Slovenia – land of the free

Kog Slovenia vineyard in autumn - Liam Cabot

Some great wines and great experiences in ex-Yugoslavia's first independent republic.

Last autumn, Brad and I arrived in Slovenia. We were not there for a holiday (half the luggage weight was laptops and books), but we just wanted to stare at something other than the same study walls that had surrounded us for the past two years. We set up office in a wood cabin. Our view, in the north-eastern corner of Slovenia, was of vineyards.

Kog Slovenia picking starts - Liam Cabot
Picking begins…

Come the weekend, the alarm stridently kicked us out of bed at some ungodly pre-dawn hour. We scrabbled for clothes/boots/jackets, threw back a mug...