"Penina can conquer the world actually" - François Botton comments on Slovenian sparkling wine

François Botton is a French-born winemaker and sparkling wine specialist who has become an influential figure in Slovenia’s wine scene, particularly through his work with Domaine Slapšak in the Dolenjska region. He is originally from the Champagne region of France and studied winemaking at the Université de Reims in Champagne. Before moving to Slovenia, he gained experience working with prestigious Champagne houses such as Roederer and in consulting roles around the world. François also works as a consultant at the enological company Laffort, where he manages sparkling wine expertise for Central and Eastern Europe.

François brought Champagne-style expertise to the production of traditional-method sparkling wine - Penina. By combining French winemaking techniques with local Slovenian grape varieties such as Žametna Črnina (an ancient indigenous red grape), François contributed to a sparkling wine renaissance in the Dolenjska region and helped put Slovenia on the map for quality traditional-method sparkling wines.

Here are the highlights of our interview with François.

• My name is François Botton. I'm a winemaker born and raised in Champagne. 

  Bubbles - it's what I have in my blood since ever I'm in the wine industry.

  
  

• I came to Slovenia in 2009, because my wife is from here. She took me to Dolenjska sub-region where I discovered a new vineyard, a new place, a new grape variety… And I have just looked at the picture from another angle, which ended up with pointing out this Žametna Črnina.

  
  

• This is important to point this grape variety, because it ticks all the boxes we need for the great sparkling wine made with traditional method:

  
  

• Žametna Črnina - is a late ripening variety. While even Champagne is finishing their harvest at the beginning of September, probably we will finish harvest in late October.

  
  

• Žametna Črnina - is ripe, but this ripeness is bringing low sugar and very fantastic ripe acidity and balance.

  
  

• Žametna Črnina has a very sharp vertical acidity, which is the characteristic of a Chardonnay. But at the same time we have the fruitiness.

  
  

• Žametna Črnina develops extremely slowly,and shows really delicate evolutions. It never shows off right to your face, but offers different layers to discover: a touch of flower, a touch of red fruit, there is a touch of toasty. It has an elegance, but with a lot of complexity.

  
  

• Žametna Črnina gains its noblesse with the time

  
  

• By the way, it's been out there before Chardonnay! Žametna Črnina is the oldest vine in the world -  the same variety we work with is the legendary Stara Trta in Maribor. This is the great grandfather of Chardonnay!

  
  

• What is the magic of great wine? You open a bottle of a great, 30 years old Burgundy and you think it was made yesterday! And Žametna Črnina I believe has this potential.

You are welcome to check our video interview with François here

Photo: François Botton presents his new Penina - traditional method sparkling wine "Assemblage 211" created together with Miran Sirk