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.

 

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

 
   

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.

  

ZELEN

Zelen, Pinela, Klarnica, Vitovska grganja, Rebula are considered indigenous and domesticated to Vipava valley. Zelen is the only indigenous vine of importance (in Vipava valley) as far as I know there are no written records or other sources it was brought from somewhere else. To determine it's origin and affiliation, genetic analysis has to be done. To my knowledge it hasn't been done yet. 
To achieve it's wider recognition first Zelen wine festival was organized in Vipava on Saturday 9th of June. 25 winemakers from Vipava valley offered Zelen samples to taste, from vintage 2011 to 1996. Zelen is a wine considered to be the best consumed about a year old for it's characteristic fragrance which diminishes quite rapidly with age. Tasting available samples surprised me; some wines up to four years old were still not far from what is recognized as typical Zelen. It's aroma is distinctive, complex, unlike any other wine, reminds a bit of fruity-with slight herbal note mix. Apparently the quality of Zelen depends even more than majority other wines from soil and weather conditions. Because of relatively low yield it wasn't popular vine to grow, till recently. In fact in the 80s it was on a brink of extinction with less than 2 hectares planted. In the year 2003 viticulturists who grow Zelen founded co-operative Zelen, which now has 20 members. To design special bottle for Zelen seems to be one of first priorities at that time. Currently there are about 60 hectares vineyards of Zelen in Vipava valley. With tradition and identity gaining importance also Zelen wine is more popular. To produce overall better Zelen wine more field research has to be done along with promotion here and abroad.

listening to opening speech

guided tasting in wine shop Vipava

in the year 1969 Mr.Potočnik was issued a reprimand by court for planting Zelen