Another gloriously warm and sunny day beckoned as Friday took us to the far west of the country and in the process created a three country wine tour as we nipped in and out of Italy on our way to the Goriska Brda area of Slovenia. Often described as mini Tuscany due to its steep, natural amphitheatres of vineyards, this region has gained a top class international reputation and some the nation’s best known and acclaimed winemakers are based here.
To provide a bit of a contrast, our first stop was the Brda cooperative. The growers own 50% of the vineyards in Brda so it has an extremely important role. We took a quick drive around the area with the cooperative’s oenologist who gave us a great insight into what makes the region so good for wine production. Lots of sunshine, relatively low rainfall, good mix of altitude giving a notable difference in day and night temperatures and the famous Opoka soil – a mix of limestone and sandstone.
Back at the cooperative we tasted through the wines of Gasper Carman. Gasper is very well known in Slovenia and has collaborated with the cooperative to produce his own range 
of wines. Very crisp, fresh and clean styles, we tasted some delicious Chardonnay/Rebula, Malvasia, Pinot Grigio and Merlot as well some great fizz and an awesome oak aged Malvasia.
From the cooperative, it was a short hop to Osterija Klinec. As the sun shone down we were led outside to the most perfect outside terrace overlooking the glorious hillsides of Goriska Brda. Idyllic does not do justice to the view. Owner Simona Klinec looked after us really well – a delicious pasta, perfectly cooked beef and a stunning panna cotta. All washed down with their barrel aged Malvasia, Rebolla and a superb Bordeaux blend red.
Groaning from the food, we waddled into the bus and headed over to Edi Simcic for our final visit and tasting. Aleks Simcic hosted a fabulous tour of the cellar and was very engaging as he explained the family philosophy. In contrast to Gasper Carman, Edi Simcic use a lot of barrel ageing for their wines with stunning results. Rebula, Malvasia, Sauvignon Blanc and two Bordeaux blends were all superb. This was a fabulous end to our exploration of Brda and continued to lock in our growing appreciation of the exceptional qua lity of Slovenian wines.