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. We then ventured north, along the Austrian border and deep in the Julian Alps to Kranjska Gora.

The next leg of our trip involved an hour’s drive south and west to the small town of Bovec, along the banks of Slovenia’s famous Soča River, known for its crystal-clear water and abundant outdoor activities. The plan, weather permitting, was a few hikes and a morning of white water rafting on the river.

The drive, which involved dipping back into Italy, was stunning. If we had stopped for every photo-worthy vista, however, our one-hour drive would have easily become four or five.

Our hotel was actually a few kilometers outside of Bovec, at the comfortable Hotel Boka, a family-run spot with a decent restaurant and a perfect location, right on the river.

The entire trip, we were spoiled with incredible views from our hotel room windows, and Hotel Boka had one of the best.

Again, we were a tad early arriving at the hotel and also a bit hungry, so we drove back into Bovec to explore the town a bit and grab some lunch. We found a small “restaurant” that had two menu items (smashburger, fries) and 15 different beers. The Slovenes clearly have their priorities.

The town boasts a modest church, at the top of a hill, which provided a nice after-lunch target for our stroll.

Returning to the hotel, the boys begged for a little downtime (“Not another hike, please!”), and given the ominous skies, we relented. It helped that we still had a bottle of wine from Lake Bled, and the hotel had a wonderful covered balcony.

2023 Medot Rebula Journey, Goriška Brda, Slovenia: Retail 22€. 100% Rebula. We were staying on the banks of Lake Bled in Slovenia, and we passed by a small souvenir shop and stopped in. We bought a couple of bottles to take with us to our next location, Kranjska Gora, where we feared there would be limited opportunities to buy wine. Well, all of that was true, but we didn’t open this until tonight, having moved on to Bovec, on the Soča River. Straw to yellow in the glass with what I assume is the classic Rebula nose: tropical and orchard fruit, a touch of hazelnut, and a saline aspect. The palate is a bit round initially, with a boatload of fruit, followed by a healthy dose of acidity, and finally, an above-average finish. Another solid Rebula in a country I am coming to love. Very Good. 89 Points.

2023 Klet Brda Krasno Belo, Goriška Brda, Slovenia: Restaurant 22€. Retail 10€. 40% Rebula, 30% Chardonnay, 30% Sauvignonasse (Friulano). It was our first night on the bank of the Soča River, and the restaurant at our hotel, which came highly recommended, was closed, so we drove to a grill/restaurant about five minutes away. And it was fine. Maybe even better than fine, but the wine list was rather meager (three whites, three reds), all were Slovenian, and we landed on this. Yellow to golden in the glass with some nice fruit (bruised apple, maybe some tangerine, even pineapple?), a salty note, and some white flower. The palate is both round and tart, weighty and lithe, with a significant saline aspect that might be even more pronounced than the fruit, which is at least ample. An interesting wine of contrasts that worked exceedingly well with my schnitzel with mushroom sauce and my wife’s pork skewers. My older son also had some wine, and although he claims he is “a total pro”, he has no clue (yet?), so I was not worried about his experience. Yeah, that makes me a bit of a snob (or worse), but that’s OK. Very Good. 89 Points.

The following day would be one of the highlights of a trip full of memorable moments: white water rafting on the beautiful Soča River. It was strongly advised that we not bring our phones, so these photos are courtesy of our river guide, Tomas.

It seemed we were always ending up in the water, which was COLD.

We survived!

2019 Vinag 1847 Chardonnay Kriehuber, Štajerska, Slovenia: Retail 21€. 100% Chardonnay. We had just returned from a white water rafting trip on the Soča River near Bovec, Slovenia, and the kids passed out in their room shortly after lunch. Around 4:00, my wife and I got a bottle of this from the hotel bar to celebrate that no one drowned. We had already been delving into wines from the tiny Alpine country for a few days, so selecting another sparkling wine from the region was the obvious choice (curiously, the other sparkling wine on the list was a Crémant de Bourgogne). Like most of the whites we have tried on this trip, the wine is past straw and onto yellow with loads of apple (Granny Smith and Golden Delicious), a healthy dose of Bosc pear, a touch of marzipan, and a hint of hazelnut all on the nose. The palate is rich and layered with plenty of honeyed fruit and enough tartness to match. A lengthy finish seals the deal. While this is not going to make many in Champagne nervous, it is perhaps, the best Slovenian sparkling wine we have tried thus far on this trip. Outstanding. 93 Points.

That night, we had dinner at the hotel, which was nice, relaxing, and only a few steps from our rooms, which was good as we were exhausted.

2023 Miška Zelen, Vipavske Dolina, Slovenia: Restaurant 28€. 100% Zelèn. It was our last night in the Julian Alps, in a tiny town outside the tiny town of Povec. The whole family did a white water rafting trip earlier in the day, and we (or at least I) were pretty wiped out. So we decided to have dinner at the hotel, which was pretty good (although one of my sons ordered the Pad Thai and we were in Slovenia without an Asian [other than my wife] in sight–rookie move). My wife and I both got the trout, which was caught in the Soča River, one of the purest rivers in the world, and the sight of our morning rafting (and all of a couple of meters away from our hotel). I do believe this is my first Zelèn (the main reason I ordered it), and it is quite nice. Yellow to gold in color, with an interesting nose that is largely herbal (rosemary, sage) with some subtle fruit (pear, tangerine zest), and a somewhat odd aroma of salty paraffin wax. The palate is equally different, with not much fruit, but healthy doses of salinity, minerality, and a nuttiness that I can’t quite place. A Google search indicated that this winery is known for farming organically and using indigenous grapes, both huge pluses in my book. If you are looking for “fruity”, this isn’t it, but if you want something a little different and certainly from a “place” (I believe Zelèn is only grown in the Vipava Valley of Slovenia), then this is the ticket. Excellent. 90 Points.

The following morning, before heading off to the coast, he had one more short hike to visit another waterfall, the Boka Slap.