Borders have been in the news so often lately that they’ve a bad smell about them. For many, crossing the border has become the goal in an effort to claim a new way of life, if you’re coming in. If you’re being sent out, that’s another story.
Borders no longer represent hope of what might be; instead they’re turning into measures of all that’s lost.
Living where we do, we have three borders that are relatively close. With Croatia making a name for itself as being increasingly expensive, and Austria relatively expensive anyway, we’ve been visiting Slovenia quite a bit.
It has it all. Maribor and Ljubljana are excellent for city breaks. Ptuj, the oldest town in the country, is quirkier than usual around Lent with the big Kurentovanje festival. The hamlet of Jeruzalem has some of the prettiest wine country I’ve seen anywhere. Piran calls when our need for salt water is at its height.
This time around, though, we headed for Ljutomer. Not because the town itself, while pretty, and host to the annual Grossmann Fantastic Film and Wine Festival, was the draw; we went for the wine farm experience.
The film festival, now in its 21st year, was founded in 2005 to mark the centenary of the first Slovenian motion pictures were made by the hand of Dr Karol Grossmann. It was a no-brainer to add in the wine, and today, the focus is on…
… fantastic, frightening, fierce and transgressive movies that reach beyond ordinary genre conventions. Our aim is to return danger and boldness into modern-day cinema, which in its mediocrity, political correctness and desperate desire for mass appeal loses more and more of its former reputation, influence, creativity and consequently a lot of its audience.
Not my bag.
Our destination: the Farm Stay Frank Ozmec Wine and Glamping Estate.
The Frank-Ozmec family have been growing grapes here on their 6 ha since 1953. Today, they produce about 35,000 bottles annually, weather permitting, selling most locally under the Prlekus label.
In 1983, Vili and Vide opened the restaurant; in 2004, they added accommodation with 23 beds in 10 rooms and 3 glamping chalets. The two dining halls seat 95; it’s a perfect venue for family/group celebrations. Twenty-five beehives in the middle of the vineyard help with the pollination. They rear their own pigs and poultry; him-next-door has lamb on the hoof. With fish from the nearby fishing lakes and plenty of homegrown fresh veg, it’s a farm-to-table operation. All very environmentally friendly.
The hospitality was second to none.
The lovely Vide, who is very much in charge of the kitchen, is the spit and image of my good friend Donna. It was unsettling at first to see it, but as both women ooze the same mischievous sense of warmth, I soon felt right at home despite her English being as absent as my Slovenian.
We were greeted on arrival with a chilled spritzer, Slovenia’s version of the Hungarian fröccs. Our room was spacious with a TV, entryway, and ensuite. We shared a kitchen, a terrace, and a common area with other rooms. All very relaxed. We soon swapped out the complimentary bottle of wine in our room for a cold one from the communal fridge and settled in.
Dinner that evening was so fresh it practically clucked. Chicken broth with exceptionally tasty parsley, followed by a green salad with their own pumpkin oil that accompanied grilled chicken, zucchini, and rice. Dessert was vanilla ice cream drizzled with more pumpkin oil. I’m not a pumpkin fan, but this was a delicious, if unorthodox combination. It was simple fare that oozed recency.
We decided on a bottle of their Sipon (the Slovenian furmint) and then had to try a glass of the Renski Rizling, and the Rosé. The Rizling got our vote. We also tried the sparkling red. Vili made good on his promise to leave a bottle of the sparkling white, Under Pressure, in the communal fridge for us the next day, as their kitchen wouldn’t be open. I’d been looking forward to more fresh cooking but the wine took the edge off my disappointment.
The next day, after a leisurely breakfast of fresh meats, cheeses, and salads, with homemade bread and jams, we wandered the estate. It’s stunning. This part of the world is so picturesque. I had been hoping that the beehives would have the traditional painted facades, but I can’t have it all.
Afterwards, while I worked, himself borrowed one of their bikes to explore; he came back recommending that we walk to Ljutomer along the fishing lakes rather than brave the hills.
We pottered around the town looking for somewhere I could eat and eventually found somewhere that served up chicken and calamari. We were steps ahead of the rain; thunderstorms had been forecast. We made our way down to a café in the main square that he’d already sussed out as having plant-based milk. The rain appeared right as our taxi drew up. I felt bad for the festival stallholders – they’d no sooner set out their wares than they had to take them down. We had planned to catch the Walking Dead Duo on the open-air stage after the scheduled wine tasting later that evening, having bumped into one of them at dinner the night before, but the weather didn’t cooperate.
Knowing Vide had the evening off and the kitchen would be closed, we taxied back to pick up the car and ventured over to Murska Sobota for some tuna tacos at Gostilnica Franc. Had I not been driving, I’d have had a peep next door into the Bunker, a postapocalyptic steampunk bar, whatever that is when it’s at home. It looked interesting. I’ve made a note that Murska Sobota warrants further exploration.
We were in the market for some wine as we’ve rather a lot of visitors coming this summer. So, after breakfast the next morning, before we checked out, we stocked up.
We also took with us a bottle of their most expensive wine – a sparkling that has its secondary 14-month fermentation under the sea, in the Adriatic, between Zadar and the Kornati Islands in Croatia. It’s an expensive process involving divers and the risk of trawlers netting the lot when fishing. This happened one year – 200 bottles swiped at sea. We’ve not yet opened it, but am sure an occasion will present itself.
Before leaving the area, we tipped over to Jeruzalem to another favourite wine stop – the Puklavec family’s showroom. I’m quite taken with their new Sauvignon/Chardonnay blend.
It was a glorious few days – some work, some play, some great wine, some good food – what more could a body ask for?
We highly recommend the Frank-Ozmec experience. And we’ll be back.
