Wine with Leslie: Exciting wines from lesser-known European regions

These wine suggestions are all from Central and Southern Europe

Fri, 19 Sep, 2025 - 01:00

The 2025 grape harvest is continuing and it looks like this year will continue the run of good vintages ending in a ‘5’ in France and Italy’s classic regions. But this week I want to look south and east to regions that deserve more attention.

Sinéad and Liam Cabot are hard at work in their vineyard in Slovenia and Sineád tells me that 2025’s vintage is early: “We had a dry spring, followed by a dry summer and whilst our heavy clay soils [old Pannonian seabed] have done us proud despite the lack of rain, we have smaller berries and thicker skins than usual [and] lovely trademark acidity in the fruit; gentle extraction will be the key to maintaining freshness in the Blaufränkisch.” See recommendation below.

In Montenegro my friend Sanja Radonjic manages ‘Plantaže’, the largest vineyard in Europe at over 2000ha (producing 17m bottles).

“This year has brought healthy grapes, higher yields, and optimal sugar levels with slightly higher acidity and lower pH than previous years [we have] faced challenges, however, prolonged droughts, 45% less rainfall than average, and extreme heat, [yet] grape health remained excellent,” she says. Now she just needs an Irish importer so we can all try her wines.

And meanwhile in Austria and Hungary the story is similarly positive. Franz Weninger who grows grapes in both countries (see his Ponzichter recommended below) is delighted with 2025’s ripeness and pH levels as well as cooler nights and extra rainfall, which promise “elegant, lively wines”.

Wine suggestions are all from Central and Southern Europe with the first appearance of a wine from Hungarian specialist Vinifinesse (vinifinesse.com), who specialise in sustainable and natural wines.

Gaia Agiorgitiko 2022, Nemea, Greece, €17.56

Gaia was founded in the 1990s and is one of the best producers in Nemea in the Peloponnesse, a wine region thousands of years old.

Agiorgitiko is Nemea’s sole red grape and can make everything from fine rosé to full-bodied oaked reds. Dark purple colour, violet tinged blackberry aromas, textured and layered with ripe black fruits, balancing acidity and solid complexity. Reduced from €22, so a bargain.

O’Briens

Ponzichter red blend, Austria-Hungary blend, €25

Austrian winemaker Franz Weninger grows biodynamic grapes in both Austria and Hungary.

This low-sulphur wine is made with Blaufränkisch, Cab Franc, Pinot Noir and Zweigelt; aimed at natural wine fans but accessible to the nat-curious. Bright juicy black cherry fruits, zingy, zippy and fresh, sour cherries and tang but properly lively and fruit forward. Serve chilled.

Lennox Grocer; Pinto Wines; BaRossa; Coopers; Delgany Wine Cottage; Lilith, lilith.ie

Roka Blaufrankisch 2022, Stajerska, Slovenia, €32

Liam and Sinéad Cabot began their Slovenian winemaking project in 2007 with just a couple of hectares and do everything themselves from pruning to picking and use minimum intervention winemaking practices.

This ripe bright Blaufränkisch has black raspberry and dark cherry fruits with textured tangy intensity plus texture and complexity. Also watch for their Muscat and Furmint.

No.1 Pery Square Limerick; Fíon Eile Phibsborough; Grapevine; 64 Wines; Wine Grove Castlebar

Beer of the week: Dungarvan West Coast IPA, 6.4% ABV, 500ml, €3.99

A new limited release from Dungarvan Brewery, their first West Coast IPA (I think). A collab with the San Diego Brewers Guild showcasing this attractive hop-forward style of IPA.

Hazy amber-gold colour, grapefruit and lime aromas with biscuity malt touches, bright and crisp with tropical fruit notes and good texture. The finish is hoppy and bracingly dry.