Waitrose says ‘zdravo’ to first Slovenian Wine

Move over Italy, New Zealand and France, there’s a new player in the wine world – Slovenia. 

With its unspoilt landscapes and welcoming people, the country could easily be the new Italy and with Waitrose, the only supermarket to stock a Slovenian wine, everyone can now enjoy a taste of Slovenia. 

The Slovenian wine, a single varietal Sauvignon Blanc made by producers ‘puklavec & friends’ in eastern Slovenia, will arrive in Waitrose branches at the end of the month.  It will retail at £8.99 and will be the first Slovenian wine Waitrose has stocked on a permanent listing.

Matt Smith, Wine Buyer, Waitrose said: ‘puklavec & friends Sauvignon Blanc 2009 brings the best of the New World and Old World together to create a special Sauvignon Blanc which has the fruit you’d expect from a New Zealand Sauvignon with the mineral steeliness you’d recognise in a Sancerre.’   

The family-owned puklavec & friends winery is situated in the hills around the village of Jeruzalem in eastern Slovenia. The Puklavec’s have been making wine in Slovenia since the 1950’s and recently expanded their vineyards to include the Jeruzalem Ormoz and Ljutomer estates, which had been state-owned since the end of the Second World War.   

Legend has it that wine was made in this part of Slovenia long before the Romans arrived. It is said that crusaders on their way to biblical Jerusalem stopped on one of the prettiest hills in the area, drank the wine and decided never to leave. They called the area Jeruzalem and it remains one of the most eye-catching areas in Slovenia with spectacular views of the surrounding vineyards.

For more information, visit: waitrose.co.uk