Why Slovenia Has Become One of Europe's Best Food Destinations
' TRAVEL LEISURE - Alex Halberstadt '
With meals that feel like magic shows and brightly colored 
wines made by mysterious alchemical techniques, Slovenia has become one of the continent's most intriguing places to eat and drink. Alex Halberstadt falls under the country’s spell.
What we first noticed driving east from Venice were the sudden hills, fog clinging to their peaks, and the groves of persimmon trees, heavy with fire-orange fruit. Soon the signs changed from Italian to Slovene and four-sided Romanesque church towers began rising in the distance, and everything looked almost familiar, but not quite. The sensation wasn’t entirely unexpected. As a country, Slovenia is not even 25 years old, but for centuries its territory formed a buffer zone between larger nations, a land ruled by outsiders who left indelible traces before leaving. Visiting the country felt like being somewhere I’d never been but seemed to remember anyway.