The Zelen Consortium

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I know this sounds like something from The Da Vinci Code, but if you don’t hear from me on this blog again, you know you’ve either hit the jackpot or I’ve run away to join the Zelen Consortium.

Who wouldn’t?

They’re a bunch of Slovenian winemakers from a very photogenic region near the Italian border, and they have an admirable mission: to revitalise a grape variety, Zelen, which is indigenous to the Vipava Valley.

I’m mainly attracted to their philosophy, which is to protect and promote that which is no longer fashionable. Kind of like the vignerons’ equivalent of The Carpenters fan club.

Although it’s been around for centuries, Zelen fell out of favour some time ago. It’s been overshadowed by the global lust for Chardonnay and Pinot and all those other liquid refreshments.

The wine is straw-coloured, maybe a little bit greenish in a certain light.

It has a gentle nose, and you’d probably say it has fruity aromas of pear and apple.

All in all, it’s a rich, full-flavoured and very pleasant white wine with a clean, semi-dry finish. Low in alcohol, with an organic Slovenian flavour profile that you get nowhere else in the world. It’s very delicious. How do I sign-up?