Features

The golden hills of Zlati Grič

by  |  18-03-2026

It’s hard not to lose the potential sheen in visiting a winery called, “the golden hill” when you arrive to a dour, overcast day with dormant vines. As I was enroute to Croatia, this was... more »

The wines of the North Adriatic

by  |  08-09-2025

A few months back, Paul Balke reached out to me to ask if I’d be interested in a one week trip to what he calls the “North Ariatic”. As per his definition, this is a... more »

The wines of Vipava Valley & Goriška Brda 2024

by  |  31-01-2024

To me, there are generally two things to remember about Slovenia as a country. The first is that everything is more or less an hour from the capital, Ljubljana. The second is that it usually... more »

Ptujska Klet – Muškatni Silvanec 1921

by  |  22-01-2024

I looked up from scrolling about Google Maps’ coverage of Eastern Slovenia and said, “Really, there’s a town called, ‘Ptuj’?” “I mean, in Roman times, it was Poetovium, but yeah, Ptuj, why?” “Because it’s sounds... more »
Photo by Dean Dubokovič

Talking about Pinot at Modri les Noirs 2023

by  |  08-11-2023

Dominatrix or master, whatever you want to call the relationship, when it comes to Pinot Noir, it’s very one-sided as this finicky grape variety owns the winemaker–he or she never, ever owns it. While there... more »

The wines of Štajerska, Slovenija 2023

by  |  18-09-2023

It was early March, the morning hours still small, and I couldn’t sleep. Jetlag had something to do with this as I’d landed in Munich just a few hours earlier after a flight from San... more »

A tasting of top Slovenian wines

by  |  19-07-2023

When I should have been celebrating the “independence” of my fellow Americans this past 4th of July, I was instead in Ljubljana, Slovenia celebrating good wines. This was part of a trip to visit, Štajerska... more »

Batič Angel Rosso Grand Cuvee 2007

by  |  26-05-2015

The name Batič comes up here and there on this website. There are many reasons behind this, but the main driving force is that wines of Miha and his family are quite simply, excellent. They're... more »
Hudin.com

Label Grand Karakterre 2014

by  |  08-12-2014 ~ 1 Comment

Anyone within reach of Ljubljana, Slovenia or Zagreb, Croatia should set aside time this Friday and Saturday to attend the Label Grand Karakterre fair. This Central & Southeastern European fair of organic/natural wines is in... more »
Hudin.com

In The Glass: Mlečnik Chardonnay 2008

by  |  05-11-2014

Vipava Valley is full of fantastic wines. There is of course, Batič but at the Salone del Gusto 2014 in Turin, I encountered Klemen and his family wines of Mlečnik. They're working to make some... more »