An slovenian trip

Went for a very nice dinner in Ljubljana. The name of the restaurant was Cubo. At first because of its location, in a warehouse area near an office part in Ljubljana is not very promising. But the inside is just another world. Very nice ambiance, good lighting, very good service, knowledgeable wine waiters (wines below were recommended by them and I give them a. A good mix of light starters (not that easy to find in the region, very plates are usually too heavy) and good fish (did not try the meat). The risotto wasn’t great but I give a very high review to the overall experience.

Belaquela Klivel; mix of grapes chardonney, rebola and a mix of local grapes. The wine is from 2002 and it mixed well with a light seafood or risotto. Average in terms of appearance and bouquet, but very nice taste. Dry and with a bit of personality

Then I move to try a red wine from the region. Usually in the CEE I prefer overall whites over red. However this red particularly was very nice. Mainly because I ordered tuna and it is always complicated to choose the right one. The name is Sutor, from 2003. The grape is a Merlot (which I am not a huge fun). It was a soft bouquet, good taste and average appearance. Went well with the tuna

Bierzo Recommendation

As you may have noticed I keep trying to discover new wines from many different regions around Spain and other countries. The Bierzo region (northwest of Spain, in Castilla Leon almost at the border with Galicia) was until as recent as ten years ago producing just grapes. The main grape in the region is the “mencia”. A wine that we love from this region and by now very well known is Petalos del Bierzo. But also I have been seen his price going up for around 17-20 Eur in retail. For that reason I have been trying some less known wines with a more reasonable or day2day price. One that I like is Encomienda from 2003. Full in your mouth and strong on your palate. Not as refined in your mouth as the Petalos but a very good buy for a nice meat stew or a nice meat cut