Cork Club April 2025: Pikasi Wine from Slovenia

There’s no better introduction to these wines than this short video by Matic Rodica, the winemaker (and ballroom dancer) himself!

When Matic was growing up, his grandparents had their own wine grapes, and made their own wine (1 in 70 Slovenians do the same!). When he was a kid, his parents started producing wine, and gradually scaled up to a larger production - Rodica Wines.

Recently, Matic has begun to produce his own label, and that’s what we’re drinking this month!

Pikasi wines are practicing organic, and naturally fermented. The grapes are grown in the Brja Region of the Vipava Valley in Slovenia. Both Barbera and Pinela grapes are associated with this area.

Pinela

Chilled is a fine way to drink this wine, but just a bit warmer than chill brings out more of the flavor.
According to Petrič, another winemaker from the Vipava Valley, “Pinela drinks very well with cold meats, pasta, white meat dishes, salads with fresh cheese and roasted pine nuts and particularly with spinach and cottage cheese lasagna.” Yes, please!
This is the distributor’s tech sheet full of interesting information.

Barbera

Usually associated with Northern Italy, Barbera is also grown in the Vipava Valley in Slovenia.
Vinum is the distributor for Central/Southeastern Europe to the U.S., including Pikasi wines. They do a great job representing their winemakers, including detailed tech sheets. Here's the one for the Barbera from Pikasi.
An everyday wine, Barbera pairs well with richer, fattier foods including mushrooms, rich fish dishes, and meats.

Sheepscot General also carries a fabulous dessert wine by Matic’s family: Rodica Rumeni (Yellow) Muscat. I encourage you to try this lovely, interesting wine. Some folks think only red wines are cool, and say they don’t like sweet wine, but yet somehow they enjoy ice cream and cake… Some of the highest ranked wines in the world are dessert wines. Do give this one a try!

Other wines at Sheepscot General from Slovenia: