Balkan Style

Every January all the worlds marketing experts have the same job: to come up with that special reason why 2016 is going to be even better and brighter than all that fun we had last year. In the case of IWCoK, this is just sooo easy. What better way than to start off the new year “Balkan Style” with a box full of Slovenian and Bulgarian wines ? I can think of none!

Having made two trips to Bulgaria in the second half of last year, I had plenty of time to do some searching for that latest thing and to test out a few new wines from a couple old favorites . This included 2 days in the heart of the Thracian valley – Plovdiv.  What this part of the world does really well, are big powerful red blends in the Bordeaux style. That means lots of Merlot and Cabernet Saugnignon, and at times a “smidge” of something else. This time we brough in some Syrah to the mix, adding just a little bit of spice to 2 of the selection. We even found a Viogner that is very, very respectable which for me is a pretty rare thing for Bulgarian whites.

But having covered the “deep, dark and round” red category, we needed something to lighten things up with. This is where those floral whites from Slovenia come in handy so we went back to a tried and tested favorite region of IWCoK, Goriska Brda neighboring the Friuli region of Italy. You may remember a Rebula from a few years back, but this time we also included a Sauvignonasse (also known as Sauvignon Vert or Tocai Friuliano). Nothing like the sweet Tokai’s of Hungary, this dry white has a hint of Sauvignon acidity, but with a much softer floral finish.

So with so much to enjoy this month, lets get it going Balkan Style !

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