WINE AND HORSE

Do horses drink wine? Probably yes, if one offers it to horse. It would be pity though to offer wine which this horse's owner makes. 
Painstaking and precise work in vineyards through the year, with low yield, long maturation process in clay vessels from Georgia and later wooden barrels tell different story of the wine.
In fact this makes Joško's wine unique. He is responsible for small wine making revolution in this part of Slovenia, Italy and beyond. Afterwards many winemakers couldn't resist the temptation of making wine in quevri, also called amphora... 
But it isn't just the process. It is his philosophy from pruning in winter and through the year to harvesting the grapes. Just to mention the work in vineyard. The wine Joško Gravner makes is very different from wine made in Georgia, at least as far what I tasted. Georgian ancient tradition of wine making inspired him to make his wines, not to copy them. The wines Joško makes definitely aren't something one would just make a sip and say: OK. 
His white wines are rich in taste, with herbal, also fruity note, fresh and clean in mouth.
http://www.wineanorak.com/italy/joskogravner.htm

When everybody complain about bad year for vine growing, he says: this is my best vintage so far.
I'm anxious to see what Joško makes out of this challenging year.

any wine left for me?

...just some goats inside...

...years ago they were "born" in amphora

      

BREAD &...

I bought some local sheep cheese from Vrtovin, Vipava valley recently. It is not too strong, yet definitely sheep cheese. It goes well plain with wine, structured white wine or red as well. How would this cheese go with bread? Not average bread, but bread with herbs. Since there is some Tarragon in my herb garden I decided to make a bread that goes with sheep cheese and with any jam as well. Not salty bread and not sweet, for sweetness comes from Tarragon.

750g flour, mix of white 500 and a bit of rye
20g fresh yeast
60g melted butter
400ml warm milk
leveled TSP salt
2 SP brown sugar
2 egg yolks
2 branches of Tarragon finely chopped
half TSP of lemon zest finely chopped

Here is the result.

fresh lemon for zest

fresh Tarragon

makes two loafs

bread with Tarragon

      

SALTY ENOUGH ?

North Adriatic sea. Dating from 15.th to 17.th Century salt beds in Strunjan have long tradition. They were some of the important salt gaining facilities for Venetian Republic. Since 14.th century a new salt gaining process from island of Pag has been introduced to salt beds of Piran and vicinity. So called petola is man made basement-crust of salt beds with help of microorganisms. This crust prevents salt to pick up soil and therefore coloration when harvesting.
For couple of years the salt beds have been restored and are in use again after longer period of negligence. Now they are part of Strunjan natural park. This year conditions for finest of salt's "fleur de sel" are ideal. Calm sea and very dry, warm weather. This salt is well known in gourmet kitchen. It is perfect for finishing touch on various dishes.   

Traditional harvest of finest salt

Tiny film of delicate "fleur de sel" on water surface

Salt beds of Strunjan

Regular sea salt

 

WATER?

Dry vineyard in dry landscape not far from Štanjel

There won't be much to pick this fall...

Still no rain...

HAVE YOU SEEN THE RAIN?

Mid-summer heat. Even flays are resting on early afternoon. OK, it is summer and it should be hot. We're used to this. What is causing increasing worries is absence of decent precipitation for almost a year. The winter was dry, very windy and cold. Lack of water is visible everywhere. It is becoming obvious in recent weeks when shrubs and trees are loosing their foliage. Even hardy plants like vine with deep roots are beginning to show the stress. Depending from ground type it is more or less obvious. Some vineyards on shallow Karst soil or higher laying grounds with Merrel terrain are especially affected. Suitable grounds on Karst are not abundant. Therefore many vineyards are planted where only shrubs and grass was growing before. Additional soil had to be brought there in order to plant vine. Few have irrigation system installed. Actually there was no need for it. And it doesn't pay of. This summer is putting the plants, also vine to test. The forecast for next two weeks is: hot and sunny.

natural vineyard

dawn in Karst vineyard

about 70 years old Teran vine...it will probably survive even this drought

Teran grapes

Emil Tavčar and his special Teran, vintage 2010, hard year but a small quantity of extreme rich wine

Teran, Malvazija, Vitovska...Karst wine

           

WHAT IS OLD WINE?

Depends on perception and taste. For some it means 10, 20 or 25 years old wine. For some 100 and over. The fact is majority of today's wines are not intended to be kept longer than couple of years. Most of them are made differently than 20-30 years ago. It greatly depends from which grapes wine is made, will it age properly and partly how it is kept. People still keep their wine and think it will improve with years. When opening the bottle they are mostly disappointed. Their wine isn't good. Honestly said, I've never had an excellent 20 years old wine. It's no problem someone is keeping it for fun and curiosity. When someone invests lots of money in worthless old wine, it can be a problem.
Something mythical about old wine persist. 100 years old bottles and older of renowned wineries reach astronomical prices. Most of them are French, sometimes Italian. I've never heard such old wine tastes excellent, or even better than much younger one. It is the journey to unknown. Like one of almost forgotten Captain Kirk and his crew.
On one hand it would be interesting to know what exactly is happening in each wine bottle and when certain wine is best to drink. Knowing it unmistakeably, the mythical, excitement and interesting in old wine would most likely evaporate to thin air.

This Barolo was still good, even after 47 years. It's colour may be brownish, but otherwise in remarkably good condition with hint of acidity, smooth, barely port taste. Ten years ago this Barolo must have been excellent.

    

APRICOT TIME

These days almost everything comes from China. We may like it or not. But we don't think apricots originate from China. Most of us like them. They have been domesticated in Europe long time ago. As many Chinese products today even further around the globe. 
Apricots did very well this year in Vipava valley and Brda. 
Farming and forestry Institute Nova Gorica, it's branch in Ajdovščina organized a small apricot festival which took place in Planina by Ajdovščina for the first time on this scale. Over 30 apricot varieties grown in Vipava valley and Brda were on display, most of them available to taste. 15 apricot jams from different varieties, made by the same method offered an interesting tasting experience. Amazing what a difference, even greater as tasting apricots raw. Housewife association from Planina prepared a simple menu always using apricots as ingredient. I found tomato-apricot soup with herb croutons superb. Spicy apricot jam was my second favourite. 

probably not world longest pancake with apricot jam, but it wanished in no time

Apricot kernels are good source of vitamin B17

I hope next year this event will evolve to something even bigger and better promoted. In any case it is worth visiting and tasting. Apricots could give us so much more than just apricot jam or juice.