Slovenian breakthrough at the 5th Vinitaly wine exhibition: exceptional interest in Rebula

The Brda region has its day in Italy

19. april 2018 ob 19.47 • Verona - MMC RTV SLO

The winemakers from Brda have proved that Rebula is the Slovenian queen of Vinitaly with their appearance at Masterclass – an influential wine tasting of Rebula wines from Slovenia’s Brda and Italy's Collio attended by international experts. Foto: Mojca Dumančič

The Vinitaly wine exhibition has entered its sixth decade, drawing winemakers from around the world for the 52nd time. This year, 4380 exhibitors from 36 countries introduced themselves to the public on an area of more than 100,000 square meters. The attendees could sample 15,100 varieties of wine, including some from Slovenia – mostly from the Primorska region.

Slovenia won acclaim at the 52nd Vinitaly exhibition; its presentation in one of the main pavilions received considerable attention. Silvan Peršolja, the head of the Brda Co-op Winery, stated: "We've succeeded because we have been sharing our story of wine here in Verona for two decades. And now our efforts are paying back, in part because we have been able to do something that isn't typical for Slovenia: We've managed to come together and make a joint appearance. To top it all, we've seen an immense interest in our Rebula wine."

The Brda region has its day in the spotlight with "Masterclass"
The winemakers from Brda have proved that Rebula is the Slovenian queen of Vinitaly with their appearance at Masterclass – an influential wine tasting of Rebula wines from Slovenia's Brda and Italy's Collio attended by international experts. Thirteen wineries took part under the auspices of the Brda's Public Institution for Tourism, Culture, the Youth, and Sports; at the event, they hosted 50 leading wine writers and distributors from the U.S., Italy, and the Far East. Denis Rusjan of the Biotechnical Faculty, a specialist for terroir, spoke about the characteristics and the unique character of Rebula. Meanwhile, Gašpar Čarman, a two-time Slovenian champion sommelier, and Luca Gardini, the world sommelier champion of 2010, led the wine tasting.

Gardini is thrilled with Rebula wines from the Brda region. "This is a wine with character; a wine that gets its uniqueness from the soil – the marlstone, the steep hillsides that force the plant to give the best it and the soil have to offer, and of course the leading Brda winemakers, who add their touch to the process. I'm thrilled with your Rebula wines!" Wine Spectator's Alison Napjus, a leading expert on international wine trends, also praised the Brda Masterclass: "You have proven that you can make exceptional wines from your little territory and your native wine variety. It's true that the production is limited, but the best is always difficult to obtain. Quality lies not in mass production, but in a small, high-quality supply. Your other top wines can easily follow Rebula, which could blaze their trail into the world of top wines."

Slovenia has 17,000 vineyards, which are cultivated by 27,000 winemakers. The country produces 80 million liters of wine. According to statistics, the average Slovenian drinks 40 liters of wine a year. For comparison, the EU average is 26 liters. Slovenia exports between five and eight million liters of wine, depending on the year. It imports almost twice as much – up to 14 million liters a year.