Our summer trip to Slovenia started with a quick overnight in Salzburg, Austria, followed by two glorious (but rather soggy) days on Lake Bled, the most visited spot in Slovenia outside of the capital, Ljubljana.

The weather had been so bad and the forecast so depressing, that we actually were considering a pivot; maybe we could drive back to Munich, return the car and fly somewhere else? Spain? Portugal? In the end, we decided to stick it out and continue on to our next stop, Kranjska Gora, a ski resort at the base of the Julian Alps.

Our decision was rewarded with a beautiful sunny morning and the clearest blue sky as we packed up the family truckster for our brief but beautiful drive of just under an hour. Our destination was the Triangel Hotel, a spot we had seen mentioned a few times in our researching the trip, which is actually in Gozd Martuljek, a tiny village four kilometers from Kranjska Gora.

We arrived at the hotel shortly after noon and our rooms were not quite ready, so we hopped back in the car and headed for the “big town” 4k away to grab a little lunch. We found a rather large barbecue joint, at the base of the mountain and shortly thereafter, I noticed the summer toboggan run off in the distance. I spent the rest of lunch trying to convince the boys to go with me.

They were reluctant to say the least. My wife was a hard pass as she had been having some back issues, but after plenty of cajoling, the boys reluctantly agreed to go on the run.

Little did I know that the most harrowing part of the adventure would be the ski lift ride up. Both of them were freaking out nearly the entire time. On the ski lift. Yeesh.

The run down was a blast, even though it lasted no more than a few minutes. It was so much fun that Sebastian wanted to go again immediately. Until he remembered the ski lift.

We checked into the hotel and immediately headed out for a quick hike. The skies were clouding up again and we wanted to head out before it started to rain.

Our destination: a little waterfall about a 30 minute hike from the hotel.

Along the way we came across a cairn forrest of sorts, with hundreds of the stacked rock markers; it was impressive.

We got back from the hike with a few hours to kill before heading out to dinner. Luckily, we had planned ahead and had a bottle of bubbles chilled for such an eventuality…

2020 San Martin Winery Malvasia Petra Penina, Primorska, Vipavska Dolina Slovenia: Extra Brut. Retail 23€. It was our last night on Lake Bled and we decided to buy this (and another bottle of still wine) to take with us to our next stop, Kranjska Gora, since we didn’t know what might be available. And it’s fine. We’ve had better Slovenian sparkling wines on this trip, but this certainly works. Plenty of lemon rind, a bit of wet rock, and a white flower aspect. The palate is dry, even really dry, with decent fruit, and a nice sparkle. Again, we’ve had better, but this is perfectly fine. Very Good. 88 Points.

That night we returned to the same restaurant in Kranjska Gora where my wife and I shared an impressive meat platter and a nice Cabernet Sauvignon.

2020 Klet Brda Cabernet Sauvignon Bagueri, Primorska, Goriška Brda, Slovenia: Restaurant 35€. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. We were in Kranjska Gora and went to the recommended BBQ place. Being from Texas, BBQ is a serious matter. Well, the veal and piglet plate was fantastic. And this was close to perfect pairing. Knowing next to nothing about Slovenian reds, I opted for the most expensive wine on the list. The server made a face. I raised the question. She said the one I chose was overpriced and we should get this Bagueri instead. Great choice. Medium to light in color, with nice red and black fruit, a touch of red earth. The palate is rich, earthy, and balanced. Pretty remarkable, actually. The server said this comes from the best winemaker in Slovenia and who am I to argue? Excellent. 92 Points.

The following day was another that we would be trying to avoid the raindrops while taking in the incredible scenery. Given the forecast, we opted for a short hike from Kranjska Gora to the man made Lake Jasna. And despite the “artificial” nature of the lake, it was beautiful and relaxing even though it pretty much drizzled the entire time.

On the way back into town, we took a slight detour to climb up to this bridge…

…which had the added benefit of scaring the you-know-what out of the boys.

Coming back to the hotel, we once again had a little aperitif in our room, another sparkling Slovenian wine, this one much better than the night before.

NV Medot Brut 48 Klasična Metoda, Primorska, Goriška Brda, Slovenia: Restaurant 45€. 60% Rebula, 20% Chardonnay, 20% Modri Pinot (Pinot Noir). We were staying in the Triangel Hotel in Gozd Martuljek, Slovenia, which has an absolutely breathtaking view of the Julian Alps. Seriously. We all commented how the mountainscape seemed fake, or a green screen, or even a hallucination. But no. There, in all their glory, were the rocky mountain faces, staring at us, hopefully approvingly. The weather had not been kind to us, as it was either raining or threatening to rain just about every moment we had been in Slovenia up to that point. But the hotel was nice, with a lovely restaurant and a decent (though not extensive) wine list. We opted for this out on the patio, staring at the peaks, somewhat hidden by the clouds, and agreed: we were pretty lucky. Medium straw to yellow in the glass with notes of lemon curd, apricot, and toasted almonds. The palate is tart, but also a bit voluptuous, with plenty of fruit, a nutty component, plenty of salinity, and a honeyed note that suggests a bit of age (the label said it was bottled in 2019). This week has been my first real dive into Slovenian wine, and while I know I must be only tasting the widely available wine, I am more than intrigued by this country and what it has to offer. I will certainly be back: to explore, to ride, to eat, and certainly to drink. Excellent. 92 Points.

That night, we had dinner at the Hotel Triangel, where we were staying, and it was likely the best meal of the trip.

2017 Constantini Muse Gold, Primorska, Goriška Brda, Slovenia: Restaurant 38€. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Vert. Under cork. It was our last night in Kranjska Gora (technically we were in Gozd Martuljek) and the option at our hotel was a rated Michelin restaurant. Giddy-up. The meal was fantastic as were the wines. After some bubbly, our server suggested this, which was an interesting blend that included some Sauvignon Vert, which, honestly, I do not see all that often. Brilliant yellow color with bruised yellow apple, paraffin wax, and a honeyed floral aspect on the nose. The palate starts with some oxidative notes, then a rush of fruit, including a dried apple that works really well, before a lengthy finish. Yes, this has some age on it, but as I have said a number of times, that suits me just fine. Excellent. 91 Points.

2018 Erzetic Cabernet Sauvignon Amfora, Primorska, Goriška Brda, Slovenia:Restaurant $75. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. We were at perhaps the best restaurant in the Kranjska Gora region of Slovenia (Triangel), and we needed another bottle for dinner since our 22-year-old son was with us and he has developed a recent affinity for vino. I was a bit skeptical, I have to admit, given the price tag (relatively high for the region) and the variety. Cabernet Sauvignon? Seriously? No regional varieties available? Medium to dark magenta with plenty of black and blue fruit on the nose: blackberry, plum, cassis, and even blueberry. Add in healthy doses of black earth and violet. The palate is fruity and rich, but also loaded with tartness, rounding out this beauty. Plenty of fruit here, even seven years out, with some soft, mostly integrated tannins. I am no Cab guru, but tonight? This is particularly tasty. Outstanding. 93 Points.

The following morning, we had two goals: visit the Mojstrana water fall and drive the two-plus hours to our next stop, near Bovec on the Soča river. We contemplated for a moment skipping the waterfall, but the person checking us out at the hotel strongly suggested we go. He was right.

The falls were impressive, to say the least.

On the long walk back, we got a little lost and had to cross the very cold river, which resulted is some very wet socks.

Then it was time for a quick stroll through Kranjska Gora, a bit of lunch, and then we were off to Bovec!