The English-language Slovak wine guide published a few weeks ago was written by Vladimír Hronský, well-known wine expert, winemaker and advisor. It is a high-quality publication and an interesting read showing how a virtually unknown country in the wine world can be introduced effectively and comprehensively. The 240-page book is not a never-ending list but a decent and logically structured guide. It contains descriptions of wine regions and varieties grown, typical wine styles, applied technologies and a separate chapter is dedicated to information on Slovak wine labels.
The author said that the 365 wines described were each tried twice waiting for 1-2 months between the tastings. The descriptions and the five-star ratings were made based on these tastings. Loads of information is provided about every wine in pictograms: the quantity bottled, the price category it belongs to, their respective alcohol content, whether barrel aging was applied or the maturation was performed on fine lees – just to mention a few. Wineries are introduced with the same care: in addition to the basic details we can also learn about the year of foundation, the hectare size used for cultivation, the number of bottles filled annually, and the results at recent international wine competitions are also enlisted. The guide also devotes some pages to Slovak cheeses, the description of major types and recommended wine pairings.
