Bratislava’s National Wine Salon Experience

Posted on July 29, 2026 by winellama

In April 2026, we visited Bratislava, Slovakia – smack dab in the centre of Europe, a brief riverboat trip down the Danube from Vienna, and located directly on what used to be a heavily militarized segment of the Iron Curtain between the Communist Eastern Bloc and neutral Austria.

Wine has been made in this region for over 2,000 years, but since the creation of 24 indigenous grape crossings in the 1950s, the industry has undergone a true renaissance.

Part of this re-engineering has been the poetic naming of the varietals – the whites are Devin castle, after which an aromatic white grape is named.named after castles and towns, and the reds after rivers.  For example, Devin Castle (left) is the name of an aromatic white.

Slovakians are proud of their wines (80% are white), and have created the National Wine Salon which is in the cellars of the Apponyi Palace where the Museum of Viticulture is.  Located in the heart of Bratislava’s Old Town, we escaped a rainy and cold day to take in a tasting with Šimon, one of the Sommeliers working there.

This is a living, breathing set of the top 100 Slovakian wines; every October there is a blind tasting competition to pick these top wines from the 400 Slovakian wineries in 6 wine regions.

I tried three whites and three reds, but decided upon a bottle of Devin, Cintavý & Pisarčik, Viničné, Slovakia, 2024, 14.5% abv. Fully dry but with a nose of lychee, green melon and white flowers, and a palate of white peach, this wine was a harbinger of Spring.  This petite winery produces only about 12,000 bottles each year at its vineyards located just outside Bratislava.

I chose a red named for the Danube – the Dunaj, Rudava and Cabernet Sauvignon blend, Pinta, Velkeer Winery, Nitra Region, Slovakia, 2022, 14.5% abv.

Aged in Slovakian oak for two years, it shines with sour cherries, red currant, blueberry and green fern.  Lively and crunchy, fresh and vibrant – it comes from a small family owned winery located between Bratislava and Budapest.

Perhaps most refreshingly of all, there was a robust and interesting tasting for non-drinkers available.  Brian thoroughly enjoyed trying four different grape juices, all made with Slovakian varietals.  We left with a couple of bottles of the non-alcoholic white grape juice by Matyšák Winery. 

If you are looking for an interesting activity in Bratislava’s Old Town, this is highly recommended. 

 

Posted in cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet Sauvignon / Blends, Dunaj, OTHER, RED, red wine, Rudava, Slovakia, WHITE | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Top Wine Picks: Notes from Recent Tastings

Posted on July 27, 2026 by winellama

What a terrible problem to have – too many wines, shrinking drinking windows, and not enough time made to write about them or catalogue the tasting notes clogging up my phone.  

Here is a synopsis of some of the better drinking I’ve done lately. 

Pinot Noir, The Eyrie Vineyards, South Block Original Vines, McMinnville AVA, Willamette Valley, Oregon, 12.5% abv., 2014, US$200
We visited Eyrie Vineyards in 2019 when we retired and before the US went crazy and elected… well, you know what happened. 

Anyhoo… the tasting was epic and long, and I decided (without asking about cost) to buy this wine.  I was a little gobsmacked when I went to pay for it but was too deep in at that point to stop.  So, I saved it for a rainy day, so to speak.  

When I finally located it at the back of the wine cave, I worried I’d missed the window and didn’t know if decanting would hurt or help it at that point.  Luckily, it wasn’t too late.  In fact, it was very good timing; this wine is from such a strong vintage, and of such high quality, it had several years of good life in it yet.

On the eyes it was a dusty garnet, but the nose and palate were still relatively youthful with plenty of bright Byng and sour cherry, pomegranate, green swordfern, forest floor and cedar frond. The tannins were plush and soft.

Absolutely lovely, completely west coast – I paired it with salmon and brown rice with roasted peppers.  This wine was made in 2014, but was opened in March, 2026 at 12 years old.

We also took a trip this spring to Central Europe, with a stop in Hungary.  While there, I tried so many wines I’d studied, but hadn’t had the opportunity to taste. 

When we went to the central market in Budapest, I bought a 6 Puttonyos Tokaji from a lovely young person named Yvette (at the stall shown below).  

Furmint, Tokaji Aszù, Toth Zoltan, 6 Puttonyos, Hungary, 12% abv., US$57
This beautiful wine is viscous with deep legs and an even deeper hue of gold.  The aromas and flavours show orange blossom, marmalade, ripe apricot, lemon curd and jasmine tea.  While not in cloying in the least, it is fully off dry with high acidity and a long, developed finish. 

Tokaji is one of the most amazing drinks made by humankind (it has been around since the 1600s) and this one was no exception.  I enjoyed it before the opera (as one does), and then over the next several days.  

Also in March, we had some friends over for dinner – we started with a bubble and finished with some Burgundy.  

Chardonnay, Barrat et Masson, Fleur de Craie, Extra Brut, Champagne DoC, France, Disgorged 2017, 12.5% abv., US$50

This was a very delicate champagne with a long lasting, fine mousse.  On the eyes, it was medium gold with a nose and palate of yeasty French bread, yellow apple, dry grass, yellow plum, and apricots.  Stunning.

We continued with Pinot Noir, Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugner, Château de Chambolle-Musigny Nuits Saint Georges AC, Premier Cru, Clos de la Marechale, Burgundy, France, 13% abv., 2011

Translucent garnet and opened at 15 years old, this wine had a nose and palate of fresh cherries plus green licorice fern, red twizzlers, dusty rose petal, umami with finely grained tannins.  It was a perfect pair to chicken with shallots and tomatoes in white wine, tarragon and Dijon mustard.  


Posted in Burgundy, Chardonnay, France, Furmint, Hungary, Oregon, OTHER, Pinot Noir, RED, Tokaji, WHITE | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Why Tracking Your Wine Journey Matters – Viura, Viña Gravonia, White Crianza, López de Heredia, Rioja DOC, Spain, 2004, 12.5% abv.

Posted on July 9, 2026 by winellama

This is EXACTLY why I keep track of the wines I enjoy.

I opened a bottle of this wine 11 years ago in 2015 – and then again in February 2026.  Now I can compare the two – and congratulate myself for my great memory, which at this point in my life is no small thing. 

This is my favourite kind of wine.  I love these classics – few wines are made in this traditional fashion. Why?  They’re challenging, different, unique, unusual.  I’ve opened up a 2000 version of this in the past, and now two of them from the 2004 crush and bottling.

The first bottle was opened at 11 years old in 2015.  As a white Rioja, it’s made of Viura grapes, but in this classic style, it’s extremely Chenin-like.  A deep shade of lemon, it has intense aromas of beeswax, lanolin, Meyer lemon and loads of sherry-like flor.  gravonia 2004

Dry on the palate, it shows refreshing acidity, medium body and flavours of sherry, lanolin and wet wool, bruised apple, almond and yellow plum.

While the nose is intense, the palate is somewhat muted, but the elegance and complexity make up for any perceived imbalance.

The second bottle was opened more recently in February 2026 – at a full 22 years of age.  Truthfully, I worried I’d missed the drinking window – after all, these are long-lived wines, but that may have been pushing it.

Thankfully not.  The extra 11 years of ageing had turned the colour of the wine from deep lemon to deep onion skin.  The nose was even more pronounced with significant Amontillado Sherry, composted yellow apple, salted brine and butterscotch pudding.

The palate opened up over two hours to offer coconut and marzipan with dried orange peel and apricots.  I drank this ever so slowly, savouring every last drop.

It’s always a treat to open a López de Heredia.  Thanks for following my blog.

Posted in Spain, Viura / White Rioja, WHITE | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Pinot Noir, Clone Collection Dijon 777, CODE Wines, Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley VQA, British Columbia, Canada, 13% abv., 2022

Posted on July 2, 2026 by winellama

I had wanted to visit CODE Wines for some time. They’re relatively new to the Okanagan, BC wine scene, but they landed in it with accolades and awards, and I’d heard nothing but wonderful reports of them and the quality of their wines.

We had planned a trip through wine country to introduce our replanted (from Toronto) friends to BC wines, so I was in charge of selecting some premium properties. CODE was at the very top of that list.

Shay grew up on a Saskatchewan farm, so the prospect of turning into a viticulturalist was not, perhaps, as daunting to him as it would be to others (although they may argue this now that they’re in the thick of it). He and Harlee made this switch in 2016 and then moved full time to the vineyard in 2021. Harlee has kept her day job, but Shay is immersed in the grapes in all ways imaginable.

In a short period of time, they’ve established themselves as premier viticulturalists and vignerons of primarily Burgundy and Rhône varietals. We joined them for a tasting on our day in Oliver and OK Falls.

If you’re into micro-petit wineries that are hands on and full steam on every task with only a couple (or even one) employees, CODE Wines is for you. Shay does everything – from viticulture and vineyard management, to harvest (with some close friends, neighbours and family members), to all the winemaking and bottling tasks. They produce about 1,000 cases a year – let that sink in.

To make this experience even better, CODE is their surname. Seriously. They’re marketing geniuses. They concentrate on producing different clones of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – the genetic codes of the vines being of utmost importance. Get it?

Our tasting consisted of four wines, the first being their 2025 Estate Single Clone Chardonnay at 12.9% abv., and only 130 cases made. Malo was blocked half way through and it was lightly fined and filtered. This is a beautiful, clean Chardonnay with abundant acidity, fresh Granny Smith apple, lemon zest, apple pie, white flowers and summer meadow aromas and flavours. Yes, of course I bought some.

Second up was the 2024 Pinot Noir Cuvée, Grower Series made from a blend of Dijon 113, 115, 777 and UC Davis clone 13. These grapes came from just south of the border in Chelan, Washington, as this was the winter of the terrible vine freeze. Translucent ruby turning garnet, this has a nose of Byng cherry and red twizzlers with flavours of pronounced cherry with mushroom. There’s a beautiful basket of support for this delicate and elegant 13% abv wine.

We also tasted the 2024 Syrah made with grapes also from Rattlesnake AVA in Chelan, Washington. What a lovely, sumptuous wine – all deep ruby with a nose and palate of deep boysenberry and crunchy raspberry. Delicious.

The pièce de résistance though was the 2022 bottle of Dijon 777 Pinot Noir. A gorgeous and layered example of their Pinot program, this wine is garnet with lightly developed sour and Byng cherry peppered with mushroom and cedar. Clean and delicious.

I’m sorry to say that was the last bottle available. Shay was very generous and we got very lucky! But I will advise you to run (don’t walk) to your closest private liquor store and buy whatever you can find of these wines. Or better yet, become one of their wine club members; they ship to most places in Canada. I did.

CODE wines are the real deal – and the Codes are lovely humans to boot. Finally, their dog Poppy is probably the sweetest winery dog I’ve met yet. We almost left with her that day.

Happy drinking.

Posted in British Columbia, Chardonnay, OTHER, Pinot Noir, RED, red wine, Shiraz / Syrah, WHITE | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Chenin Blanc, Le Haut-Lieu, Demi-Sec, Domaine Huet, Vouvray, Loire Valley, France, 2015, 13% abv, US$50

Posted on July 2, 2026 by winellama

When we visited the Loire, and went to Vouvray and Domaine Huet in June 2014, I fell in love quite seriously with these wines.

Then, when I did my Court of Master Sommelier, level one exam in August 2014, I nailed a blind tasting verbal note of a dry Domaine Huet Chenin Blanc – its unmistakable lamb’s wool, honeycomb, green grass and mineral profile screamed out to me.

Also, I am always in awe of any property that commits to and maintains their Demeter certification; it’s so much work and an extraordinary commitment.

As a result of this, the largest portion of my sleeping bottles are from Huet. My collection of Le Mont and Le Haut-Lieu is incomplete, but extends back to a few bottles from 2002, with most falling in the 20-teens.

This bottle was opened recently when one of my daughters was home. Such a special visit deserved an equally outstanding wine moment.

Deep, translucent gold with aromas and a demi-sec off dry palate of mandarin orange, lemon souffle, ripe apricot, quince and dry straw this wine is beautifully developed with a viscous sweet and sour electricity.

What a happy drinking moment, smack dab in the middle of its perfect drinking window at 11 years old.

Posted in Chenin Blanc, France, Loire, OTHER, WHITE | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Toast to Memories – Pinot Blanc (Weisser Burgunder), “Kalkgestein”, Weingut Friedrich Becker, Deutscher Qualitatswein trocken, Pfalz, Germany, 13% abv., 2023 and Merlot, Château Fombrauge, Bernard Magrez, Saint Emilion AC, Bordeaux, Grand Cru, France, 15% abv., 2009, C$55

Posted on June 1, 2026 by winellama

My mom would have turned 84 this May, so to remember her, we joined with one of my sisters, her husband and a niece to enjoy dinner at one of Mom’s favourite restaurants, toast her and laugh over some great memories.

The first wine we opened was brought to me recently by an old friend whom I’d met while backpacking in Indonesia back in 1990. This German Pinot Blanc is masterful – the colour of straw with glints of green – it has gorgeous fresh aromas and flavours of white flowers and early summer honeysuckle, white grapefruit, apricot, lemon and lime. Its acidity is mouth watering, its minerality uplifting and its freshness and fruit superb.

Our second bottle in mom’s honour was a super stunning mostly Merlot (80) with Cabernet Franc (12) and Cabernet Sauvignon (8) from Bordeaux’s Right Bank. An absolute powerhouse of a wine, this is the epitome of what is meant when Merlot-based wines are said to offer gorgeous, plush mouthfeel and sultry tannins.

This deep garnet wine is outstanding in terms of its flavours and aromas which show delicious intensity at every turn; iris and violet, blue and black berries, the deepest purple plum, and cinnamon, clove and nutmeg riding on a soft leather saddle. The velvety tannins melt in your mouth, and the finish is long and developed. I bought this wine in 2009, so was thrilled to open it after 17 years of careful storage.

Eighty-four years of age, a 36 year old friendship, a 17 year old wine and innumerable memories – all in honour of one mom.

Posted in Cabernet Franc, cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet Sauvignon / Blends, France, Germany, Merlot, OTHER, Pinot Blanc, RED, Red, red wine, WHITE | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Tempranillo, López de Heredia – Viña Tondonia Rioja Reserva, Rioja DOCa, Spain, 13% abv., 2008, C$100

Posted on May 21, 2026 by winellama

My heart dropped.

I had opened the López de Heredia – Viña Tondonia Rioja Reserva 2008 for a dinner with some German guests and was hoping it may still be in a drinking window.

It wasn’t even close. The 2008 had died – it was lifeless with no aroma or flavour.

Luckily, I had a bottle of the same wine from 2011 waiting in the wings and thankfully, it had plenty of life in it yet.

On the eyes, it was a translucent shade of ruby with developed aromas of dried strawberry and preserved red plum. The palate showed more dried and super ripe red and purple plums and strawberries, alongside nutmeg and cinnamon with sweet cured leather glove.

Let this be a lesson to all ye who, like me, forget to track and drink on time! Seriously – it’s embarrassing. Invest in some software already! The excel spreadsheet is no longer doing the job.

We opened and enjoyed this with bbq’d ribs and fresh garden salad in April 2026 (15 years old). If you’re holding, get going and drop me a line in the comments if you use tracking software or an app you think I should know about.

Posted in Graciano, Grenache / Garnacha, Mazuelo, OTHER, RED, red wine, Spain, Tempranillo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Discover Farm-to-Table Dining in Bratislava’s Old Town at Pod Kamennym Stromom

Posted on April 1, 2026 by winellama

We were walking in Bratislava’s old town looking for an authentic Slovakian restaurant when we spotted intriguing signs promising true Bratislavan farm-to-table cooking in a 13th century cellar, and Slovakian wines, spirits and beers, with ‘no Heineken bullshit’.  I laughed out loud.

Then, we read the second guarantee, ‘Not a tourist trap!’  We were in.

Marek greeted us literally with open arms and invited us to dine in the courtyard or downstairs in the cellar, renovated in 2010.  It was cold – we chose the cozy downstairs cellar.

The menu changes daily depending on what is possible from his small village suppliers.  So, that afternoon we had zander (a Slovakian fish, aka pikeperch) and potatoes, prepared with local cold-pressed sunflower oil.  We also devoured the best pirogis of the trip, stuffed with fresh sheep cheese and sprinkled liberally with the most delicious pork belly we’d ever tasted.

A kindred wine lover, and proud Slovakian, Marek really understood my local wine tasting goals, and brought several options to the table made by Vino Šimonovič winery, located north of Bratislava in Modra’s Little Carpathians region.

There’s a common naming convention for many modern indigenous Slovakian-bred grape varieties; red grapes are named for rivers, and white grapes are named for castles and castle ruins, of which Slovakia has the highest number per capita in the world.

This naming convention only applies to new hybrids though; the most commonly planted varietals in Slovakia are still traditional European varieties such as Grüner Veltliner (Veltlinske) and Rizling Vlašský (Welschriesling).

Eighty percent of Slovakian wines produced are white – and there are some excellent ones.  With my zander, I enjoyed Šimonovič’s Devín (Traminer x Veltlinske, named after that town’s castle at the former Iron Curtain) – pale lemon colour and intense aromatics of white peach, apricot, honey and white flowers, with strong minerality and good acidity.  I finished with some Dunaj (named after the Danube) with fresh and crunchy raspberry, black and sour cherry, and red twizzler on the nose and palate.

Dessert for me was a delicious Slovakian digestif – Višňovica, a cherry spirit, hot at 42% abv and reminiscent of sour cherries and marzipan.

We loved this lunch and Marek so much, we came back the next day prior to leaving for Vienna for more fish (carp this time), pirogis, wine, and Hruškovica (pear brandy).

You cannot go wrong if you choose to meet Marek and enjoy his food and genuine hospitality.  He will recount stories of growing up in Slovakia under the Communists and his first trip to the West as a teenager, how his grandparents endured (like many of their generation, they were born, lived and died under as many as 6 different regimes), and how rough it has been to operate his restaurant through Covid and other challenges. 

Yet he has endured.  This was no ‘tourist trap’ – only the best hospitality, food and wine Bratislava has to offer.

 

 

 

Posted in Devin, Dunaj, RED, Slovakia, WHITE | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Some Spanish Wines to Start the Year

Posted on January 16, 2026 by winellama

Everyone has one of those moments – either they enjoy a special bottle, travel to a specific wine region, or they have a wine experience that helps them decide that this wine thing is their new passion.  Mine was a trip to Spain.

In 2009, I was invited to Spain for 10 days and hosted by various business partners.  The wining and dining left a significant imprint – so much so that I was inspired to start the WSET journey culminating in the Diploma.  

As a result, often when I do bespoke tastings for groups, I highlight the wines I love best from Spain – and that’s what I did at my Mom’s long term care retirement facility to start off the new year.

We started off with a white Rioja made of Viura (aka Macabeo) – I’ll never, ever forget there is a white Rioja, because I got that question wrong on an exam once.  I stood corrected, and have enjoyed them and their creamy lemon, pineapple and white peach profiles ever since.  

I picked Rioja because it is one of two Spanish DOs that have the higher C/Q quality rating, the second being Priorat where I visited in 2015.  It’s really difficult to find Priorat reds with accessible price points, but the 2021 Els Pics (‘The Peaks’) by Bodegas Mas Alta fit the bill.

We talked about the llicorella (blue slate) soils these Carinyena and Garnatxa grapes grow in with their roots that extend into for up to 40m, and the deep currant, plum and umami aromas and flavours that permeate the wines.

The last wine proved to be a bigger hit than I’d imagined.  I’d been ready for push back, but the Gonzalez Byass Jerez DO Oloroso off dry sherry paired with a kit-kat bar was the most popular one of the afternoon.  In fact, when the GM walked in at the end of the tasting, the residents were vocal about wanting to see it put permanently on their evening drink card.

I’d also visited the Sherry Triangle in 2017, and had brought home some examples of the unique chalky, powdery albariza soils famous for growing the Palomino grapes Sherry needs.  Again, it’s hard to imagine someone thought 3,000 years ago, ‘Hmmm, let’s plant some vines and see what happens’ in soil like that.

There were a few more converts to Spanish wine that afternoon.  Salud!

Posted in Carignan, FORTIFIED WINE, Grenache / Garnacha, OTHER, Palomino, Pedro Ximenez / Pedro Gimenez, RED, red wine, Sherry, Spain, Viura / White Rioja, WHITE | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Discover New Grapes: A Global Wine Adventure

Posted on November 7, 2025 by winellama

Recently I had the opportunity to introduce 20 lovely people to 9 different grapes from 5 different countries, in 3 different sparkling wines, and 2 still ones.

I am not a fan of boring wines, nor of showing people what they already know and love (or don’t).  So, this was a great chance for me to win a few converts to new wine styles and grapes.

When everyone was arriving, we started with a small glass of Bella’s sparkling Blanc de Blancs Chardonnay.  Bella is Canadian and located in the Okanagan Valley’s small town of Naramata.  I paired it with two classic matches – Ruffle potato chips and popcorn.

Wine number two was another sparkler – but this time, a Cava from Penedes made of Macabeo, Parellada and Xarello.  Only two people had tried a Cava before and it proved to be a big hit when paired with some Iberian ham and Manchego cheese.

Everyone has had Prosecco, so I introduced the group to an Italian Lambrusco which was an enormous hit.  Shockingly, only one person had tried Lambrusco before, and not like this one – beautifully light and frothy, slightly off dry and fruity with rosemary and watermelon aromas and flavours.  The bruschetta appetizer matched the wine’s acidity perfectly.  This wine was a highlight of the evening.

For the first still wine, we had Domaine Wachau’s entry level Gruner Veltliner from Austria.  A new experience for everyone there, it was phenomenal with the schnitzel and creamy coleslaw.  Dill, white pepper and tarragon in both the food and the wine showed beautifully and the acidity kept us wanting more.

We finished with the Jeune Red from Lebanon’s famed Chateau Musar.  No one had known that the wine referenced in the Bible (turning water into wine…) is believed to have been from what is now the Bekka Valley.  The Lebanese (aka The Phoenicians) are the ones who introduced wine to Greece and Rome.  Wine has a solid 6,000 year history in that region of the world.  And this lovely red of Cinsault and Syrah was perfect with our mini soft pita and beef topped with tzatziki.

It really was a phenomenal evening – with lots of laughter and chatter.  My watch warned me several times it was dangerously loud!

That’s how wine should be – fun, and loud, and new, and exciting.
Mission accomplished.

Posted in Austria, British Columbia, Cava, Chardonnay, Cinsault, Lambrusco, Lebanon, Macabeu, Macabeu/Viura, OTHER, Parellada, RED, Shiraz / Syrah, Spain, Sparkling Wine, WHITE, Xarel-lo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment