Wine of the Week 11/12/19

Giocato Goriska Brda Pinot Grigio 2018

Regularly $14.99/On Sale for $11.96

Wine grapes have been grown in what is now Slovenia since before the Roman Empire, back to the time of the Celts.  Slovenia has always been the crossroads between north and south, east and west, so the wines have multiple influences. Aleks Simčič (SEEM-chitch) is widely considered one of the best winemakers in eastern Europe.  The Simčič winery was started by Aleks’ great-grandfather in what was then Italy, but in 1948, the borders shifted and the region of Goriška Brda became part of Yugoslavia. All wine producers under the communist rule were forced to cheapen their practices to make bulk wine for general Soviet use.  Many wineries did not survive. Somehow the Simčič family kept the winery together, and, after the fall of communism, re-established their own business, and began to make high quality wine once more. There are still considerable similarities between the winemaking in Goriška Brda and the Italian region of Collio right across the border, and Pinot Grigio is common to both.  The grape seems especially sensitive to the terroir where it is produced, so the influence of the Mediterranean and the mountains as well as the mineral-rich soil give the Giocato some pop.

Hand selected from some of the best sites along the Italian border, this 100 percent Pinot Grigio is fermented in stainless steel tanks, and bottled immediately after for maximum freshness.  If you’ve never had Slovenian wines, this is a perfect place to start!