Gostilna Repovž

MICHELIN Guide Slovenia : local wines and fine cuisine, a winning combination

"For more than three centuries in the picture‑perfect village of Šentjanž in hilly Dolenjska, this Bib Gourmand–awarded hub of social gathering has been nurtured by the Repovž family; you will immediately feel at ease in its warm, neat decor, where tradition is a source of pride. Today, the adorable Grega runs operations and presides over an incredible cellar of more than 300 wines, a veritable library of Dolenjska and Posavje; after solid schooling in oenology, he was the first to draw attention to these neglected local wines and helped spark their renaissance. “A few years ago, Dolenjska wines were struggling to exist in the Slovenian wine landscape. I wanted to bring them to the fore,” he says. Many are made with modra frankinja (Blaufränkisch), omnipresent in the region and now his favourite—“In my cellar, I think I have almost every one of the country's Blaufränkisch. This means I can assess our level of expertise.” His advocacy created new momentum and close ties with regional producers, notably François Botton of Domaine Slapšak, who crafts interesting traditional‑method sparkling wines and even temporarily hosted the restaurant during refurbishment—“a great opportunity to showcase our wines. Grega's customers trust him implicitly and they are right to do so.” In the kitchen, chef Metka Repovž and sous‑chef Sabina Repovž (Grega’s mother and wife) echo this philosophy with produce from the family garden and some 15 local organic partners—eggs, flour, cheese, meat, and cured meats from the surrounding area—while portraits of these partners on the walls celebrate a tight‑knit community." - Le Guide MICHELIN