04-09-2017
It’s a sure hit, when you follow the tip of Romano De Feo, Antonia Klugmann's partner and a great expert of wines from Collio, and beyond: «A good place for lunch tomorrow? Go to Aleks Klinec!». So we go to Medana, only eight kilometres from Argine a Vencò but already in Slovenia, if only by a few metres. The village is minuscule, little over 200 inhabitants (it’s a fraction of Brda), but there are two interesting places named “Klinec”, so you need to pay extra attention not to make mistakes. The first you meet coming from Italy, on the right, is that of Uroš Klinec, Aleks’s brother: we’re still in Plešivo, a hamlet on the border. There’s a large panoramic terrace where you can taste the excellent home-made prosciutto. Indeed Uroš makes some great cured meat and the restaurant – his wife Nejka takes care of the hospitality – is strongly meat-based. The building also holds a promising b&b with swimming pool (Plešivo 51a, 5212 - Dobrovo. Tel. +386 31 339463)
Simona and Aleks Klinec with their daughter Nika (photo by Tanio Liotta)
Aleks at work by the older stove (there’s a newer one too)
Ricotta, flowers and herbs. Tanio Liotta took the photos of the dishes
Mangalitza pork tartare with radishes and red bean leaves
Barley with asparagus and prosciutto
Baked lamb
A few months before bottling, the wines are moved into stainless steel tanks, in which they decant so as to become limpid. Only then they add a little sulphur to protect the wine from oxidation. They bottle without filtering and with a minimal quantity of added sulphites. This results in excellent nectars: Ribolla, Malvasia, Tocai, Pinot Grigio, Verduzzo, and then red wines like Merlot, Cabernet Franc, as well as some blends, «but I also want to make Schioppettino now».
Aleks Klinec and his wines
Vineyards in Medana
The chat ends in front of a selection of aromatised grappa, by the same winery, of course: which one is better, with mulberries, butcher’s broom, achillea, spinach, peach, rocket salad or linden? Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso
Aleks & Simona Klinec Medana 20, 5212 Dobrovo V Brdih, Slovenia Tel. +386 40 663322 www.klinec.si
An outdoor trip or a journey to the other side of the planet? One thing is for sure: the destination is delicious, by Carlo Passera
by
journalist born in 1974, for many years he has covered politics, mostly, and food in his free time. Today he does exactly the opposite and this makes him very happy. As soon as he can, he dives into travels and good food. Identità Golose's editor in chief