I travelled to Slovenia last week for the final recce prior to our tours in May. This will be our first venture into what might be called Eastern Europe and I am sure everyone will be inspired by the superb quality of the wines, the passion of the winemakers and the beauty of the country. Ljubljana is a wonderful city to spend a few days in and the gastronomy exceeds expectations.
Slovenia has a long history of winemaking with vineyards to be found in almost every part of the country. With borders onto Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia there are numerous influences and a consequent diversity of styles. The significant development of the p
ast twenty years has been the move away from volume production and now focussing on lower yields and higher quality. The results have been stunning and Slovenia is rapidly gaining a serious reputation
I covered a lot of ground over three days. Ljubljana has changed a lot since I was last there in 2014 with the glorious riverside walks becoming a real feature. The cuisine scene is also very vibrant with the traditional Gostilna restaurants offering hearty fare but top class international chefs have arrived serving up some very high quality fare. Travelling Northeast to Slovenia’s second city of Maribor you witness the rolling Sentilj hills and mountains and discover a verdant and dramatic landscape. This area of the country has seen a rapid influx of investment in winemaking and a surge in quality. Austrian wine tourists are keen to make the very short hop over the border to taste the stylish Riesling
, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and 
Pinot Noirs, as well as the indigenous Traminec and many others. The wineries of Ducal and Doppler stood out for their innovation. While in the east I headed out towards Hungary and saw at first hand the great wines of Kupljen – a vibrant tasting lunch awaits us overlooking the vineyards.
Returning West took me to the renowned Vipava Valley. With a longstanding reputation for top class wines it is seen as a jewel in Slovenia’s crown. Excellent wineries such as Sutor, Burja and Jamsek are producing terrific Malvasia, Merlot and Barbera together with local varieties such as Pinela and Prepih.
Everywhere I went I felt a real dynamism. This is a top class wine producing nation that has overcome many trials and tribulations and is making an amazing effort to get recognition for some seriously good wines. There is a wonderful story to tell and the winemakers are bubbling over with enthusiasm to tell it!
My tour commencing 24th May is fully booked, but there are a few places on the tour commencing 10th May – please don’t hesitate to get in touch for more information.