Journey: Nope, still here
Distance: 0 km
Campsite for the night: Saksida wine & camping resort
YouTube link: Day 11

After a very lazy day the day before, we got up and set off on a cycle around to see more of the area. Emma found a 15 mile route that looped around the quieter gravel roads and went through the vineyards and past a couple of beautiful lakes. It was a very sleepy quiet sort of day aside from the many bells ringing. Slovenia has a lot of churches. In every direction you look, there is a little church perched on the hill.

The cycle was really enjoyable although some of the gravel tracks were a bit rougher that we’re used to, so we took them slowly. Emma saw a baby deer or hare dart across the road into the trees, but unfortunately I missed it because I was following her. And then as we were cycling through vineyards, Emma spotted an enormous snake on the road. Emma hates snakes and I think we’ve only ever seen one adder on the moors before so it was quite a shock to see such a big snake in the wild. It must have easily been five or six foot long, quite skinny and was a yellowy brown colour. We cycled widely around it and didn’t stop for quite some time!

I wanted to take a picture but was quite wary and thought I’d just look it up when I got back to the van. Identifying it was harder than I expected as there are a lot more snakes in Slovenia that I imagined, but I think we probably saw an Aesculapian snake.

Once we got back to the van, we had some lunch and then spent a lazy afternoon reading ahead of our wine tasting.

The wine tasting was at the campsite. We weren’t sure what to expect and had done no research into their wines; it was chosen simply because it was easy! We turned up and a table had been set up with nibbles (hazelnuts and olives) and a couple of glasses. We opted for the five wines tasting and the wine started appearing as well as a focaccia. We were given the impression that we had choices, but the lady doing the tasting was very much in charge! Unusually, we got two different wines for each ‘wine’, which worked out well because they were generous pours and it meant we got to try ten different wines in the end.

The first wines we had were sparkling; the Saksida blanc — a traditional method sparkling — and the Saksida rosé — a tank method sparkling. Generally we prefer traditional method sparkling wines (the method used for Champagne and Cava) as they tend to be more complex and flavourful. However, these were both good in different ways. The blanc was made with a local grape and was quite different to anything we’ve tried before, but we both loved it. The rosé was simpler but bursting with red fruit flavours and very easy drinking.

Our second wines were two whites; a Pinot Grigio and a Zelén (which is a local grape only found in the Vipava Valley). On first tasting, I didn’t like the Zelén as much as it was quite full bodied yet acidic but it grew on me and I started to really enjoy it. The Pinot Grigio was good, and was softer with peach flavours.

Our third wines were a rosé made with the Barbera grape and a Malvazija (another local grape) that they ferment with some skin contact, making it a more of an orange wine. We both enjoyed the rosé — it was a full bodied, very fruity rosé — but the Malvazija was an exceptional wine. It was a well balanced full bodied wine with good minerality and gentle tannins. We savoured the glass of it a lot longer than any of the others and kept coming back to it for another taste.

Our fourth wines were red; a Pinot Noir and a Barbera. The Pinot Noir was fine but very much a warm climate version so it was a much simpler Pinot Noir than we like, more fruity and I think loses it charm as a result (we are both big fans of Pinot Noirs from northern France and Germany). The Barbera was a very good example of a Barbera, delicious, jammy and bursting with cherry flavours.

Our final wines was another red — the Carisma curvee — and the Muscatel dessert wine. The Carisma curvee was a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvigon, and basically the lady doing the wine tasting made the wine for herself so it was the perfect blend for her taste. It was a good wine, but not really our style as neither of us are overly fussed by Bordeaux style wines. The Muscatel was a beautiful thing, all syrupy and orangey. It was a lovely end to the wine tasting.

And then came the Grappa!! To be fair, it was a very drinkable Grappa as it was aged for five years, so was a lot smoother than any Grappa I’ve had before and I enjoyed it. Emma isn’t a big fan of spirits so I helpfully finished hers as well.

We bought two of the sparkling Saksida blancs, two of the Malvazija, one Zelén and one Barbera. So the wine cupboard is overflowing now but they were such good wines and unlike any we can get at home, we wanted to take them with us.

If you ever find yourself in the Slovenian wine region, pop in and try their wines, or better yet, stay a night or three in the vineyards and try the wines knowing you only have a short stagger to bed.