Hiša Vin Rondič, Vipava Valley (Slovenia)

If we were coming here just for the wine it would have been amazing enough. But alas, no, we had to interrupt the tastings of fresh Pinela and Malvazija with delectable home-cooked dishes of jota (Slovenian soup of sauerkraut, potatoes and brown beans) and kobasice (pork sausages spiced with wine and pepper). For as long as I’ve been traveling these parts, I’ve always told guests that the kobasice in Croatia’s Istria region were the absolute best sausages you could try. But somehow the winemakers at Rondic have enough time to not only make some great wines but also craft the perfect kobasice.

Down in their wine cellar it’s fresh Cabernet Sauvignon and then a memorable 2007 Cab Sav (made from dried grapes and 14 months of aging in barique barrel). Served along side these magnificent wines is one of those platters you can’t say NO to. You think you can because hey, it’s only cheeses, meats and a few other things that you’ve probably had a dozen times over. But no, that doesn’t help your arm from reaching over approximately every 23 seconds to get another handful. This one had my favorite tiny olives of the year and some melt-in-your-mouth strips of prosciutto and panceta.