Slovenian wine: an expert guide and the best bottles to buy

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A guide to wine from Slovenia

Wines from central Europe are creating something of a stir. While we’re all used to wines from Italy, France, Spain and Germany, those from further east have kept a low profile until recently. Many of these countries, including Slovenia, were under communist control until the 1990s, making low-quality wine at nationalised wineries. Now they are rediscovering and reinventing their ancient wine-making traditions that began with the Celts 2,500 years ago.

Slovenia borders Austria, Croatia, Hungary and the Friuli region of north Italy. It’s a small country, half the size of Switzerland – you can drive across it in four hours – but its landscapes include Alpine peaks, an Adriatic coastline and a large rural hinterland of rolling hills and thermal spas. Wine is made in all these regions and expresses the diversity of the terroirs.

Traditionally, wine was fermented in large barrels made from Slovenian oak but these days there is a thriving scene of dynamic winemakers who are experimenting with other techniques, both ancient and modern, and focussing on sustainability as well as quality. Stainless steel is often used for pure, fresh wines made to be drunk young, while concrete tanks, clay amphorae and small French barriques are used for more complex wines. There is a large natural wine movement here – organic and biodynamic viticulture are widespread, growing local varieties with tricky to pronounce names as well as more familiar grapes. Around 70% of production is white wine but there are also excellent reds, sparkling wines and an increasing number of orange skin-contact wines to be discovered.

Most of Slovenia’s wines are consumed domestically so can be hard to find in the UK but, as they attract growing attention from international drinkers, this is bound to change. Switched-on independent wine shops or online specialists are more likely to stock them than the large retailers, so do seek their advice.

Best Slovenian wine to buy

Krasno Sauvignon Blanc/Ribolla Gialla 2023

Available from Majestic (£9.99)

The Goriška Brda region, known as the Tuscany of Slovenia, borders Italy so it’s no surprise there’s an Italian influence to the wines here. This one blends perennial favourite sauvignon blanc with the fragrant ribolla gialla grape, known as rebula in Slovenia and grown here since the 13th century, to make a wine with generous apple and pear notes and a fresh, grassy finish.

Dveri Pax Šipon Furmint

Available from The Wine Society (£12.50)

Benedictine monks at the Admont Abbey have been making wine here since 1139 and reclaimed their vineyards following Slovenian independence in 1991. Since then they’ve replanted and modernised their wine-making and this, from the furmint grape (known as šipon here), is a fine example. It’s beautifully textured, with elderflower and lemon sherbet notes and a stony, mineral finish.

Tilia Pinot Noir 2022

Available from Novel Wines (£21.99)

Novel Wines specialises in Central and Eastern Europe, so is a great place to explore quality wines from these regions. The Tilia estate was established in 1996 with the aim of creating pinot noirs that give those from Burgundy a run for their money. This one is really gorgeous – still young but very elegant, with bags of red cherry, plum and redcurrant fruit, silky tannins and a well measured hint of smoke.