Think Pink, Think Merlot, Think Slovenia: Erzetič Damski Rosé

June's #WineStudio concentrates on dry rosé and features several wines from regions and grapes you'd normally not associate with the style. Case in point, the Erzetič Damski Rosé ($24, 12.5%) produced from Merlot grapes in Slovenia and imported by Old World Vines. The Erzetič Winery is located in the Goriska Brda region, which is part of the larger Primorska wine region. Goriska Brda borders Italy and shares many traits with its Italian neighbors - particularly the predominance of red wines. Although the local white Ribbola would beg to differ. Wine making in the area can be traced back to the 13th century, with the Erzetič property growing grapes since 1725. The vineyards are slightly elevated on rolling hills providing adequate ventilation and the soil is composed of ancient seabed matte. Erzetič is a family business with knowledge passed to each generation; currently Aleksij Erzetič is the winemaker. Interestingly, Erzetič is one of only two wineries in Slovenia making wine from Georgian amphora vases. Cheers to orange wine; but now to the pink wine.

The Damski (Ladies) Rosé is 100% Merlot harvested from estate fruit. The grapes were gently pressed until the desired color, texture, and tannin extraction was reached; fermented occurred in stainless steel.The result is a salmon pink colored wine, with noticeable acidity. Raspberries are prevalent on the nose, but the most impressive feature is the creamy mid-palate where the wine melts into the acids. Quite nice; definitely the best Slovenian Merlot rosé I've ever had. Cheers to that and to next week's WineStudio rosé . 

Tasting Hungarian & Slovenian Wines with #WineStudio & Old World Vines -> Part II

Last week we continued our tasting of Hungarian & Slovenian Wines with #WineStudio & Old World Wines by transitioning to Slovenia wine. The two wines on the agenda were the Erzetič Winery 2011 Rebula Visnjevik ($22.95) and the Vino Kupljen 2011 Muškat Rumen ($22.95).  Slovenia has a long historical of grape growing based on its proximity to Italy and Austria as well as being the meeting point of the Alps, the Mediterranean and the Pannonian Plain (hat tip to @toledowav). Despite the country's small size, there are over 28,000 individual grape growers in Slovenia, yet they only produce 1/10 the volume of Germany. And of that, only 6-8% of the wine gets exported.

The Primorska wine region is nestled between Italy to the north and Croatia to the south, and receives the cooling affects of the Adriatic to the west. Brda is situated  in the northernmost portion of this region and along its low rocky hills with terraced vineyards is where we find Erzetič Winery. The vines in their estate were first planted in 1725 and Anton Erzetič with his son Aleksij and daughter Teja are 3rd & 4th generation winemakers. Rebula is the leading grape in Brda ( as it is in the neighboring region in Italy and called Ribolla). It's made dry with a white fruit profile and according to #winestudio participants - not lacking in acidity.

Vino Kupljen Jeruzalem is lcacted in the northeastern Slovenia (boarding Croatia, Hungary, & Austria), in Jeruzalemsko-Svetinjske hills of north-eastern Slovenia. The estate can trace its winemaking history back to 1836 and in 1976, Jože Kupljen launched the Vino Kupljen brand. As expected with a Muscat, this is a sweeter wine with that vibrant floral aroma leading to a deep apricot profile. The finish makes this wine, slightly effervescent with a smooth citrusy lemon final. The sugar to acids ratio reminded me of a well made Petit Manseng.

Tonight is the official wrap-up for this session of #winestudio. Make sure you tune in at 9PM ET so that PROTOCOL wine studio can engage our brains and palates! Cheers.

Where in the World is Slovenia?

I've always had a fascination for Slovenia, not sure why, maybe its history of being swallowed by various empires - Austria to the north, Italy to the west, and of course, the old Yugoslavia. This attraction lead us to visit Ljubljanica and Lake Bled, taste some local beer and wine, and enjoy the country. However, the wine never really registered until we sampled them again at the Washington D.C. International Wine & Food Festival and then a week ago at a special trade tasting held at the Slovenian Embassy. The truth is that they are crafting excellent wines in this hidden region.

Slovenian vineyards are primarily situated in two regions, the Podravje Region (Stajerska Slovenia) in the northeast and the Primorska Region (Brda-Collio and Vipava) in the southwest. The Podravje Region is the largest "appellation" and is more mountainous with plenty of southern exposure for the vineyards. The gravel and clay soils drain well and the hot summers and cool evenings provide an ideal climate for Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Traminer, Yellow Muscat, Pinot Noir, Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch. In fact this region is the source of German Lemberger. On the other hand, the Primorska Region borders Italy and consists of gently rolling hills and a micro-climate produced by the Adriatic Sea. Traditional Bordeaux and indigenous varieties are planted here - both made in the earthy European style.

The Slovenian white wines were extremely impressive. We first re-tasted the Pullus Sauvignon Blanc and Pullus Pinot Grigio, which attracted our attention (and others) at the D.C. festival. These wines are crafted by the oldest winery in Slovenia, Ptujska Klet and are flavorful with balanced acidity - very nice everyday wines. The winery also offers a Pullus G collection crafted for the restaurant market that are fuller from extended lees aging and partial malolatic fermentation. Besides the Sauvignon Blanc, the Pullus G Traminer was very good. Another excellent white wine from Stajerska was the Sanctum Chardonnay. This is the low alcohol Burgundy style - not the California fruit bombs. It is barrel fermented and aged on lees, but doesn't retain much oakiness since its aged in steel. Our type of Chardonnay. Yet, the most interesting white wine was the Mansas Klarnica, an indigenous grape grown on only 15 acres in the Vipava Valley. This rare treat is supposedly off-dry, but is much drier on the palette. Very interesting.

There were several good red wines, although they seemed to be over shadowed by the white selections. Pullus and Sanctum both had very drinkable Pinot Noirs - nice and gentle. The Bordeaux blend Klinec Quela bio-dynamic wine was easily the most noticeable - red fruit flavors, strong tannins, and a long tail.

We highly recommend researching and sampling Slovenian wines. They are both affordable and delicious. To find these wines in your area check out Fine Croatian Wines and Vinum USA.

Eastern European Wines Shine at the Washington D.C. International Wine & Food Festival

This weekend we attended the 12th Annual Washington D.C. International Wine & Food Festival and spent the majority of time tasting wine produced in Eastern Europe and the Finger Lakes. Yes, other wine regions were well represented, but on the heels of our article, Blue Frankish - A Great Wine By Any Name, we decided to taste the wines we described in the article. Our day started comparing Hungarian Kékfrankos and Finger Lakes Lemberger; although they weren't exact comparisons because the Finger Lakes versions were 50/50 blends with Cabernet Franc. On the Hungarian side we tasted the Heumann Villany Kékfrankos and the Pfneisxl Sopron Kékfrankos. The latter is lighter, made organically, but with the same smoothness and cherry flavors as the Heumann. On the Finger Lakes side, Fox Run Vineyards and Anthony Road Wine Company were both pouring Lemberger\Cabernet Franc blends. These wines reflect the natural balance that occurs with blending these two grapes - the fruit forwardness and spiciness of the Lemberger and the green fullness of the Cab Franc. We actually experimented, creating our own 50/50 blend of
Heumann Kékfrankos and Heumann Cabernet Franc - and this mixture was easily more enjoyable than each as a single varietal. Just remember, whether Hungarian Kékfrankos or Finger Lakes Lemberger, all are very good, affordable, every day drinking wines.

We also tried several other Hungarian wines, from dry reds and whites to the famous Tokaji Aszu. We tasted the Eszterbauer Szekszárd Kardaka Nagyapám, a dry, medium bodied wine with some similar characteristics as the Kékfrankos - without the complexity. Kardaka is a traditional Hungarian grape that was once the dominate grape in the famous Egri Bikaver - Bull's Blood. Its nice to see a single varietal Kardaka make the journey West. There was also plenty of dry Furmint available, another traditional Hungarian wine grape that is normally vinified into Aszu. Made dry, it is a refreshing wine, balanced between fruit and mineral characters. And we had to sample the sweet Furmint displayed in two wines: Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos and the 6 Puttonyos Aszu. Both had the powerful apricot flavors - definitely strong - but not gritty or syrupy. The "Dessert Wine of Kings". Check out the Blue Danube Wine Company more more information about these wines.

After tasting the various Hungarian wines, we moved to neighboring wines produced in Croatia and Slovenia. We are more familiar with Croatian wines, particularly those made from Crljenak Kastelanski - better known as Primitivo and Zinfandel. Another familiar grape is the indigenous Babić as well as its parent Placac Mali. Both of these were available today: Babić Piližota and the Lirica Plavac Mali Peljesac Dalmatia. Both these wines are produced in the warmer climates in the Dalmatia coast. The Babić was smooth and silky, balanced between fruit and earthiness. The Plavac Mali featured more red fruits and seemed more tannic and spicy. Both were very good and extremely affordable. Check out Fine Croatian Wines for more information.

Even with a visit to Slovenia, we are not very familiar with Slovenian wines, but after tasting the wines made by Ptujska Klet, that will change. This winery is the oldest in Slovenia with its cellars dating back to 1239. We started with the Pullus Pinot Grigio Ptuj. Normally not fans of wines made from this grape, this wine was more than drinkable - fuller than most of its kin with an actual tail. Not bad. But the second we tasted was the bomb; the
Pullus Sauvignon Blanc. This wine had everything you would expect from that variety - refreshing acidity, tropical flavors - this wine just exploded in the mouth. Will definitely give some New Zealanders a run. Wow. Once again, check out Fine Croatian Wines for more information.

We did try other wines, in particular several Pinotages from the large contingent of South African wines. The best trend was that most lacked the strong tobacco - smokey characteristic that repelled us from consuming more of wine varietal. In fact, most resembled its parent, Pinot Noir, with silky bodies and creamy texture. These were nicely done and very affordable. Time to re-evaluate these wines.

Then, of course, we had to sample the Finger Lakes dry Rieslings and the Rhatiselli from Dr. Konstantin Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars. Combined with the reds we tasted earlier - we must include a trip north this summer. Too much good wine being made in that region to miss.

And finally, there were a few spirits. It was nice to see our friends from St Lucia Distillers Group, producers of Castries Crème, rolling out a new line of rum under the Chairman's Reserve brand - Chairman’s Reserve and Chairman’s Reserve Spiced. The spiced rum was very interesting - with the spices and botanicals contributing like a fine gin rather than a chemical additive as with many spiced rums. And Philadelphia Distilling returned, pouring their Vieux Carré Absinthe and Bluecoat American Gin. We didn't sample today, but expect a future episode featuring these spirits from MyJoogTV.com.

In sum, another enjoyable wine festival with enough diversity to keep us interested. Until next time....