DVERI PAX & Co: The new stars on the wine lists come from Slovenia

Thursday, 16 May 2019

Included: five of the country's best winegrowers and the top ranks of the Austrian Sommelerie.

It was an exchange at the highest level: 25 sommeliers from the best restaurants in Austria - from Christopher Pohn (Stüva, 18 Gault&Millau points, Ischgl), Andreas Katona (Seerestaurant Saag, 17 Gault&Millau points, Techelsberg) to Giulia Kring (Restaurant Konstantin Filippou, 19 Gault&Millau points, Vienna), Patrick Hupf (Caramé, 17 Gault&Millau points, Velden) and Udo Riegler (ESSENZZ im Stainzerhof, 17 Gault&Millau points, Stainz).

Plus five of Slovenia's best winemakers - Danilo Flakus (Dveri-Pax), Nick Gee (Heaps Good Wine Company), Uroš Valcl (Marof), Miha Istenič (Istenič) and Stojan Ščurek (Ščurek).

"Slovenia has a large number of outstanding winemakers who are an asset to any wine list. Of course, those who rely on Slovenia's indigenous grape variety, i.e. Šipon, are always particularly exciting," summarises Andreas Katona. In addition to the quality of the wines, it is always the stories that a winemaker can tell about his products. The Dveri-Pax winery, which is owned by the Admont Benedictine monks and can look back on 800 years of tradition, is of course an impressive example of this.

"Slovenia is certainly on the rise as a wine country. Also because it represents so many different styles. For example, we can also offer the Sommelerie a wide range of wines with vintage depth - all the way back to 2005," says Danilo Flakus, cellar master and oenologist at Dveri-Pax.