affected by natural disasters, such as in the USA and Australia.

A new year brings new hope, positivity, and an opportunity to start afresh. However turning a page in the calendar does not necessarily mean that everything we went through last year will instantly change too.

The seismic shifts that began in 2020 will continue to develop in our wine trends for 2021. Many changes we had to make are now already ingrained and will become habits.

Embracing change amid uncertainty

New wines have made headlines, such as Prosecco rosé, but arguably the biggest changes to our wine consumption over the past 12 months have been buying wine online, favouring local producers and finding alternatives to glass-bottle packaging.

Countries, regions and brands that were able to adapt rapidly to new forms of communication last year reaped the benefits. In 2021, producers will need to demonstrate creativity to overcome the increasing saturated digital channels to carry on building lasting relationships with consumers.

As uncertainty hangs over the future of much of the wine trade, most businesses are likely to stop, cut or postpone investments in marketing, advertising, market insight and consumer interaction to reduce expenses.

That is a mistake. Those wine producers, companies and regions willing to go against the grain and invest are more likely to create new trends and benefit in the long run.

While we wait for a return to some semblance of normality and dream of travelling again, wine brings us relief and the hope of a prosperous new year.

One thing that we know for certain and starts here: 2021 will be filled with delicious and interesting wines. Here are 10 wine trends for 2021 I predict will be the ones to watch.

Wine trends for 2021

Albariño/Alvarinho

Albariño is an exciting variety. Originally from the northwest part of Spain, it is also planted in several regions of Portugal. It has even recently been allowed into the Bordeaux appellation.

In the New World, plantings are spreading fast – in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and the United States.

Albariño yields well, can resist disease and is adaptable to different terroirs. In the cellar it lends itself to different techniques, including skin contact, lees ageing and also responds well to oak.

Styles can vary from lighter-weight, low-alcohol (11%) wines with delicate citrus fruit flavours to those that are richer and creamier, carrying more alcohol (13%) and an abundance of tropical fruit.

Whatever the style, the wines are expressive, versatile with food, boast sublime freshness and can age gracefully. For all these reasons, plantings will continue to increase rapidly around the world, gaining Albariño continued popularity in 2021 and beyond.

Criolla

Criolla, known in other parts of the world as País, Uva Negra and Mission, was the most planted variety in Argentina between 1600 and 1850.

But more than 10,000ha of Criolla has been lost since the turn of the century. This is due to the demise in local consumption, the influx of European varieties, and the unsuitable migration of plantings from eastern Mendoza to cooler, higher-altitude spots in the west.

Concerned with the loss of genetic material, Argentina’s National Agriculture Technology Institute has been researching and mapping out old Criolla vineyards. In addition, a growing number of producers such as Catena, Trapiche (El Esteco) and Mauricio Lorca have been exploring Criolla to good effect.

The best examples are fragrant and light-bodied, with moderate levels of alcohol and wonderful freshness – precisely what today’s wine drinkers are looking for.

Croatia

Croatia has a rich winemaking history. Wine production on the Dalmatian islands of Hvar, Korčula and Vis stretches back more than 2,500 years.

In recent decades, production has been shifting from cooperatives to the hands of quality-focused individuals.

Aside from an ideal climate, multiplicity of soils and diversity of terroir, the country has several interesting white varieties such as Graševina, Malvazija Istarska, Pošip and Grk as well as reds like Crljenak Kaštelanski and Plavac Mali alongside international varieties.

These wines have a strong sense of identity and there are several exciting producers to be discovered, such as Rizman, Krauthaker, Stina, Kozlović, Matošević and Volarević among many others.

Jo Ahearne, a British Master of Wine, started to make wine on the Island of Hvar in 2014. By sourcing unique local grapes and employing low-intervention techniques she manages to achieve wines of real character and distinction.

Portugal

Portuguese wines boast an amazing combination of quality and consistency. The country’s abundance of indigenous varieties offers an enviable uniqueness that is not easily surpassed.

But the dominance of small producers and unusual grape varieties mean many of the wines need to be sold by smaller independent retailers and through bar and restaurant wine lists – which has posed a challenge in recent times.

Nevertheless, Portugal also has medium and large producers making exciting wines, offering consumers excellent value for money in all price points through bigger merchants and high-street retailers.

In addition, creative marketing strategies by Wines of Portugal has enabled the country to increase its total export volumes by 4.9% last year. There is a sense of excitement that the success will be repeated in 2021.

Slovenian whites

Following in the steps of its neighbours in Eastern Europe, Slovenia has been making excellent wines for years, but little gets exported and the country is yet to receive the recognition it deserves.

There are three main wine-producing regions: Posavje (on the border with Croatia), Podravje (bordering Hungary) and Primorska (located across the border from Friuli in Italy). The latter is the one that justifies special mention.

The beautiful countryside of Primorska, with its gentle rolling hills reminiscent of Tuscany, provide different exposures to vineyards planted on friable soils, particularly in the sub-region of Goriška Brda.

Its proximity to the Alps and Adriatic ensure cooler nights, which enable producers to achieve white wines of wonderful aromatic expression underpinned by racy freshness.

There are many noteworthy producers here, such as Sčurek, Simčič, Gašper, Edi Simčič and Movia, all making remarkable white wines, particularly with the late-ripening variety of Rebula (aka Ribolla Gialla in Italy).

Austrian reds

Wines of Austria did a brilliant job adapting to new challenges in 2020 by hosting webinars and hybrid tastings, and looks set to continue this into 2021.

The country’s overall standard of wine quality is high. Areas such as Kamptal, Kremstal and Wachau are well known and established, especially for whites. But there are also interesting red wines to be discovered further afield, in areas such as Neusiedlersee, historically famous for its sweet wines.

Zweigelt, Austria’s most planted red grape, is often misunderstood. The variety is adaptable to different terroirs, it is versatile in terms of winemaking and capable of offering a wide range of styles. When yields are effectively managed by diligent producers, Zweigelt is a truly exciting wine.

Contrary to what many critics and textbooks affirm, Zweigelt can age well, and is also a versatile food companion that deserves better recognition.

New South American terroirs

The pursuit of cooler spots to combat the effects of climate have led South America’s wine producers to explore progressively marginal regions. Plantings have been moving further south yielding several interesting wines on both sides of the Andes.

In Chile, look out for exciting wines coming out of Traiguén, at 38°S in Malleco, Araucanía – the country’s southernmost appellation, parallel to Argentina’s Patagonia. Here Francisco Baettig, one of Chile’s most celebrated winemakers, has his own project: Baettig Wines. And, under winemaker Viviana Navarrete, Tayu 1865 is a new collaboration between Viña San Pedro Tarapacá and the local Mapuche community in Buchahueico.

In Argentina, some of the best wines from new terroirs are coming from the Otronia project, which claims to be the southernmost vineyard in the world – at 45’33°S in the Sarmiento, Chubut. Here, winemaker Juan Pablo Murgia and his team brave difficult conditions – lack of rain, frost and high winds – to craft world class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Changing perceptions in Spain

From traditional single-vineyard Rioja and prestige Cava to emerging regions such as Bierzo, Gredos and the Canary Islands, Spain has so many interesting producers and exciting varieties to explore.

There is an increasing appetite for experimentation here, along with a real determination to make elegant wines with a sense of place.

Elías López Montero masterminded the Ulterior Project, aiming to battle climate change and alter the perception that La Mancha – an area often dismissed for being too hot and dry – can produce high-quality wines.

Here, Montero uses varieties such as Tinto Velasco, Malvasia de Sitges, Moravia Agria, Albillo Real and Albillo Mayor, among others, to craft fresh, terroir-driven wines.

Similarly, with another project, Bodegas Verum, he aims to challenge the belief that Airén, one of the world’s most widely planted varieties with dubious quality credentials – is capable of producing high-quality wines.

Orange wines

The role of wine is to give pleasure. This isn’t achieved by any form of extreme intervention or relying excessively on science.

Unnecessary additions, overdone extraction and excessive oak gets in the way of terroir. This route often results in homogenised wines devoid of character; wines that taste like they could come from anywhere.

But a pleasurable wine is equally rarely achieved by a hands-off approach that relies on doing nothing; hoping for the best by letting nature take its course. This is lazy winemaking and often leads to faulty wines.

Good wines are achieved by having in-depth scientific knowledge of the winemaking process and applying a supportive role and intervening when it becomes essential to protect and enhance the quality of the fruit.

There is little doubt that orange wines will continue as one of the wine trends for 2021 and beyond. However if the aim is to gain a broader audience, producers must ensure their wines are clean, consistent, devoid of faults and ultimately give the pleasure consumers are seeking.

Low alcohol

There is nothing new about the trend towards lower-alcohol wines. In all corners of the world producers have been moving towards styles that are lighter, more refreshing and easier to drink.

When this quest is not well executed it can result in wines that are excessively lean, hollow, vegetal and insipid. But when skilfully done, the results can be electrifying.

This is even more impressive when it can be achieved in areas that are renowned for arid and hot conditions – like Portugal’s Douro Valley.

Niepoort is curious; unafraid to experiment or push boundaries. He has gained knowledge and experience learning on the job in Portugal and abroad and his wines are among the country’s most exciting.

Forget spinning cones and other technologies that remove alcohol or dilute wines to achieve a lighter style. Look to these innovative producers – or cooler regions that naturally produce lower-alcohol wines, such as German Riesling, English Bacchus or a host of European sparklings.

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A 100% Chardonnay, traditional method sparkling wine from Slovenia has been ‘harvested and matured in pitch darkness’.

The impact of light strike

The Slovenian wine, branded ‘Untouched by Light’, is claimed to be the first of its kind by its producer, Radgonske Gorice of Slovenia, which has been making sparkling wine for 168 years.

The Slovenian producer drew the inspiration to make the wine from research conducted in 1989 by Professor Emerita Ann C. Noble on the effect of fluorescent light on sparkling wine and its base wine.

Various research studies have shown that the UV rays from the sun or artificial lamps can dull the bright fruit flavours and add unpleasant notes such as rotten cabbage, eggs and wet wool.

See also: What is light strike in wine?

Though these flavours are similar to those caused by reduction, ‘reduction is reversible, light strike isn’t’, according to the producer.

By making a sparkling wine with minimum exposure to light, the producer aims to ‘preserve the original aromatic components in the wine as much as possible’.

Made in darkness

To ensure these wines see as little light as possible, pickers conduct harvest at night wearing night-vision goggles. During transportation, the grapes are covered under the tarp.

‘Night vision goggles do help in each step of the process as you can see everything, but you have to get used to them,’ said Klavdija Topolovec Špur, the ‘Untouched by Light’ winemaker.

The oenologist noted that sometimes workers have to use their sense of touch to complete the cellar work, which includes remuage (riddling) and disgorgement.

The base wine is poured into bottles made of ‘99.8% black glass’ and matured in darkness in the estate’s 166-year-old cellar located in natural caves. Before release, the bottles are vacuum-sealed in black foil.

The wine

The Chardonnay grapes were sourced from the hilly vineyards near the town of Gornja Radgona at the northeast corner of Slovenia, between the Mura River and Ščavnica.

Influenced by the Pannonian Plain, this region has a continental climate with moderate rainfall, hot summers and cold winters.

The selected south-facing plot named ‘AJDA’ features old vines planted in 1989, with eutric brown soil and limestone gravel admixture. The altitude is between 220 to 240 metres above sea level.

After ageing on lees for 36 months, the wine was disgorged in early 2020. The result is a sparkling wine of abundant freshness and rather distinct, complex aromatic characteristics.

The inaugural 2016 vintage of ‘Untouched by Light’ has an acidity level of 8 g/l and alcohol at 12%. Residual sugar falls into the Brut category (6.9 g/l).

Only 2000 bottles were made for this vintage, with the ambition to expand to 3000 next, ‘as we have enough capacity in caves’ according to Klavdija Topolovec Špur.

How to serve it

The producer suggests sommeliers serve the wine in a dark environment and in black glasses while admitting that ‘this will not always be possible’.

The alternative, said the producer, is to taste the wine ‘as an experiment’ to observe how the impact of light can change the characteristics of the fizz in the glass.

Sparkling wine has been made in Gornja Radgona since 1852. The production was initiated by Alojz Klenošek in an era of Archduke John of Austria, a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, who expanded the wine production in this region. Later the production was continued by the Swiss-French Bouvier Family.

Untouched by Light, a sparkling wine made in the dark

The ‘Untouched by Light’ sparkling wine is sold at 100 Euros per bottle, currently only available on untouchedbylight.com.

On 7 November 2019, Decanter and Vinitaly teamed up at Bellavita Expo, London – the leading trade event dedicated to the promotion of Italian food and beverage – to host a Mediterranean-focused masterclass highlighting DWWA 2019 Platinum medal winners from Italy, Spain, France, Greece and Slovenia.

The award-winning line-up was presented by Dirceu Vianna Junior MW, the first South American male to obtain the title of Master of Wine and a DWWA judge since 2009. Each wine in the line-up was expertly studied and described, from vinification methods to typicity and flavour profiles, and well received by the trade members in attendance.

Junior closed the sold-out masterclass with a nod to the Decanter World Wine Awards judging process, commenting:

On the topic of medals he added:

DWWA 2019 Platinum medal line-up

Pere Ventura, Vintage Gran Reserva Brut, Cava, Spain 2014

Platinum, 97 points

Elegant savoury nose with nuances of toasty oak with rich apple and marmite aromas. In the mouth is sharp, energetic and ethereal, with real depth a finely textured bubbles with a delicate texture.

Ktima Gerovassiliou, Epanomi, Macedonia, Greece 2018 

Platinum, 97 points

Profound, with purity and elegance. Aromatics of grass and herbs, with ripe white stone fruit. Beautiful core of Meyer lemon, white pepper and dried oregano, and a long finish. Excellent.

Siddùra, Bèru, Vermentino di Gallura Superiore, Sardinia, Italy 2016

Platinum, 97 points

An enchanting example of Vermentino with delectable stone fruits and opulent tropical notes underpinned by a pure mineral backbone. Robust and intense with an elegant citrus freshness, a charming viscosity and a powerful, smoky finish.

.

Ščurek, Rebula Up, Goriška Brda, Primorska, Slovenia 2013

Platinum, 97 points

Rich, elegant aromas of candied orange, apricot and dried fruits. Sweet spice and vanilla flavours on the palate, with lovely minerality and a long, ripe finish. Shows excellent complexity.

Tenuta Casteani, Marujo Syrah, Maremma Toscana, Tuscany, Italy 2016

Platinum, 97 points

This is superlatively made and effortlessly drinkable. Cassis, plum, Mediterranean herbs, green peppercorn and black spice weave through each other framed by velvety, but tenacious tannins. Silky, seamless and polished. All up, a very impressive Tuscan Syrah, the balance and length nigh-on perfect.

Merum Priorati, El Cel, Priorat, Spain 2016

Platinum, 97 points

Superb complexity on the nose with concentrated balckberries framed by elegant nose of oriental spices, black pepper and toasty oak. A unique wine, combining power and finesse, with a lingering open finish and tightly knitted tannins supported by a juicy core of fruit concentration.

Domaine De Baronarques, Limoux, Languedoc-Roussillon, France 2016

Platinum, 97 points

A seamless on-song Bordeaux style blend, yet with much more ripeness and juicy fruit gum character. Monumental depth of character which is enhanced by well-managed oak that is adroitly integrated with the silky tannins to give a fresh, elegant finish. Very complete, nuanced, long and beautifully balanced. Pitch-perfect now but still lots of life ahead. Excellent release.

Donnafugata, Ben Ryé, Passito di Pantelleria, Sicily, Italy 2016

Platinum, 98 points

More of an experience than merely a wine! An exotic blast of ripe stone fruit and sweet spice unfold to reveal honeyed layers of mandarin zest and sumptuous apricot. Creamy and luxurious with a superb acidity and captivating finish.

See full DWWA 2019 results

On 4 September more than 200 wine aficionados joined together in Ljubljana, Slovenia for the sixth edition of the Salon of Decanter Award Winners, hosted by wine writer, founder of Slovenia’s first wine school, Belvin, and DWWA judge Robert Gorjak.

More than 100 DWWA award-winning wines were available to taste from 42 producers. Wines of France and Italy were represented, but it was the wines of Central and Eastern Europe that took centre stage with award-winning wines highlighted from Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, North Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro.

Organiser Robert Gorjak commented on the event,

The event included two well-attended masterclasses led by Igor Luković, a DWWA judge based in Belgrade, Serbia, and Beth Willard, DWWA Regional Chair for North, Central & Eastern Europe.

In the first masterclass, titled “Pearls from the Balkans – Surprise or Reality,” Igor revealed the wealth of both local and international varieties, exemplifying the rise in the quality of wines from the Balkans.

Beth Willard, buyer for Direct Wines, led the second masterclass which included five Platinum and six Gold medal winners. In this class, Beth used her expertise to explain and highlight how certain wines perform in international markets.

Producers in attendance with award-winning wines from the 2019 Decanter World Wine Awards were presented their certificates on stage by Decanter’s Michela Nassiz, Beth Willard and Robert Gorjak.

In total more than 70 certificates were awarded, including four Platinum awards for:

Simčič, Leonardo, Goriška Brda, Primorska, Slovenia 2013

Gašper, Cabernet Franc, Goriška Brda, Primorska, Slovenia 2017

Vino Gross, Iglič Furmint, Štajerska Slovenija, Podravje, Slovenia 2016

Colosi, Secca del Capo, Salina, Sicily, Italy 2018

See all DWWA 2019 award-winners here

At this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards, four wines from Slovenia received Platinum medals and four received Gold medals – a great feat for the wines of Slovenia. To put in perspective, overall only 2.9% of wines tasted at the 2019 DWWA were awarded a Gold medal, and only 0.9% were awarded a Platinum medal.

The Salon of Decanter Award Winners’ continued success highlights the rise in knowledge, quality and prestige of wines from Central and Eastern Europe and a growing interest and market for the wines of these regions.

The 7^th Salon of Decanter Award Winners is scheduled to take place on 23 June 2020.

Follow @DWWASlovenia on Facebook for more information

All photos taken by Peter Irman

See more DWWA 2019 highlights

Slovenia

Time is a great lens to view the landscape and culture of a country, combining both the soil and climate, but also the human factor: the people who create the wines. Slovenia has just a tiny Adriatic coastline and is otherwise surrounded by Austria and Hungary to the northeast, Italy in the northwest and Croatia to the south. It’s a jewel of a wine country, with stunningly beautiful, hilly vineyards divided into three main regions.

Primorska in the west enjoys a Mediterranean climate and is particularly famous for its richly complex whites from international grapes like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris, but also the versatile local Rebula (Italy’s Ribolla Gialla). Some of Slovenia’s red wine superstars are also based here, with Merlot ripening most reliably in the hills of Brda, but Pinot Noir also making a strong showing, especially in the wind-blown Vipava Valley.Slovenia’s Podravje region to the northeast is very different, sharing similarities with Austria’s Styria. It’s much more continental with sunny days, cool nights and long autumns making for vibrant, crisp, mouthwatering whites and some amazing sweet wines. Reds are less important, though some increasingly assured Modra Frankinja (aka Blaufränkisch, now believed to originate in Slovenia’s Lower Styria) and Pinot Noir are appearing. The southeastern corner of Posavje has been overshadowed by its more famous neighbours, but it has a promising future for sparkling wine, crisp whites and elegant reds.

Croatia

The Croatian wine scene is a complex mosaic of more than 200 different varieties, and the country claims as many as 120 indigenous grapes. Its 1,800km coastline and 1,200 islands have many nooks and crannies where local grape varieties were able to survive. This is a country with a very long wine history and the UNESCO listed Stari Grad plain on Hvar island is believed to be the longest continually cultivated vineyard anywhere. The landscape varies, from the rolling wooded hills and dramatic hilltop villages of Istria to the sweeping landscape of continental Slavonia (perhaps even more famous for its oak), to the sun-baked, rocky and often precipitously steep vineyards of Dalmatia and the islands where nothing much other than grapevines could possibly grow.

More than 18 million tourists headed for Croatia’s dramatic coastline and sunny climate last year, consuming plenty of wine, so exports are relatively insignificant, but worth the effort to seek out. Croatia’s most important grape is the white Graševina, largely grown in inland Slavonia, while the local Malvazija Istarska rules on the Istrian peninsula, offering fresh, bright, young wines as well as complex, textured skin-contact versions, sometimes aged in acacia wood or amphora. The red Plavac Mali is the most important red, holding sway in the southern warmth of Dalmatia, while the white Pošip, originally from Korcula island, is gaining increasing admiration for exciting whites.

See Caroline Gilby MW’s top wines from Slovenia and Croatia

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Grown in a region that straddles Italy and Slovenia, the Rebula, or Ribolla, grape has a dual identity. But, argues Stephen Brook, whatever you call it, this versatile grape is worth seeking out...

In the 1980s I would stand in the vineyards of Collio in Italy and gaze across the patrolled border into Slovenia, which was visible but scarcely visitable. Collio, the core appellation of Friuli, adjoins the Slovenian region called Goriška Brda. The topography is much the same, the varieties planted are identical, and many of the Collio producers are ethnic Slovenians. Hardly surprising, as until the late 1940s this was a single region, and in 1991 the border was removed.

Scroll down for Stephen Brook’s top Ribolla / Rebula picks from Italy and Slovenia

At the Zanut winery in Goriška Brda, the Kocijancic family dreams of a single appellation uniting Collio and Goriška Brda. ‘But it won’t happen,’ they add realistically, ‘as there are too many bureaucratic obstacles to allow producers from two countries to follow identical rules.’ Many producers remark on how unusual it is for grape varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Ribolla / Rebula all to be grown within the same region. That’s because Goriška Brda lies approximately 20km from the Adriatic shore in one direction, and 20km from the Alpine foothills in the other, giving a complex cluster of microclimates.Rebula is the most treasured variety here, and growers believe the striking quality of the best wines derives from soils known as opoka. This is sedimentary marl with sandstone and clay; it’s layered and friable. It’s low in organic matter but has a high mineral content, which combined with the climate can give the wines a saline character. A variety that loves heat, Ribolla / Rebula thrives on the area’s sunny hilltops.

Ribolla / Rebula at a glance

Collio DOC: 1,500ha, of which 435ha are planted with Ribolla Gialla (94ha of that declared as DOC)

Goriška Brda: 1,800ha, of which 381ha are planted with Rebula

Dominant soil: opoka (sedimentary marl with clay and sandstone)

Elevation: Collio (80-200m); Brda (60-250m)

In some respects Goriška Brda – which is slightly hillier than Collio and has 1,800ha of vineyards – reminds me of Barolo, with vines planted on a range of expositions and altitudes. Zanut, for example, has Cabernet Sauvignon planted in two locations, with a gap of 10 days in ripening and harvest.What unites the top estates in both regions is a respect for the grape that’s known as Rebula in Slovenia or Ribolla in Collio. (To avoid confusion, the variety will be referred to as Rebula hereafter.)

Celebrated Collio producers such as Gravner and Radikon are in awe of Rebula, and their Goriška Brda counterparts share that view. It’s late ripening. Indeed, I saw Chardonnay being picked in late August 2018, while Rebula vines had at least a month more to go. It gives rich, textured wines that are not especially aromatic, but if cropped low, can have remarkable longevity in bottle.

Rebula styles

Rebula comes in various guises, which is a strength but can also be a source of confusion. Briefly summarised, it can be made in a ‘classic’ style, almost always unoaked though often aged on the fine lees; or as a lightly macerated wine, in which there is extensive skin contact; or as a wine with long maceration, which is then given long ageing either in wood or amphorae. Rebula’s structure and extract give it sufficient robustness to survive long macerations and ageing, the result often being an archetypal ‘orange’ wine. In addition, there is an expanding production of sparkling Rebula, and a tiny production of passito sweet wine.

The classic style shouldn’t be underrated. Ribolla / Rebula’s acidity beautifully balances its weight of fruit. Good examples abound on both sides of the border, and arguably Jermann’s Vinnae, first made in 1983, is the finest example, thanks to its energising vibrancy. It’s not a pure Ribolla, as it includes 10% of Riesling and Friulano, with part of the wine aged in 750-litre Slavonian oak barrels. From Slovenia, excellent classic-style producers include Dolfo, Erzetic, Ferdinand (for its barrique-aged Epoca), and Edi Simčič, now run by his son Aleks Simčič. The Simčič Rebulas are aged in 15% new barriques for about 10 months, which gives the wine its texture, elegance and structure. Aleks doesn’t practise prolonged maceration, for a simple reason: ‘I find the technique can rob the wines of finesse.’ It’s a question of priorities.

There is a middle way between the purity of the classic style and the full-on tannic, macerated style. The Edi Keber winery is a Collio estate that produces a single Collio Bianco blend, but since 2012 Edi’s son, Kristian Keber, has created a separate winery in Goriška Brda to vinify a Rebula (plus a dash of Friulano) from 40-year-old vines. This is macerated for four weeks with, unusually, 50% of stems, fermented with natural yeasts, and then aged for two years in older 700-litre barrels. It’s deep straw rather than orange in colour. Although the aromas echo the maceration, the palate is full of rich, broad fruit: mandarins and apricots, principally, and with the lift of acidity that Rebula effortlessly contributes. With its texture, vibrancy and complexity, I wouldn’t describe this as an orange wine, although it’s remote in aroma and body from the classic style.

Winemaker Marjan Simčič produces three Rebulas: a Classic, the old-vine Cru Selection, and the single-vineyard Opoka. His winemaking is nuanced. The Cru Selection is fermented on the skins for six days, then spends 12 months on lees in 3,000-litre oak barrels, followed by six months in 500-litre barrels. The Opoka has a slightly longer maceration, but in recent vintages this has taken place in concrete eggs. The wine is also aged for 12 months in concrete eggs, which Simčič believes give a better micro-oxygenation and softer tannins. These are splendid wines, with opulent stone fruit and orange aromas, plus a creamy concentration on the palate, some dried fruit flavour and a texture that shows grain and extract.

Simčič says: ‘My aim is to bring Rebula up to a more prestigious level. Before 1991 all the grapes went to the cooperative and quality was low. After independence, producers jumped onto the barrique bandwagon, but that didn’t seem the right approach to me. I want wines that age well. After 10 years, my macerated Rebulas develop some secondary aromas, but the flavour remains fresh.’

Orange wines

For the full orange wine experience, you need to seek out the wines from Gravner and Radikon. Josko Gravner and the late Stanko Radikon opted for the maceration route in the mid-1990s, the major difference between them being that Gravner would age the wines in clay amphorae, whereas Radikon preferred to use large casks.

Saša Radikon, Stanko’s son, recalls: ‘My father was allowed to take over the property by my grandfather on the condition that he planted more Rebula, which he did. He had used Rebula to make orange wines in the past. In the late 1980s new presses were introduced and they gave less extraction. The wine was still good but lacks the typicity of Rebula. The difference was the maceration, which is what makes a great red wine too. So my father tried it in 1995, and Gravner was on a parallel course. This was helpful as otherwise my father would have been seen as just one crazy guy. He tried many experiments and eventually decided that the right period was two to four months.’

Gravner took a more extreme view, with almost puritanical single-mindedness. He picks Rebula very ripe, often at yields of 12hl/ha. The maceration and preliminary ageing in amphorae lasts up to year, and there is a further ageing in large casks for up to six years. ‘I tried a shorter maceration,’ he once told me, ‘but I found that a longer period sweetens the wine.’ The wines are majestic and sumptuous, yet fully dry, but not to everyone’s taste. Some fellow winemakers say that they admire Gravner’s Rebula, but don’t usually feel inclined to drink a second glass.

The drawback of the long-maceration method is evident. Steeping the wine on the skins for so long can extract magnificent flavours and assertive tannins, but those tannins need to be softened by very long ageing. This is costly for the producer – and hence the consumer. Simčič speeds up the process by using concrete eggs, but then he only gives the wines a moderate maceration in the first place.

It’s not just Rebula that demands long ageing in order to become harmonious. Some red wines of the region, such as Marjan Simčič’s Merlot, are aged for four to six years in wood to soften the tannins, and even then they don’t always succeed.

Growers explain that in this region the red grapes are high in tannin and acidity, which does make one wonder whether they are an ideal choice for planting. Rebula, in contrast, can be made in a fresh and fruity style, and only a stalwart band of wine lovers is seeking out the brazenly concentrated ‘orange’ wines of Radikon or Gravner.

It also requires great skill to risk such long ageing. Erzetic produces an amphora-aged Rebula, which is good but lacks some flair and vigour. Ferdinand’s Brutus Rebula spends a year on the skins in 500-litre barrels, but I greatly prefer the winery’s unmacerated Epoca bottling (and so, I think, does the winery’s owner Matjaž Cetrtic).

One unresolved issue in the region is how to handle wines that are blended from sites in both Italy and Slovenia, as quite a few estates have vineyards in both. The rules are complicated, and wineries such as Edi Keber and Jermann have established separate wineries across the border to allow them to claim the appellation. Saša Radikon shrugged off the bureaucratic tangles: ‘Italian growers are not allowed to bring in Goriška Brda grapes – but we always find a way.’

What matters more is that both regions are thriving, their tourism and gastronomy are flourishing, and wine lovers are spoiled for choice in selecting a style of Rebula that suits their palate.

See Stephen Brook’s top Rebula picks from Italy and Slovenia

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Andrew Jefford reports from the first International Rebula Masterclass.

One of the wine dreams of our age is the white which behaves like a red. Which would have, in other words, a structural presence, a texture, a depth and a frame of reference altogether different, and perhaps altogether grander, than the conventional whites we know.

Orange wines are an enquiry into this possibility, but not the only one; it is also possible to make white wines of conventional hue which move away, in terms of their allusions, from fresh fruits, flowers and green leaves towards that which is deeper, earthier, mealier, more savoury.

You could say that the new dream overlaps at that point with a more familiar one: the search for the ‘new Chardonnay’. Not the quest to find a new quasi-universal white varietal of almost limitless adaptability, but the quest to find a variety capable, in favoured zones, of surrendering white wines which can attain (over an ageing trajectory) the kind of sumptuous, banquet-like complexity of white burgundy.

Are these just dreams?

Well, that would be enough: we need dreams to carry us forward. But a handful of truly interesting indigenous varieties perfectly adapted to their sites can indeed suggest such a possibility. Somewhere near the top of that short list, for me, comes Rebula (its Slovenian name) or Ribolla Gialla (as it’s called in Italy). I had the chance to fall in love with it all over again at the end of August this year — when the inaugural International Rebula Masterclass took place in Brda.

It’s an ancient variety, first mentioned in the twelfth century in an ecclesiastical squabble. Ever since then, everyone who has made wine in the seamless scallop-shell of hills known in Italy as Collio and in Slovenia as Brda has understood, through all the vicissitudes of fashion, that this was the great variety of the place. Tax records show that it has always made the region’s priciest wines. Another clue to the respect with which it was regarded in the past is the recent discovery of a historic vineyard classification which separates local sites into no fewer than nine different quality categories.

“In the mid-1970s,” remembered Saša Radikon, “my grandfather wanted to retire. He said to my father, ‘You can have everything: the farm, the land, the equipment. There’s only one condition: you have to keep planting Ribolla’”. “There have been tough years,” recalls Aleks Simčič of Edi Simčič, “when Rebula was very hard to sell. So we drank most of it ourselves.”

It’s now principally a dry wine, but throughout most of the last eight centuries it has been sweet, a Habsburg treat. It still occupies around a quarter of the best vineyards of this intensely planted area, and is locally considered the perfect variety to act as a vehicle for the kind of scents and flavours which can evoke the flysch soils in which it grows (called ponca in Italian and opoka in Slovenian: layered sedimentary deposits of sandstone and marl). Like many ancient varieties, it has a lot of clonal diversity.

There are two astonishments about it. The first is that it produces truly high-quality white wines, though sometimes in so disconcerting and original a manner that its qualities have yet to be universally recognised by the wine world at large. If you’re already a fan of Rebula or Ribolla, you’re ahead of the curve.

The second astonishment is that it can be treated in a wide variety of different ways in vinification – successfully. Some producers (like Medot and Erzetič) use it for sparkling wines, and others to make conventional whites of nuanced fruit character, while the avant-garde drive the variety forwards towards horizon-altering essays in the Three Ts: terroir, texture and time. This spectrum of expressive potential is very rewarding for growers and winemakers to work with.

I should also add that it is a fine food white, and that good examples are exceptionally satisfying to drink. I chatted with one of the Masterclass moderators after the event – Gašper Čarman of Slovenian online retailer eVino, who works both as a sommelier and a wine importer. “I had some very wealthy Germans in the restaurant last week and they wanted to drink fantastic wines – Latour, Masseto and so on. They also ordered some top white burgundies, so I insisted they also tried Marjan Simčič’s Ribolla Opoka, and then I just watched the glasses afterwards. I don’t know if they were paying a lot of attention — but the Ribolla Opoka glasses emptied more quickly than the white burgundy ones.” Serve Rebula/Ribolla, by the way at between 12˚C and 14˚C, exactly like fine white burgundy.

Tasting Rebula/Ribolla

The Masterclass offered some outstanding tasting opportunities both of young wines and of some historic vintages, too. Here are notes for fifteen of the best wines shown on the day.

Rebula, Dolfo 2016

Marko Skočaj’s makes very fresh, dry, pristine and invigorating Rebula wines. This is pungent and sappy in scent, with finely balanced, vivid yet vinous flavours in which you might pick out lemon, liquorice, verbena, and a saline edge. 90

Amfora Belo, Erzetič 2011

An older wine made with 20 per cent Pinot Blanc with six months post-fermentation amphora maceration and a total of 18 months on lees, this is deep gold in colour. The scents suggest forest and library, while the wine is lighter in style than either the colour or the vinificatory approach suggested it would be: long, elegant, finally grippy. 90

Rebula Época, Ferdinand 2007

A mature wine, from two south-facing vineyards planted at over 200m. Rich gold in colour, with nourishing scents of bread, mushrooms, gentle apricot and straw. Soft, comely, harmonious, supple and rounded, just turning a little grippier towards the finish. Perfect maturity now. 93

Rumena Rebula, Brda, Keber 2014

A vineyard field blend containing 50 per cent stems, this is deep gold in colour, with the scents of seashore and woodland. There’s plenty of bite and strike on the palate. 91

Rebula Bagueri, Klet 2013

A softer style than some with a round, succulently fruity style: grass, plant sap, cardamom and exotic fruits (bottled with just under 5 g/l residual sugar). There’s an Alsace-like or Wachau-like feel to this version. 92

Ribolla Gialla, Gravner 2009

Gravner’s extraordinary rigour (everything is fermented in clay amphorae from Georgia, then given six years in large Slavonian oak tuns) is legendary, and tasting this wine, as well as the 2008 and 2007, made me realise that these wines are in a way investigations into time itself, as fine Madeira is. The scents are quiet and harmonious; most of the wine’s aromatic intricacy, in fact, is palpable in the mouth rather than the nose (though this may change with time in the glass). The palate is complex and refined: dark, grippy, with notes of root spice and meat stock (there is often an umami quality to fine Ribolla). The wine has a succulence, but time has engraved a bite into it as well. Searching, long, pure: wine refined and tempered by the passing of the years, and thus much less ‘varietal’ than some of its peers. 94

Ribolla Gialla Riserva, Gravner 2003

Yes, this is the latest vintage of Gravner’s Riserva, a wine produced from old vines planted in 1915 and 1953, and given a further seven years in bottle in addition to the six in cask. Interestingly, the extra time in bottle seems to liberate further aromatic refinements, and this wine also had a subdued fruited wealth which wasn’t been apparent on the later vintages. The root spice and finely buffed tannins were joined, here, by essences of apricot, apple and grape. What are initially low acid wines acquire an acid force by dint of the long ageing process, and the final effect (with those tannins and fruit essences) is almost dervish-like in its energy. Unique and unforgettable. 95

8-9-10, Gravner

A ultra-rare Gravner dessert Ribolla blended from three separate vintages, each of which naturally produced some botrytised fruits. The russet-walnut colour has the green glints of Madeira, and the scents recall polished furniture and fruit attics. Fruity and rich in that subtle, nourishing style so typical of Ribolla: grape, apple, hazels, and just a tickle of tannin to bring some sobriety. Choicely historical. 93

Rebula, Vecchia Contea — Stara Grofija, Jermann 2016

Collio-based Jermann, a great believer in the cross-border ideal cherished in this Schengen-loving region, produces some of the most luxurious yet subtle of Ribolla wines. They age superbly, as the Vinnae versions from 2011 and 2009 vintages (bottled under screwcap) prove. (Vinnae is a blend of Ribolla Gialla with 5 per cent each of Friulano and Riesling.) This 2016 wine is a pure Rebula from a single vineyard in Višnjevik in Slovenia (from young vines growing at around 150 m) and will probably be released under the Vecchia Contea label in 2018; it gets three days’ cold soak. Subtle, creamy, plant-sap and seaweed notes mark both the aromatic and flavour profiles; there’s a fine honeyed sweetness, too, and a soft textural wealth; plenty of ageing potential ahead. 93

Ribolla Gialla, Radikon 2010

Saša Radikon is surely one of the most accomplished of Europe’s orange wine producers: committed, thoughtful, honest, practical. Not only that, but Ribolla has great potential if vinified in this way. The 2010 is the latest release (4 months on skins, with two years in oak and two in bottle): spiced citrus, a creamy thickness, a savoury tension. Grippy and authoritative on the palate, with a note of balsamic excitement. 92

Rumena Rebula, Medot 2016

Another example of Rebula in a primary, fresh, focussed style: lemon, beech leaf, apple, verbena, and almost an exotic fruit note towards the end. The screwcap closure adds to the primary pungency. 89 

Rumena Rebula, Ščurek 2016

From three different vineyards, and given eight hours of skin maceration and five months of lees contact, this is perfumed, creamy and layered: honeysuckle and mango. It’s textured without being notably tannic; both faintly saline and faintly sweet; there’s lots of finesse on the finish. 92 

Rebula, Edi Simčič, Goriska Brda 2012

This wine, served from magnum, comes from one of Brda’s most consistent wineries; the grapes are grown at around 150 metres. A rich gold in colour, with sweet, fresh, lively scents. On the palate, it is grippy, invigorating, succulent yet austere: pounded stone and moist earth. Allusions? Maybe a little apricot, apple and walnut – but they are really not the point here. 93 

Ribolla Opoka, Marjan Simčič, Goriska Brda 2014

This is the current vintage of Marjan Simčič’s top Ribolla, following on from the DWWA Gold-Medal-winning 2013; we also looked at older vintages back to the outstanding 2009, in fine fettle now. The wine is made from 62-year-old vines growing at between 200 and 250 metres in flysch soils. Marjan Simčič uses a small percentage of stems, and the wines spend 23 months on lees, with ageing for eight months each in both large wooden tuns and then barrels. Full gold in colour, with subtle countryside scents: earth, mushroom, protein. On the palate, the wine is deep, savoury, structured and full. Primeval, elemental and satisfying, suggesting cheese, grain and plant sap, with just a little soft orchard fruit, too. A saline finish. Ample, complex and deep, without any crispness at all; mellow and enfolding on the tongue: magnificent food wine. 94

More Andrew Jefford columns on Decanter.com:

• Jefford on Monday: The advent of AdVini

• Jefford on Monday: Forward in doubt – An interview with Gaia Gaja

• Jefford on Monday: The ethnologist in the cellar

• Jefford on Monday: Britain’s Brexit hangover

Slovenian producers near to the town where the new US First Lady, Melania Trump, grew up have released a wine in her honour and hope it can help them promote the area’s work with the Blaufränkisch grape variety.

First Lady wine went on sale in the circular cellar at Sevnica Castle in Slovenia and the first 300 bottles sold out in three days.

Another 2,000 bottles of the Blaufränkisch wine are ready for sale in the 12^th century castle’s gift shop and the town centre’s tourist office.

Melania Trump, who this year became US First Lady after the election of her husband Donald Trump as president, has nothing to do with the wine other than she grew up in the small industrial town – then part of Yugoslavia – before becoming a model. Her name was Melanija Knavs.

Made by four local winemakers and priced at €27.90, First Lady wine is twice as expensive as the shop’s other premium Blaufränkisch wines – usually sold under the grape’s local name, Modra Frankinja.

‘Some people suggested we should sell it for €500, but I think it’s a fair price,’ Rok Petančič, castle steward, told Decanter.com. ‘The sales are going well, though we haven’t started promoting it yet.’

Other products in the First Lady collection include salami made from a rare breed of local pig (Krškopoljc), chocolates and beauty creams.

Rok said that he wasn’t deterred by reports that Melania hired Slovenian law firm Pirc Musar & Partnerji to deter local entrepreneurs from cashing in on her name and image last year.

‘We have good wine, we have the best salamis and we have other products that are very good for the area; we shouldn’t be afraid or feel ashamed of offering them to a wider audience.’

All four of the winemakers involved, Mastnak, Kozinc, Kobal and Kerin, contributed the equivalent of two barriques from the 2015 vintage. One had been matured in new oak, two in two-year-old barriques and the rest in a 1,000-litre barrel.

‘It’s not a strong a wine, it’s gentle like Melania,’ Lojze Kerin said at his family winery, where the sign above the door reads ‘Hiša Frankinje’ (House of Frankinja).

Sevnica (pronounced seːu̯nitsa) is in the heart of Posavje, the smallest of Slovenia’s three wine regions and the only one producing more red than white wine.

‘I think this is one of the best ways we can promote our winemakers, our tourism and Blaufränkisch as a variety, which is very important for us as we want to become a centre for Blaufränkisch. We are becoming a centre in Slovenia but in the wider area we still have a lot of work to do,’ Rok said as he served Blaufränkisch made from the castle’s own small vineyard.

Last year, researchers from Germany’s Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants said that both Blaufränkisch and Blauer Portugieser varieties ‘very probably’ originated in Lower Styria (Slovenia).

More stories:

US wine bar files lawsuit against Trump hotel

Washington DC wine bars owners sure over lost revenue...

Here’s the wines on Trump’s inauguration lunch menu

A California 'Champagne' plus two other wines make the list...

Jefford on Monday: Wine choices in the new free world

A decanter.com promotion

The 41st year of ‪‪‪Vino Slovenija Gornja Radgona, the most influential verification of wine quality in Slovenia, has given the wine world 11 new champions and new international competition. See the winners here.

A decanter.com promotion

As a big introduction to the events of the 53rd International Agricultural-Food Fair AGRA, in Gornja Radgona, Slovenia from 22nd to 27th August, the 41th Vino Slovenija Gornja Radgona Awards were held at the end of July, with the evaluation of five wines from organically produced grapes.

The wines were evaluated by four commissions of renowned Slovenian oenologists with guests from abroad. 137 growers had their wines evaluated in both rounds, with a total of 418 samples of wines from six countries: Slovenia, Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Macedonia and Hungary.

Winners 2015

Award for dry non-aromatic white wine

Chardonnay Goldberg 2013, winemaker: Vina Belje – Belje d.d., Croatia

Award for aromatic dry wine

Sauvignon 2014, winemaker: Vinarství Mikrosvín Mikulov a.s., Czech Republic

Award for Teran PTP wine

Teran PTP – choice 2011, winemaker: CV – Colja Vino, Matej Colja, Coljava, Karst winegrowing region, Slovenia

Award for Teran PTP wine

Choice Teran, winemaker: Vinska klet Boris Lisjak, Dutovlje, Karst winegrowing region, Slovenia

Award for dry red wine younger than three years

Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, winemaker: Vinska klet Boris Lisjak, Dutovlje, Karst winegrowing region, Slovenia

Award for dry red wine older than three years

Sara 2007, winemaker: Vinska klet Boris Lisjak, Dutovlje, Karst winegrowing region, Slovenia

Award for sparkling wine

Zlata radgonska penina medium dry 2011, winemaker: Radgonske gorice d.d., Gornja Radgona, Štajerska winegrowing region, Slovenia

Award for sparkling wine

Zlata radgonska penina extra dry 2007, winemaker: Radgonske gorice d.d., Gornja Radgona, Štajerska winegrowing region, Slovenia

Award for sparkling wine

Zlata radgonska penina dry 2010, winemaker: Radgonske gorice d.d., Gornja Radgona, Štajerska winegrowing region, Slovenia

Award for BIO wine

RWC 2011, winemaker: Hirschmugl-Domaene am Seggauberg, Austria

Journalist Award – for still wines of aromatic dry variety

Sauvignon 2014, winemaker: Hiša vina Doppler, Dolnja Počehova, Štajerska winegrowing region, Slovenia

Winners of Wine Tourist Road

Istria tourist wine road

Capris, Plemenito rdeče 2011, Vinakoper d.o.o., Koper, Slovenia

Merlot 2011, Vinakoper d.o.o., Koper, Slovenia

Karst tourist wine road

Sara 2007, Vinska klet Boris Lisjak, Dutovlje, Slovenia

Vipava tourist wine road

Rdeči cuvee 2012, Vina Zgonik, Aleksander and Damir Zgonik, Branik, Slovenia

Winemaker of the Year

Winemaker of the year will be announced on 25th August 2015, on the Day of Winegrowers and Winemakers, at the Vino Slovenija Gornja Radgona presentation of awards at the 53rd International Agriculture – Food Fair AGRA.

Further information: http://www.pomurski-sejem.si/index.php/en/vino-slovenija-en

Spirited and dynamic, with spectacular aromatic complexity, with touches of honey, ripe pear, quince, acacia, peach, quinine, green olive and a lovely, bitter bite. The palate is comparable in its interest and class, with a healthy dose of honeyed, toasty fruit and a crunchy, cooking apple slant (10.4%).

Not available in the UK or USA

SOME OF US are old enough to remember when the name Laški Rizling was a byword for cheap white wine of dubious quality from the former Yugoslavia. But if you belong to that generation, hold the thought and take a look at the list of wines that Ptujska Klet beat to win this year’s International Trophy.

It’s a who’s who of dessert wine: Sauternes, German eiswein, Austrian Ruster Ausbruch, Vin de Constance, Tokaj, vin santo… And, in a final taste-off with Inniskillin’s Riesling Icewine, this Slovenian sweet wine won over the judges with its fine fruit character, precision, excellent balance and length.

Winemaker Bojan Kobal puts this down to a winemaking style typical of the photogenic Podravje region. That means combining dried grapes with straw wine and producing something that ‘reflects the fingerprint of nature’. His goal, he adds, is ‘to make wines to suit every moment of people’s lives, but not lose the originality of the terroir and the signature of the winery’.

There were signs of this last year, when two of Kobal’s dry Sauvignon Blancs won Regional Trophies, but in truth the Ptujska Klet winery has been honing its craft for longer than that. It claims to be the oldest winery in Slovenia, dating back to 1239 and boasting the greatest cellar in central Europe, including wines from 1917.

Ptujska Klet’s manicured vineyards in Podravje – it claims to be Slovenia’s oldest winery

Tasted against

Bürgerspital Würzburger Abstleite Riesling Eiswein, Franken, Germany 2011 • Castello Sonnino, Vin Santo del Chianti, Tuscany, Italy 2008 • Château Laville, Sauternes, Bordeaux, France 2011 • Feiler-Artinger Ruster Ausbruch, Neusiedlersee-Hügelland, Burgenland, Austria 2012 • Holdvögly Culture, Tokaj, Hungary 2011 • Inniskillin, Okanagan Estate Riesling Icewine, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada 2012 • Klein Constantia, Vin de Constance, Constantia, South Africa 2009 • Ktima Gerolemo, Commandaria, Cyprus 2007 • Kutvejo, Traminac Ice Wine, Slavonia, Croatia 2011 • La Reserva de Caliboro, Erasmo Late Harvest Torontel, Maule, Chile 2010.

A sweet wine from Slovenia beat rivals from more established regions in this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards, with the Ptujska Klet, Pullus Laski Riesling, 2012 winning international trophy for Sweet wine over £15.

The Slovenian winery’s victory means it has one of only of 35 coveted international trophies from the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) 2015.

Decanter World Wine Awards regional chair for Eastern and Central Europe, Caroline Gilby MW, said, ‘It’s a real achievement for a tiny country like Slovenia to win this trophy ahead of so many countries that are more famous for their sweet wines. And while sweet wine is pretty small in production terms for Slovenia, it definitely punches above its weight in quality – because it has both great terroir and a passionate new generation of winemakers.’

• See the trophy page for Ptujska Klet, Pullus Laski Riesling, 2012

She also credited the climate of the Podravje region in helping secure the winning trophy, as it has ‘a great combination of warm sunny days and cool nights that ensures very good ripeness, along with the crisp vibrant acidity that is so important in giving balance and purity of flavour’.

Gilby also has high hopes for what this could mean for the future of Slovenian wines. She added, ‘Recognition at this level should help all of Slovenia’s wines – by raising awareness that this is a wine producing country with world class wines, so I hope that will encourage people to explore the dry whites, reds and sparkling wines too.

‘It’s also great to see another exciting dimension for the grape that has so often been a workhorse in Slovenia’s past.’

Other wines from Slovenia also picked up four gold medals and 11 silvers in this year’s DWWA. See the full results here.

Find out about our Decanter World Wine Awards 2014 Central and Eastern Europe: Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia & Romania judging panel with biographies of the Regional Chair Caroline Gilby MW plus David Bird MW, Dimitar Nikolov, Gábor Cseke, Igor Sotric and Sebastian Payne MW.

Regional chair: Caroline Gilby MW

Gilby is a freelance writer and consultant, specialising in Central and Eastern Europe. She contributes to Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book, The Oxford Companion to Wine, The World Atlas of Wine as well as contributing to various websites and magazines. Prior to this, Gilby spent seven years as a senior wine buyer at Augustus Barnett off-licences, where she became the first major buyer to import Hungarian wines to the UK. She initially studied plant biology, in which she holds a doctorate, but abandoned life behind the microscope for a career in wine soon after winning the Decanter-Macallan Malt Whisky Taster of the Year Award while still a student. Gilby passed her MW in 1992 and has been visiting and tasting the wines of Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovenia and Romania for more than 20 years.

Judges

David Bird MW

David Bird MW started his working life as an analytical chemist for Colmans of Norwich. A promotion to quality control manager of the new wine department in 1973 sparked a huge interest in wine, leading to Bird passing the MW in 1981, and in the same year winning the Tim Derouet Award and becoming a chartered chemist. He was instrumental in the development of the bag-in-box whilst working for Stowells of Chelsea as quality assurance manager and in 1994, Bird set up his own consultancy to provide a service of quality management to ISO9001 and wine production audits around Europe. The author of Understanding Wine Technology, first published in 2000 and re-published in 2010, Bird is past chairman of the Technical Committee of the WSTA, and is technical advisor to both The Wine Society and the Royal Tokaji Wine Company.

Dimitar Nikolov

Dimitar Nikolov has ten years’ experience in the wine industry as a wine buyer, sommelier and wine judge, holds qualifications from the ISG Chicago, the WSET advanced certificate, and is currently studying for the WSET diploma. He is a wine buyer by profession and a sommelier by heart. Starting his career as a sommelier for a major hotel chain in Bulgaria, and at a restaurant in Chicago, Nikolov then returned to his native Bulgaria to work for Metro Cash & Carry, firstly as the wine buyer for Bulgaria, and then as wine buyer for Metro Cash & Carry’s entire Russian Federation operations, which saw him move to Russia. After five years with the company, Nikolov was appointed to a top management position at a wine importer specialising in Hungarian wines. Together with his wife, he owns the online wine shop apollowine.com, which stocks a selection of high end Bulgarian and Balkan wines.

Gábor Cseke

Gábor Cseke is a Hungarian sommelier who graduated in 2005 from the College of Commerce, Catering and Tourism in Budapest. Following this, he took further sommelier and WSET courses in London and Budapest. Between 2007 and 2011, Cseke lived in England, working at the two-Michelin-starred Pied á Terre, Hotel Andaz and the Hotel Great Fosters in Surrey. He represented Hungary at the Meilleur Sommelier d’Europe competition in 2008 and 2010, won Best Sommelier of Hungary in 2010, and in 2009 Cseke organised a wine tasting at the Hungarian Cultural Centre in London for the press and trade. He has been a member of the OBB, the National Committee of Wine Experts in Hungary since 2013. Transforming himself to a winemaker, he currently manages his own tiny vineyard in the Zala wine region of Southwest Hungary, and he is also a sommelier of the famous Csalogány 26 Restaurant in Budapest. Specialising in Central European wines, Cseke tastes frequently in Austria, Croatia and Slovenia, and judges regularly in regional wine contests in Hungary.

Igor Sotric

After graduating with a degree in microbiology, Igor Sotric moved to the UK and entered the wine industry 18 years ago. Qualified to WSET diploma level, he is head sommelier and wine buyer at China Tang at the Dorchester, and has prior experience with Asian restaurants, including Cocoon and the St Martins Lane Hotel. Sotric also acts as consultant to several restaurants, and since 2009 he has been making his own Chardonnay in Goriska Brda, Slovenia, with his friend Marijan Simcic.

Sebastian Payne MW

Sebastian Payne MW joined the wine trade in 1970 at Fred May, a shipper specialising in the wines of France, Germany and Hungary. Three years later he joined The Wine Society as promotions manager, responsible for publications, and in 1977 he passed his MW. Payne was appointed chief buyer in 1985, has travelled to all of the world’s major wine regions, and is a Chevalier dans l’Ordre du Mérite Agricole. In 1995, he served as chairman of the Institute of Masters of Wine, and in 1996 he was chairman of the Masters of Wine examiners. Having stepped down as chief buyer, Payne remains an integral part of The Wine Society’s buying team and currently sources its Italian, German and Eastern European wines, as well as writing for the Society List and website.

Written by John Abbott

This year's Decanter World Wine Awards Regional Trophy for Slovenian Sweet over £15 went to Dveri-Pax, Šipon Slamno Vino, Podravje 2012 (12%)

Tasted against:

• Klet Zorenc-Hohnjec, Ledeno Vino Rumeni Muskat, Podravje 2011
• Simˇciˇc, Leonardo, Primorska 2008
• Vipava 1894, Vipavski Beli Pikolit, Primorska 2009

Profile:

Three years after the 2009 vintage of this wine won an DWWA International Trophy, Dveri-Pax has yet another gong in the bag, showing an enviable level of consistency and quality.

Housed in what was Jarenina castle, Dveri-Pax is owned by Benedictine monks who bought back the vineyards and old wine cellars in 1991 when Slovenia gained its independence. Documents in the nearby monastery record that wine was made here by monks in the 12th century. Considerable investment has since been injected into the estate, renovating a 15th-century mansion house, the vineyards and building a modern winery. Today its plantings cover 70 hectares and its first vintage was 2002.

According to Dveri-Pax, the aim of this Trophy-winner was to ‘express the delicacy of the Furmint grape’, a variety it believes is one of the best for sweet wines, and which is the oldest grape in the Stajerska region.

Furmint can produce stunning sweet wines in a range of styles. This wine, however, uses meticulously sorted dried grapes, the advantage being that it can be made in almost every vintage – particularly useful when the climatic conditions are not favourable to the production of icewine or grapes affected by botrytis. That said, production is still exceptionally limited – in 2012 Dveri-Pax only made the equivalent of 300 bottles.

Written by Decanter

This year's Decanter World Wine Awards Regional Trophy for Slovenian Red over £15 went to Zlati Grič, Modri Pinot, Podravje 2012 (14%)

Tasted against:

• No other Golds in this category

Profile:

‘You can’t make good wine from bad grapes,’ says Saso Topolsek, head winemaker at Zlati Gri˘c. Topolsek first starting working at the winery in 1995 as assistant winemaker to his father, but since 2002 has assumed the top job.

Zlati Gri˘c was established in 1991 with 80 hectares of vineyards and an old wine cellar. These were soon complemented by a restaurant, accommodation and a golf course which winds its way through the vines. In 2008 a new cellar was installed.

Although this Trophy-winning wine is red, 90% of Zlati Gri˘c’s planted grapes are white: Chardonnay, Riesling and others. ‘Our aim is to make fresh, fruit-driven, aromatic wines,’ says Topolsek. ‘Because of our specific soils and climate, we have very good aromatic potential in our grapes. In top vintages, we can make Pinot Noir from selected vineyards.’

It’s of no surprise that production leans towards whites due to the tricky conditions in the region, as explained by Topolsek: ‘It can be challenging to maintain healthy grapes if there is too much rainfall in August and September. Because of this, 2009 was the first vintage of this Pinot Noir and the second vintage was only in 2012. The wine expresses Slovenia’s cool climate, with its floral, herbal tones, fresh acidity, soft tannins and elegant finish.’

Written by Decanter

This year's Decanter World Wine Awards Regional Trophy for Slovenian White under £15 went to Pullus, Sauvignon Dry, Podravje 2013 (12.7%)

Tasted against:

• No other Golds in this category

Profile:

‘A life that didn’t involve wine was not an option – my first vintage was 36 years ago when I was aged just one,’ says Pullus’ winemaker Bojan Kobal. ‘But professionally,’ he concedes, ‘my first vintage was 2002.’

Justifiably proud of the achievements of the ancient winery at Ptuj in Slovenia’s picturesque Podravje region, Kobal is responsible not only for two Regional Trophies this year for its Pullus label, but also managed accolades for all three of the wines entered under the Ptujska Klet label too, including a Silver for its 2012 Laski Riesling.

With its invigorating herbal characters, this Trophy winner was compared very favourably by the Central & Eastern Europe judging panel to quality Sancerre, but for a fraction of the price.

The winery can trace its origins back as far as 1239, making it by some margin the oldest winery in Slovenia and the former Yugoslavia, with a library of old vintages dating to 1917.

The modern winery has won more than 200 gold and silver medals internationally over the past 10 years. The Pullus brand was introduced in 2008 and the philosophy behind it is to focus on wines that prioritise varietal expression and gastronomic pairing.

Written by Decanter

This year's Decanter World Wine Awards Regional Trophy for Slovenian White over £15 went to Pullus, Sauvignon G, Podravje 2013 (12.9%)

Tasted against:

• No other Golds in this category

Profile:

Pullus achieved an astonishing double this year, with a pair of Trophy-winning Sauvignon Blancs. Steeped in a viticultural tradition that dates back to the Roman introduction of vines in AD69, winemaker Bojan Kobal is an advocate of the Sauvignon Blanc grape in particular.

In cool climates such as Slovenia, he says the variety benefits enormously from being planted on steep clay/marl slopes, where the chilly, marginal temperatures accentuate its aromas and flavours.

This Trophy-winner is a 6,000-bottle reserve wine originating from Pullus’ oldest vineyards – quite significant given the average vine age is an impressive 25 years.

Bojan ascribes the success of both Trophy winners to strict fruit selection and a desire to make vivid wines with ‘pure varietal DNA – that is, Sauvignon Blanc that really tastes like Sauvignon Blanc’. He emphasises that harvesting at the right time in order to catch the fruit at its most expressive is also of paramount importance when it comes to maintaining such a refined and distinctly European style.

Written by Decanter

Italian and Slovenian wine authorities in the Collio wine region have come up with a new name for their wine – Jakot – to distinguish it from Tokaji.

Collio… now the official home of Jakot

The spelling – roughly, Tokaji written backwards – avoids conflict with the protected Hungarian name of the renowned wine.

Although some producers in Italy and Slovenia have been using that name unofficially, it is now official, according to the Brda Wine Consortium in Slovenia.

Hungary does not want anyone confusing its Tokaji – comprised typically of Furmint (70%), Hárslevelű (20-25%), and Muscat blanc a Petits Grains (5-10%) – with the dry and aromatic Sauvignonasse or Sauvignon Green grape (also known in Italy as Friulano) grown in both Slovenia and Hungary but traditionally also called Tokaj.

The consortium had considered other options, including ‘Sauvignonasse’ or ‘Sauvignon Green’, but that was a no-go for consumers because of a negative connotation of unripe wine, Slovenian media reported.

Goriška Brda (Brda or Slovenian Collio) is a hilly winegrowing region in the far west of Slovenia, extending over the border to Italy.

The grape variety has been the subject of legal struggles over the use of the name Tokaj and its various permutations.

‘It will take time to get used to the official name change,’ said consortium director Aleš Kristančič. ‘But Jakot has been very well received among those who voted on the new name.’

Written by Panos Kakaviatos

The winner of this award also got a gold medal at DWWA 2002 awards...

Sutor

Sutor, the local name for a shoemaker, bottled its first wines back in 1992. They became immediately fashionable, especially for chardonnays during some very oaky days, but the public was raving. Sutor is a 4ha family winery focusing on international varieties i.e. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot at his 4 ha estate.

Mitja Lavrenčič is the owner while younger Primož is still assisting while establishing his own Burja estate that focuses on Pinot Noir and local grapes. His elegant Burja 2008 named by a local harsh wind and a blend of Ribbola, Malvasia and Welschriesling won another gold medal here at the DWWA.

“With Chardonnay we want to keep freshness. And 2008 was perfect for this, as was 2002 – another Decanter Gold medal,“ explains Mitja adding his want to make wine with few interventions. They prefer a subtle, restrained style where nothing stands out, but the whole picture is complete.

The three vineyards for chardonnay are on the very edge of the region, after that the climate becomes really continental and harsh. Chardonnay is fermented in 2000 big barrels using natural yeast only. In order to start fermentation as soon as possible, they add 10% of freshly crushed grapes together with skins into the must. “This is an old traditional recipe from Vipava Valley”, Mitja explains.

Personaly, I think Sutor makes one of the most delicate wines in the country, very Burgunidan in style. And don’t forget, this is the country where consumers still prefer immediate sensation like power and intensity. That makes Sutor even more praiseworthy.

Available in USA at Indie.Wineries NY; 21,00 $.

www.sutor.si; +386 5 3669 367

Written by Robert Gorjak

Another sweet wine but who won the regional trophy for Slovenia (over £10)?

Šipon Strohwein 2009, Dveri-Pax

Dveri-Pax winery was established in 2002 by Benedict monks from the Austrian Admont monastery when they got their land back after denationalization. For your interest, Admont monastery owns the largest monastery library in the world. Dveri-Pax today cultivates 68 ha of vineyards and their aim is to get to around 100 ha.

Danilo Flakus current director and chief oenologist was the first employee back in 2003. Flakus is known for his meticulous work in vineyards where he brought in many innovations and good practices, like the tractor sprinklers with which you sprinkle every second row, saving time and money.

For the trophy winner, shoots were cut in October and were left aerating under the roof. In February they invited more than 50 friends from restaurants to do the “harvest”. “Berry by berry we selected only the best ones,” Flakus commented. Out of two tones of grapes in October they pressed out 100 litres. “It fermented in my office, Flakus” continued, in the cellar it was just too cold.

The jury was spoiled by choice when confronted with five gold medals for sweeties. 2009 Šipon Strohwein, Dveri-Pax was a unanimous winner. It has an amazing concentration with layers of dried fruits, flowers and orange-lemon fruits. Sweetness is greatly balanced by acidity which was the key here.

You can keep this one for decades.

Estimated retail price: 24 GBP for 0,2 litres bottle.

www.dveri-pax.com; +386 2 644 00 82

Written by Robert Gorjak