Chaim, I visited Slovenia a couple of times in the early '00s as a judge at the Ljubljana International Wine Competition, which was actually a pretty big deal. It's a sweet little country, small and scenic - like Italy's Friuli-Venezia Giulia, which it borders, it's billed as "Europe in a nutshell," extending from Adriatic beaches to Alpine peaks in a drive of a couple of hours. The one state of the former Yugoslavia that was not culturally Balkan, it's very western European in style. It borders both Italy and Austria, and its wine regions are pretty much like those they border. The wines can be very good. The food is mostly what I'd call "Eastern European." Heavy and meat-centric. The passage of a decade and entry into the EU may have added some Euro-style sophistication to the dining scene, but if you set your hopes toward hearty gemutlichkeit more than modern flair, you'll be less likely to be disappointed.
