The official classification of quality depends on the type of grapes used, the quality and per acre yield of the vineyard, the sugar content of the must, the winegrowing process, and the results of official testing.
May be produced with grapes from various sites. Two subcategories of table wines are recognized:
Kakovostno vino ZKGP
(Quality
Wine with
Certified and
Controlled Geographic
Origin)
These are wines of controlled geographic origin from a specified region, area, and site. They must be produced from grapes that are legally defined as preferred for cultivation in the area, must be processed in accordance with the customary winegrowing procedures of the area, and must exhibit the distinguishing characteristics of the grapes and wine of the area. In official testing, these wines must be awarded at least 16.1 points on the Bauxbaum scale.
Quality wine must be produced from grapes that have at least the proscribed minimum sugar content defined for the specific types of grapes produced in the area. A sugaring permit is issued only in exceptional cases when the sugar content of specific grape of a particular vintage is less than the officially defined minimum - this is not a producer's decision. Furthermore, only dry wine may be produced from sugared must.
Kakovostno vino must be produced, "schooled," and matured in the stated area but upon receipt of an official permit may be bottled outside the area, although within the same region.
Vrhunsko vino
(High-Quality
Wine)
The production of high-quality wines (officially labeled Vrhunsko vino) is particularly strictly supervised by the Slovene Wine Growers and Producers Association. To qualify for this label, a wine must first qualify as Kakovostno vino. It must be produced from grapes picked at officially proscribed times, and the harvest must be registered for the production of Vrhunsko vino beforehand. The wine can only be produced from unadulterated must: sugar or concentrated must cannot be added, and the reduction or augmentation of acids is not allowed. The production of sparkling wines is, of course, regulated separately as sparkling wines cannot be produced without addition of the liqueur de tirage.
In official testing, these wines must be awarded 18.1 points or more on the Bauxbaum scale. Vrhunsko vino must be produced, "schooled," matured, and bottled in the stated area.
The legislation further defines "predicates" or special quality characteristics that are a consequence of natural processes in the grape or maturation as opposed to special quality derived from the method of production, for example, sparkling wine or barrique.
The characteristic qualities of a wine become more pronounced in a late harvest wine, with higher alcohol content, more matured acids, and (usually) some residual sugar - late harvest wines also age better than regular harvest wines.
An Izbor wine displays the intensified characteristics of the particular wine. It is usually somewhat more alcoholic and sweeter than the "standard" wine - in all other aspects, it should be equivalent to the regular harvest wine.
Jagodni izbor is a step farther from Izbor, with a more intense taste and a stronger alcohol content. It is always semi-sweet to sweet because of the high sugar content of the must. Jagodni izbor is usually served as a dessert wine or an aperitif, chilled to 6 °C (42.8 °F).
One must bear in mind that Botrytis cinerea is only beneficial to white grapes: on red grapes, the noble mold quickly destroys the pigments. Therefore, there are no Suhi Jagodni Izbor red wines.
Making Suhi Jagodni Izbor wines is a risky process. Rain water is quickly absorbed by partially dried berries, the sugar content drops 1 - 2%, and after every rainfall the berries require at least a week to dry to the pre-rainfall level. In addition, the berries begin losing their natural protection against mold and rot as they begin drying, so just four days of continuous rain will cause irreparable damage and the vintage will be lost.
These wines are excellent when young but will also age very well and continue to improve for even over one hundred years. Suhi jagodni izbor wines are semi-sweet to sweet and should be served at 6 °C (42.8 °F) as dessert wines with light cakes, chocolate mousse - or simply by themselves.
The risks are much the same as for Suhi jagodni izbor, only more so. While grapes may be suitable for Suhi jagodni izbor even in November - if the autumn has been dry and warm enough - Ice Wine grapes must wait for frost, sometimes as late as early January.
Ice Wine is always semi-sweet to sweet. The wine is usually of a light yellow to yellowish-green colour. To retain ice crystals in the skins, the berries must be pressed lightly, so very little pigment is extracted from the skins and pulp.
To enjoy Ice Wine, one does not need to age it. The acids have already matured in the berries, and a partial "mating" of sugars, acids, and aromatic oils also occurs before the berries freeze. The fermentation of the must into wine is done at relatively low temperatures so that the process is slow, further enhancing the "mating" of alcohol, aromatic oils, acids, and sugar. Ice Wine improves slowly with aging and will not pass its prime for decades. The high acid and alcohol content acts as a preservative and keeps the wine alive for decades, a very fortunate circumstance as successful Ice Wine vintages are rare and well worth stocking.
Ice Wine is a dessert wine and should be served chilled to 6 °C (42.8 °F). Depending on the type, it should accompany subtle sweets such as the Sachertorte or more aromatic desserts like potica (a traditional Slovene cake) with blueberries or tarragon.
