Our summer trip to Slovenia started with a quick overnight in Salzburg, Austria, and then we were on the road bright and early the following morning, driving to our first stop in Slovenia, the iconic Lake Bled.

From all accounts, Lake Bled is the most visited spot outside the capital, Ljubljana. Most people have seen a photo of Lake Bled without realizing it; it is the lake with the island in the middle, with a church, and a castle looming over it. Due to the weather we experienced, my pictures won’t do it justice, but here we go….

When we arrived at Lake Bled, it was gloomy to say the least. It was either sprinkling or outright pouring for most of the day.

That night, we tried to convince ourselves that the weather pattern had shifted as it was not raining as we walked back from dinner.

We were wrong. We walked up to the castle in the morning, and while it was not “pouring” it was solidly raining…

…and we were all pretty well drenched by the time we made it to the top. We did manage to all put on a smile for this photo, but that masked our real collective mood.

The castle, while not all that big, was certainly worth the visit.

It provided a bit of shelter so we could at least imagine drying out a bit.

The architecture and restoration of the castle were compelling…

…as were the views.

By the time we came down from the castle, it had actually stopped raining. We even saw our first blue sky of the trip, so we decided to take the trip out to the island in Lake Bled. No motorized vehicles are allowed on the lake, so we hopped onto one of the boats that were powered by a single rower. He got all 20(!) of us to the island and back.

The island is tiny, and the 40 minutes allotted to visit it were just about right.

The water in the lake is remarkably clean, no doubt due to the fact that no motorized vehicles are allowed to pollute it.

The whole trip takes an hour and a half and was completely worth it.

The morning we left Lake Bled was the best weather-wise by far and gave us reason to hope for better weather as we continued through Slovenia.

As you might expect, we managed to taste a few Slovenian wines during our stay on the lake.

2022 Ferjančič Pinela Brut Nature, Vipavska Dolina, Primorska, Slovenia: Restaurant: 42€. 100% Pinela. We arrived at beautiful Lake Bled under gloomy skies, which eventually produced enough rain to thwart our afternoon plans, but that gave me a bit more time to do some research for the evening restaurant. There are a few spots on the lake that were intriguing, but I opted for Old Cellar Bled, right on the lake, since the wine list looked the most promising (but don’t tell my boys since they have had it about up to here with my wine focus). We started with this sparkling wine from the Pinela grape, a local variety, about which I know next to nothing, but I was determined to drink as much local wine as possible on the trip, and this was a good option; it was very nice. Light straw in the glass with plenty of green apple and pear. The palate is dry and tart with plenty of fruit and verve, really a lovely wine. Excellent. 91 Points.

2020 Klet Brda Ribolla Gialla XIV Selection, Goriška Brda, Slovenia: Restaurant: 43€. Retail 16€. 100% Rebula (Ribolla Gialla). It was our first night in Slovenia, and while it is not uncommon for us to order two bottles of wine at dinner, there were two mitigating factors requiring this additional bottle. First, my wife sucked down the sparkling wine like she was packing it in just in case a fire broke out, and second, our 22-year-old son had joined us, and he now fancies himself a “wine drinker”. So, we had to get another bottle. Our waiter suggested this Ribolla. Close to golden in the glass, loaded with tropical notes, a touch of hazelnut, and a salty side. The palate is rich, full, and even a bit husky, but with fantastic acidity and balance. This certainly puts the “full” into “full-bodied”, but this is Outstanding. 93 Points.

NV Zlatič Penina Brut, Štajerska, Slovenia: 26€. 100% Pinot Blanc. We were on the bank of Lake Bled at a tiny wine bar and decided to take this back to our room. Good choice. It was a busy day, a hike up to the castle, a boat ride out to the island, another climb up to the church, and then a stroll through town, all while avoiding (or at least trying) the heavy downpours. Back in the room, we cracked this as both of us had easily hit our step goal. Brilliant straw in the glass with lovely aromas of lemon curd, tangerine, hazelnut, and a touch of seashell. The palate is vibrant and tart, with a lovely sparkle, plenty of fruit, and a roundness on the mid palate. Lengthy finish with a slight saltiness on the very end. Excellent. 90 Points.

On our balcony “on” Lake Bled.

NV Bjana Brut Rosé, Goriška Brda, Slovenia: Restaurant 45€. Retail 30€. Modri Pinot (Pinot Noir), Chardonnay, Rebula (Ribolla Gialla). It was our last night on Lake Bled, and we had ditched the boys (they wanted pizza) and headed to an older restaurant near the lake. The menu featured tons of seafood (both from nearby lakes and the sea), and I ordered this to pair with my lake trout, since well, bubbles? And rosé? This was our first wine from Bjana, and the server immediately congratulated us on our choice. Bright red fruit and a floral aspect that is delightful. Bright and fruity on the palate as well, with a fantastic sparkle, plenty of fruit, and a zing that lingers. Yeah. This works. Well. Excellent. 92 Points.

Our Slovenian vacation continues as we head to the mountain resort of Kranjska Gora next!