The aftermath of political upheaval in Slovenia provides a grape opportunity at a fraction of the price

Published on Friday 22 May 2009 12:36

VALUE for money doesn't always mean the least expensive wine. A wine that costs £4.99 reduced from £7.99 may appear good value but if it tastes flabby, flat and astringent it is nothing of the sort.

Similarly a wine that costs 9.99 that tastes outstanding with a complex range of flavours, purity of fruit, balanced acidity and buckets of character can be outrageous value when compared with wines that sit on the shelf at 15.99. The trick is to think outside the box. The quality of South African wines has improved immeasurably in the last five years. Claret lovers would be wise to hunt out some of the sensational Bordeaux blends now coming out of the Western Cape. In my opinion, cabernet sauvignon blends are now South Africa's outstanding variety, offering claret lovers the same expression of terroir, acidity and finesse found in Bordeaux for a fraction of the price. Rustenberg's John X Merriman and Peter Barlow blends and Vergelegen's Mill Race and straight cabernet sauvignon are also outstanding.

Another interesting hunting ground is the Western Balkans, the collection of states that was formerly Yugoslavia. Top of the list is undoubtedly Slovenia which, since the fall of communism, has established itself as a rising star. A tiny country of just two million people, it is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the east and Croatia to the south. Its winemaking lineage is some of the oldest in the world, dating back to Roman times. Interestingly, Slovenian wines are no stranger to the UK market. Remember Lutomer Laski Riesling anyone? This bland, medium sweet white was, in the early Eighties, the UK's bestselling wine brand.

Lutomer Laski Riesling was a product of the mass nationalisations that followed the Second World War and resulted in gallons of light, perfumed, easy-to-drink white wine. The attitude now could not be more different with a focus on individuality, quality and local grape varities. I recently tasted through a range of Slovenian wines under the tutelage of Caroline Gilby MW who has spent a large part of her career scouring its vineyards as a major UK buyer.

"In winemaking terms, Slovenia is one of the most exciting countries in Eastern Europe," she says. "The pace of change is simply enormous. What attracts me is that in just 20 years it has completely reinvented itself. Every year I go, something is different."

Stylistically Slovenian wines sit closely to those found in Austria and North East Italy. As winemaker Bruno Gabersek points out, most of the hilly and quality soil that was originally mapped as Friuli's Collio region in Italy now sits over the border in Slovenia. Gabersek's philosophy is to make elegant, clean wines that express the individual character of Slovenia.

The red wine I tasted called Cvicek, a 9.5% blend designed for easy drinking has a lively, redcurrant character with refreshing acidity and lots of light fruit. The white wines were all characterised by a powerful, stony, mineral character with precise aromas and an underlying white pepper character. Sauvignon, Pinot Gris, Riesling all thrive, producing subtle, complex wines. It is not surprising Slovenia is often compared with New Zealand. These wines do not fall into the bargain basement aisle but compared with wines of a similar quality found elsewhere, most notably Austria, they are trading at a considerable discount.

Beli Kriz 2007 12.5% 8.99

Marof Estate, Prekmurje, Slovenia

A blend of Laski riesling and sauvignon blanc, this is characterised by a peppery, stony, mineral flavour with a wonderful dry finish.

Zeleni Silvanec 2007 12.5% 9.99

Marof Estate, Prekmurje, Slovenia

Powerful, clean and balanced, there is a hint of flowery petals on the nose but the palate is rich, minerality. This would go with grilled sardines.

Renski Rizling 2007 12% 9.99

Marof Estate, Prekmurje, Slovenia

On the nose is the same dry, slightly petrol flavour one finds in perhaps Austria or the Alsace. It has incredible intensity with an attractive lime character.

Stockists: Raeburn Fine Wines (0131-343 1159; www.raeburnfinewines.com)