Slovenia Feature

Slovenes enjoy drinking and produce some excellent wines, but very little of the total output is exported. You can tour the three main wine regions following a series of established "wine roads" (vinska cesta). These routes pass through rolling hills, woodlands, and villages and lead directly to vineyards and wine stores. The best white wines, sivi pinot (pinot grigio) and beli pinot (pinot blanc), are produced in the Podravje region in northeast Slovenia. A notable red is Teran, a varietal made from the refosk grape and produced in the Karst region to the southwest. There has been a recent drive to introduce more sparkling wines: look for the excellent Penina, made using the classic Champagne method from chardonnay and pinot blanc grapes. The favorite national spirit is the potent rakija. The base is alcohol distilled from fruit; a variety of wild herbs are added later to give it a more distinct flavor.