A valley & hills, the wines of Western Slovenia

Year 14, No. 02

Growing up in the interior of California, right around this time of year we’d say something to effect of “God I hate ‘Janbruary’.”

Despite my home state’s reputation of being 100% Baywatch year round, the interior, especially up north is a really grim place towards the end of January until mid-February, as in, Coen Brothers, neo-noir grim.

Those stories of 100 car freeway pile-ups you’ll read about in the US? These happen in California’s Central Valley because of the dreaded “tule fog” which is this thick ground-based fog that’s nearly-impenetrable to light and wears down residents as it goes on for weeks at a time. Admittedly, watching True Detective’s “Night Country” lately, I’ll take two weeks of tule fog over a month of no sun above the Arctic Circle, any day.

I’ve found that here in Priorat, Catalunya, there’s a mild case of this as fog loves to creep up from the Ebre River this time of year, yet thankfully burns off midday given that we’re at an altitude of 300m. But in releasing the latest report on Vipava Valley & Goriška Brda in Western Slovenia, I was reminded of how overcast and murky it was when I was visiting that region this past October. It was such a stark comparison to when I was researching the Hvar Island Report in Croatia, back in October 2022, bathed in what was an eerily-warm fall. Who can predict the weather…

Janbruary does eventually come to pass, but if you’re in need of levity during your own, local Janbruary, then note that the Cul de Cuvée is now publishing (*) on its own site and the guest piece for this week is all about not being a ‘glass bore’. (*)

And perhaps some of us have reason to celebrate as Dry January has officially ended today? If this is the case for you (or you’re just drinking less wine in general) take a moment and come back around to wine, as you shouldn’t mess with the raw, doldrumming power of Janbruary. Go have something nice one of these evenings, just beware the ‘balsamics’. (*)

Drink well, be well.

-Miquel

(*) Free to read