Why might Slovakia be the next big thing in wine?

The Naughty Grape, an importer, distributor and retailer in London, has made a big bet on Slovakian wine. db spoke with its co-founders to understand the appeal.

Vitis vinifera, also known as the common grapevine, has grown in Europe for thousands of years. Refreshingly, even after all that time, it still has surprises for your ordinary consumer. Even in the so-called ‘Old World’ there are regions only just beginning to emerge on the international scene.

Any intrepid oenophile would do well to look at Central Europe. While Germany has an undisputed position as a prominent winemaking nation, others fly under the radar. Austria has only relatively recently commanded attention for its wines, while Hungary and Croatia are on the up as trendy sources of great value wine.

With such countries rooted in boutique winemaking rather than large-scale production, bringing them to the international stage is often a passion project. That has certainly been the case at The Naughty Grape, a London-based importer, distributor and retailer founded last year. It has championed an even more obscure source of wine to the UK market: Slovakia.

Love at first sip

Arguably the most famous wine region in Central Europe – especially when one excludes Germany – is Tokaj. The luscious sweet wines and, increasingly, fresh whites have a global reach, and have put Hungary’s wine scene on the map.

The region served as the genesis for The Naughty Grape. However, co-founders Darren Kirkham and Lucia Dovalova were not in Hungary at the time. They were a few miles northeast, over the border in Slovakia, enjoying a glass of sparkling wine at an iconic producer.

“Our very first Slovak wine was in the Slovak part of Tokaj (at Château GRAND BARI),” explains Lucia. “The scenery was stunning and, with a glass of their fizz, we were instantly captivated. It was genuinely emotional.”

In Slovakia – indeed, in Hungary too – the Tokaj region serves as a gateway for an entire nation. It is far from Slovakia’s only production area, however. The nation has six winegrowing regions.

Three of those regions – Little Carpathians, Southern Slovakia and Nitra – sit in Slovakia’s southwest, towards the capital Bratislava. This is the site of the majority of production, thanks to the flatter sites of the Danubian lowland.

Moving east, the Central Slovakia region sits to the south of the Carpathian mountains, hugging the border with Hungary. Further east still, extending as far as the border with Ukraine, is the Eastern Slovakia region, with the small extent of Slovakian Tokaj in the middle of it.

For Darren and Lucia, then, the challenge was not only to introduce the UK to Slovakian wine, but also to champion the breadth of production on offer. With varied terroirs and more than 800 wineries, you cannot simply rely on one or two big producers.

Lucia says, however, that it is part of the charm: “Slovak wines are artisan at heart – family growers, thoughtful farming, bottles that feel crafted rather than manufactured.”

Diversity at its core

An entire country’s production is almost impossible to summarise, but there are clues as to Slovakia’s place in the wine world. It is truly continental, sitting in the heart of the European landmass. It is also towards the northern limit of viticulture: Slovakia’s southernmost point is approximately in line with Chablis.

The wines thus show ripeness and intensity of flavour, but with natural brightness and a moderate alcohol content. That was the appeal for Lucia. “We fell for the energy,” she says, “that cool-climate snap of acidity, alpine-like fresh aromatics and a strong sense of place.”

The focus on terroir is made easier by Slovakia’s characterful array of grape varieties. Some of these are Central European stalwarts: Riesling, Furmint, Lipovina (Hárslevelű) and Frankovka Modrá (Blaufränkisch), for instance.

Others are true Slovakian specialities. Devín is a cross between Gewürztraminer and Roter Veltliner which gives spicy and floral flavours to wines, and is well suited to noble rot wines. Dunaj ((Muscat Buchet x Oporto) x St. Lauren), on the other hand, is used to make soft, full-bodied reds.

Both were created by Dorota Pospíšilová, a pioneering grape breeder who developed more than 20 varieties grown in Slovakia. She is perfect evidence of the diversity Slovakia can offer: its vineyards are not simply ‘cookie cutter’ copies of sites elsewhere, stuffed with international varieties.

At The Naughty Grape, a further element of the appeal is Slovakia’s winemakers’ open-minded approach to their craft. Freed from the binds of public preconceptions, they embrace a wide range of techniques.

In the portfolio, you will find wines made using conventional tools – oak barrels, stainless steel, lees stirring et al. make appearances. But so do wines made using innovative techniques to maximise quality. They run from the ancient – clay amphorae to add texture – to the cutting-edge – cryomaceration to highlight aromatic profiles – by way of ambient yeasts, co-fermentation and skin contact.

Ready for the market

Such niche varieties and considered practices are catnip for the wine nerd. Yet Lucia believes Slovakia is well-placed to break through more widely in the UK market.

“The UK is a fantastic place to be a wine lover,” she explains. “The palate is mature and curious – ready for uniqueness and quality.

“We’ve moved well past the old idea that the ‘best’ must be French. UK drinkers love discovering new regions and styles, finding value where they don’t expect it, and – crucially – choosing wines that are food-friendly. Slovakia delivers: clean, refreshing styles for by-the-glass, lower ABVs for midweek, and serious bottles for the enthusiast.”

Slovakia’s broad appeal has benefitted The Naughty Grape. Its portfolio has found customers for everything from £15 easy-drinking bottles to limited-edition premium options that can cost more than £50. Evidently, there is space for Slovakian wines at many tables.

Moreover, the company is embracing opportunities beyond retail. The wholesale arm is bringing Slovakian options to a range of venues and sellers. And events activities, for which Lucia and Darren travel the country, are spreading the good news about Slovakian wines ever further afield.

With the UK’s varied, oftentimes mongrel, cuisine, there are more than enough opportunities to try Slovakian wine. Lucia recommends Furmint with fish and chips, for instance, and rich Dunaj with roasts.

That is before encountering more unexpected styles. There is orange wine – perfect with roasted cauliflower – or off-dry Devín to match Sichuan noodles. Slovakia even produces traditional method sekt.

“It’s great as an aperitif, or with light fish and salads,” she advises. “Or just because it’s a Tuesday!”

Three of award-winners from The Naughty Grape’s portfolio – as judged by our Global Wine Masters experts – are profiled below.

Dunaj – Barrique 2020

• Producer: Vins Winery
• Region: Small Carpathians
• Country: Slovakia
• Grape varieties: 100% Dunaj
• ABV: 15.5%
• Approx. retail price: £35
• Medal: Gold

A complex and deeply colour red that is just starting to mature. Featuring notes of raisins, prunes and sweet balsamic, alongside red cherry and fresh plums, then cracked black pepper, cedar and chocolate, with a touch of Parma Violet on the dry, finely-tannic finish. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

Zlaty Roh Blanc 2021

• Producer: Zlaty Roh
• Region: Small Carpathians
• Country: Slovakia
• Grape varieties: 50% Riesling, 50% Gruner Veltliner
• ABV: 13.5%
• Approx. retail price: £26.50
• Medal: Gold

Mid-gold coloured, the wine shows vibrant pineapple, pear, greengage and green apple fruit enhanced by vanilla oak and butter and mandarin notes. Dry and quite full-bodied, the palate has crisp acidity and creamy texture. Well-defined flavours of fruit and nicely integrated oak are given added interest with accents of nuts, allspice and cinnamon. Lingering. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

Tokajský Výber 5-Putnový 2017

• Producer: Grand Bari
• Region: Tokaj
• Country: Slovakia
• Grape varieties: 34% Furmint, 33% Lipovina, 33% Yellow Muscat
• ABV: 11%
• Approx. retail price: £45
• Medal: Gold

A rare example of Tokaji-Aszu from across Hungary’s border in Slovakia, this 5 Puttonyos expression isn’t as hugely unctuous, but still has plenty of wonderful botrytised fruit characters – from raisin to dried apricot – as well as indulgent notes of candied citrus and a touch of burnt sugar. Medium weight and clearly sweet, but with plenty of orange zest to refresh the palate. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

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