GLOBAL WINE

Pleased to get a bottle wine. Not any wine. My first Japanese wine. Not knowing anything about Japanese wine I was curious how does it taste like. Japanese cuisine is very different from what we are used to. I also have in mind small gifts Japanese clients bring while visting vignerons in this area. They are unique, completely different from our perception of sweets. 
The wine I was about to taste was even awarded with gold medal from Japan wine competition 2012, a indigenous grape Koshu. If you don't know anything about a product, a gold medal should give you a hint of quality...?
While puring the wine into glass everything was clear immediately. Almost no color which speaks about production method. And odour that reminded me on Pinela, a grape variety from Vipava valley. Young and fresh, yet less intense than Pinela. Another common point was acidity, both have higher acidity level. Two wines grown and produced far apart on the Globe, further is almost not possible. Why do they have so much in common? Is it global understanding of winemaking or globalization of taste? Is it realy necessary for a small vigneron from Vipava valley to think the same way as big beverage producer? Strange ways indeed....Curious for my next Japanese wine made of grapes.
   

SOMETHING ORANGE IN THE AIR

Last April Friday in Izola. Encouraged with last year's positive responses the second Orange wine festival took place. http://www.zakladi-istre.si/images/stories/2013/OWF_mailing_A4_SLO.pdf 
Even bigger and better organized, better promoted. Even more (orange) wine lovers came. Beautiful Adriatic town Izola was over swelling with life. It was a chance to taste wines from 55 producers, all s.c. orange wines from 6 countries, even Georgia. There were also restaurants and other food producers offering their bits to taste. Not orange, none of them. 
People were in good mood tasting, asking about wines and talking to vignerons. Later on, questions became not so important, more some wine in glass. As it says in brochure issued for the occasion, "orange" wines are predominantly produced nature friendly, some even with bio dynamic method. Predominantly? What is than common criteria for "orange" wine? The color? Nobody was asking what hue of "orange" makes a wine "orange"? Is it important? Obviously not. 
There is one common point of this event; seems like everybody had fun and enjoyed it. 

note something orange in a bowl...

  
    

WILD ASPARAGUS

Due to longer cold period they appeared a bit later this year  than usual, but they grow even more vigorously. Wild Asparagus (Asparagus acutifolius). They thrive on calcerous soil and hard to get to slopes. Considered to be healthy they have much stronger taste than cultivated variety and lot more minerals. As delicasy they are used in mediteranean cuisine. I prepared them in barley risoto with extra vergine olive oil. Barley is best to prepare a day before, for it soaks up lots of moisture. 
For even more moisture in mouth I recommend Gravner's Rebula 2004.

 

GRAPE GEM

Sometimes Tartaric acid in grape juice forms arty crystals

SALAMI IN SLAP

For the seventh time salami making contest took place in village Slap near Vipava. This kind of contest is gaining on popularity in Vipava valley. About 6 or 7 similar events are taking place this spring. Traditionally salami are made in winter to use cold weather for the process. 
Quality of salami depend greatly on raw material used. Second factor of great importance is curing or fermentation process. A proper place is needed for fermentation. It shouldn't be to warm or too cold, with proper humidity. Not too dry to prevent holes in salami which can spoil the product through oxidation or not too humid to prevent roting. Most salami in Vipava valley are made from pig meat and lard, best parts are both legs. Some may say it is pity to use such good meat which can be used for dried ham. I say it is worth for this is what i eat. Most of contestants make only small amount of salami for themselves. And of course to enjoy it with good friends.

proper place for curing is "home" to many salami

22 samples are ready to for evaluation

aftertasting...

CULTIVATED MULBERRY

For the same reason as elsewhere in Europe, Mulberrys were domesticated centuries ago in western Slovenia. Silkworms and wood. Actually first they brought black Mulberry for wood and later white Mulberry for their foliage which is more apropriate for silkworm growth. Mulberry trees make thick shadow, they are planted for decoration and many of them cultivated are pruned to an umbrela- like shape. With their typical shape Mulberry trees are part of cultural landscape in western Slovenia, although once they were spread all over Slovenia.

enclosed backyard in Karst called "borjač" with Mulberry trees

woven branches of Mulberry tree (not pruned yet)

wild growing white Mulberry tree

 
   

NEVER TOO LATE

for Orange cookies and Almond-Carob fruit macarons

 

VIPAVA SPARKLING

Gaining on popularity worldwide, sparkling wine is no exception also in Vipava valley. About 10 years ago there may only be one or two sparkling wine producers in entire Vipava valley. There is no tradition of making sparkling wine in Vipava valley, many winemakers decided to try it recently anyway. What drives them to this decision? They stressed the personal challenge of making something new, but other momentum is certainly of financial nature, there is demand on sparkling wines in Slovenia. 
Recently Tourist information center in Vipava organized a nice tasting of sparkling wines from Vipava valley, upper part mostly. It wasn't just a tasting. The art of sparkling wine production was explained along with tasting samples starting with base for sparkling wine and further process stages before it is ready for drinking. Afterwards five different sparkling wines were to taste. From white to rose, from dry to sweet. Seems there is no limit in sparkling wine range.         
Will any winemaker in Vipava valley reach the quality to have guts and make only sparkling wine ?

small globules as yeast carrier still in bottle

opening sparkling wine shouldn't end with loud cork explosion

    

VIENNA CALLING-ORANGE

For the first time on this scale in Austria so called orange wine producers had their wine presentation in Radisson Blu Palais Hotel in Vienna. About 30 producers from Slovenia, Italy, Croatia and Austria together. Stylish historic hotel in the heart of Vienna. From the street nothing pointed on this event, but immediately on entrance signs marked the way to the second floor and great hall buzzing with people. Event was well organized, those who came showed genuine interest. Estimated 500 people visited this one afternoon event. Is it a lot or not, hard to tell. With about 1,7 million inhabitants Vienna is almost as populated as whole Slovenia with it's 2,0 million people. 
Most of Austrian wine is very different from wine presented on this event. Their wine is intended to be drunk in one or two years, not kept longer. Austrian wine market is doing well, from this point of view they don't have to change. Even if Austria is one of the countries in the EU with largest number of ECO or organic products, wine isn't one of them. Maybe there is the chance for Slovenian wine makers who are making s.c. orange wine, many of them are organic producers starting in vineyard and continuing in the cellar, sincerely believing in their product. 
In almost one week time after, I didn't notice much attention of Austrian media about this event. A lot more in Slovenia, though. 

Just recently I talked to a young winemaker near Vipava on occasion of opening their cellar to visitors. His wine is very conventional style as what majority of winemakers in Vipava valley are doing. Cold fermentation, selected yeasts, filtration etc. He heard of this great orange wine event in Vienna and would like to make some orange wine himself. 
Piece of cake, here is the recipe: How to make Orange Wine 

       

WINE & IDENTITY

Almost unavoidable question when drinking wine is; where does it come from and who is the winemaker or winery. Additional questions come afterwards.
We associate wine with region or country where it is produced. Speaking of wine from Europe most people think of France, Italy, Spain, other countries follow. First reason they produce wast majority of the wine and have long tradition of wine making and trade.
Hardly anyone think of wine from Slovenia or Slovenian winemakers when talking about European wine. One reason is small quantity, Slovenia has fairly small wine production due to it's scale.
It doesn't mean Slovenian wine is of inferior quality, in many cases it presents opposite, a pleasant surprise, sometimes even astonishment. Individual Slovenian winemakers may be known to enthusiasts worldwide. Almost all of them coming from western Slovenia or within distance of few kilometers away in Italy. Their wine stands out from average either by special method or story around it, mostly both. Just few of them belong to this group.
To follow fashion trends in wine? Anybody remembering woody barique wine which was highly in fashion in the early 90s? It didn't work well in Slovenia.
  
Is different terroir enough to make recognizable wine? To reach wider recognition is it enough to make just wine with no mistakes, but similar as big wine countries and thousands other winemakers around the globe? Is it good to make the wine consumers "demand"? 
Or should winemakers do what they find right and good, to rely on their feeling? As foundation using knowledge and experience of past generations and incorporating present possibilities. 

        

VRHPOLJE

 wine samples arriving

  Last Friday. It wasn't announced all over, more, it seems they wanted to keep it a small secret. Guided wine tasting took place prior to Wine shop opening in Vrhpolje, Vipava valley. Mr. Wondra insightful guided the tasting of 15 wine samples, all from Vrhpolje and Duplje villages, from whites to red wines. He emphasized the differences between wines in such small growing area. Vinification of presented wines was done professionally, no faults in wines. Samples ranged from Pergolin, Zelen, Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Muscat and couple blends on white side and mostly Merlot and Cabernet, their combination and one Syrah on red side. I preferred red wines from Martin Krapež, his Merlot 2009 and his red blend, Lapor rdeče 2009. 

I wish winemakers from Vrhpolje would make the choice which wine to buy  much harder for me. Hope it happens soon.

ham baked in bread crust

 

where to start?

 

WHAT VAT ?

Vats for maceration and primary fermentation. Not that long ago every vat used to be made of wood. Nowadays there are hardly any wooden vats left. In small wineries they are mostly made of plastic, sometimes concrete. In big wineries they are of stainless steel. 
No wonder there are less and less wooden vats around. They have to be scrubbed to keep them clean, soak them before usage and they have to be stored properly not to catch any mold or worms. Plastic vats are simply washed and put aside for next season. Seems like wooden vats will soon be only pieces for museum. Here they are.

  

PIT 18

No, it isn't a computer game, doesn't have to do with car racing, neither is an casino in Detroit, Michigan. It is name of a grape variety, which shape reminds on olive.
Since 19.th century as Philloxera vitifoliae or grape vine louse almost destroyed vineyards in Europe grape vine is grafted. One of those nurseries called Trsnica Vrhpolje is in Vrhpolje, Vipava valley. They take care of vine planting material and clonal selection in Vipava valley. Here are some examples from this year's grape exhibition.

Yes, it's a grape variety!

Perhaps the only real indigenous vine variety of importance in Vipava valley

Local grapevine variety, popular in upper Vipava valley

One of less known and grown varieties

Vitovska has gained it's fame through winemakers as Vodopivec Paolo, Zidarich Benjamin, Škerk Sandi....

Some grape varieties have more names, depending from location, Teran is known as red wine made of Refošk grape

Local grape variety of lesser importance