Slovenia

So when one of my favorite addictions–er, on-line retailers–Garagiste up in Seattle offered a three-pack of Slovenian whites to try, I jumped at the opportunity. The three-pack cost around $45, which meant there was a $15 investment per bottle for a Riesling, a Chardonnay, and a Sauvignon Blanc. Recently, I opened up the Sauvignon Blanc and was extremely pleased at my first foray into Slovenian wine.

You might not think “Slovenia” and “Sauvignon Blanc” in the same breath, but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t do so. Most parts of the globe have a history of wine-making, and that includes central Europe. I had some amazing Merlot when I visited Prague, and have enjoyed some wonderful Romanian wine here on the blog, and one of my all-time-favorite wines from Trader Joe’s comes from Hungary. As for Slovenia, they have a venerable viticultural tradition that goes back to pre-Roman times (check this site for more information). So don’t be afraid to try wine from regions you may be unfamiliar with, as they often represent very good value, as in this very good QPR example.

2008 Marof Sauvignon Blanc ( purchased in a three-pack from Garagiste; available in the market for around $11) This terrific Sauvignon Blanc had tart lemon pith, gooseberry, and lemongrass aromas and flavors. It was very clean and precise, without being overly herbaceous. A nice balance of fruit and acidity made it an ideal partner for food, and you can’t complain about the price! It would be excellent with all kinds of dishes, from salads, to fish, to roasted chicken with lemon. We had it with a soup made with ancient grains and vegetables, and the lively acidity was a lovely counterpoint to the earthiness of the kamut and lentils, and picked out the bright tarragon herbal notes.

National Geographic Kids Indonesia will be published by PT Penerbitan Sarana Bobo, the children’s publishing arm of Kompas-Gramedia Group, the largest media corporation in Indonesia. Each issue will be completely bilingual in English and Bahasa Indonesia.

Content for the magazine will be drawn primarily from the award-winning U.S. magazine National Geographic Kids and also will include local Indonesian content related to the environment, animal life and other topics that will excite kids about exploring their world. There will be 12 issues a year, and the magazine will be available by subscription, on newsstands and in Gramedia bookstores throughout Indonesia.

Local editions of National Geographic’s children’s magazine also are available in Bulgaria, Croatia, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Latin America, The Netherlands, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa (two editions), Turkey and the United Kingdom. This growth mirrors the global expansion of the famous yellow-bordered National Geographic magazine, now available in 32 local-language editions and read by more than 35 million people each month. The children’s magazines, which accept advertising, also sport the familiar yellow border.

“The growth spurt of our children’s publications allows National Geographic and the local-language publishers to reach an untapped youth market with this best-loved brand,” said Society President John Fahey. “Giving young people in Indonesia a window to the world in their own language through National Geographic’s incomparable photographs and storytelling is a compelling way to spread geographic knowledge and to extend the Society’s mission to inspire people to care about the planet.”

Founded in 1973, PT Penerbitan Sarana Bobo is the largest publishing company and market leader for children’s magazines in Indonesia, with publications for children of all ages from toddlers to secondary school students. With a focus on information, communication and education, the Kompas-Gramedia Group has in the past four decades diversified its media business to include regional newspapers, books, magazines, a television channel, radio, bookstores, hotels, real estate development, travel bureaus and tissue paper production.

Editor-in-chief of National Geographic Traveler Indonesia is Tantyo Bangun, a documentary filmmaker and photographer, who also edits National Geographic magazine. Published under license from the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C., each issue of National Geographic Traveler Indonesia will adhere to the core principles of the U.S. edition — culture, authenticity and sustainability — while also exhibiting a unique local editorial flavor. The Bahasa Indonesia edition features about 40 percent of the English-language-edition content and 60 percent new editorial material.

Local-language editions of National Geographic Traveler are also available in China, Spain, Russia, the Netherlands, Israel, Poland, Slovenia, Latin America, Armenia, Czech Republic, Croatia and Romania.

“National Geographic Traveler tells incomparable stories about the peoples and places of the world. Leading with an insider’s perspective, we emphasize the intrinsic flavor of each place we cover,” said Keith Bellows, editor of National Geographic Traveler.

In addition to the Bahasa Indonesia editions of National Geographic magazine and National Geographic Traveler magazine, the National Geographic Channel also is available in Indonesia, on four pay-TV platforms: Indovision, First Media, Telkomvision and Indosat. Additionally, the Nat Geo Adventure channel is available on First Media, Telkomvision and Indosat.

Simon van Lierde of the Netherlands is the grand-prize winner for his photograph of a child swinging, in the People category. The first runner-up is Lilla Balajthy of Hungary for her photograph of ants on a beach, in the Animals category; second runner-up is Carolyn Faye Twersky of Connecticut, for her photo of pipe art, in the Scenery category. As grand-prize winner, van Lierde will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C. The runners-up will receive a certificate of merit from National Geographic.

The three winning images were chosen from more than 15,000 entries from the participating editions. Each edition held local contests, and in the final round they sent one photograph from each of the three categories to National Geographic’s headquarters for judging by National Geographic Kids Editor in Chief Melina Bellows, National Geographic photographer Annie Griffiths Belt and National Geographic Kids Photo Director Jay Sumner.

The local-language editions of National Geographic Kids that took part in the contest along with the U.S. edition were Bulgaria, Croatia, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Latin America, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, Turkey and United Kingdom.

National Geographic Kids, geared towards children ages 6 to 14, is an interactive, multi-topic magazine covering animals, entertainment, science, technology, current events and cultures from around the world. It is now published in 18 local-language editions.

National Geographic is synonymous with unparalleled photographic excellence. The magazine draws on the best photographers around the world and devotes more resources to photography than any other general- interest magazine. Since the 1890s, National Geographic photographers have captured images where readers could not go themselves: places too far, too deep, too dark, too dangerous. Recent advances in photographic technology have illuminated and captured much of the previously unknown.

Through the lenses of National Geographic’s photographers, readers have been able to view unique life forms on the ocean floor, visit sunken ships, explore Egyptian tombs, “see” the temperature ranges of a star, discover the hidden world inside our bodies, observe the microscopic world of molecules and subatomic particles, and savor the perfect structure of a snowflake.

Today, National Geographic’s photographic archive contains 10.5 million images; a selection of these is available for advertising use. National Geographic offers photography workshops and expeditions and publishes photography field guides as well as signature coffee-table photo books.

National Geographic Kids Indonesia will be published by PT Penerbitan Sarana Bobo, the children’s publishing arm of Kompas-Gramedia Group, the largest media corporation in Indonesia. Each issue will be completely bilingual in English and Bahasa Indonesia.

Content for the magazine will be drawn primarily from the award-winning U.S. magazine National Geographic Kids and also will include local Indonesian content related to the environment, animal life and other topics that will excite kids about exploring their world. There will be 12 issues a year, and the magazine will be available by subscription, on newsstands and in Gramedia bookstores throughout Indonesia.

Local editions of National Geographic’s children’s magazine also are available in Bulgaria, Croatia, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Latin America, The Netherlands, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa (two editions), Turkey and the United Kingdom. This growth mirrors the global expansion of the famous yellow-bordered National Geographic magazine, now available in 32 local-language editions and read by more than 35 million people each month. The children’s magazines, which accept advertising, also sport the familiar yellow border.

“The growth spurt of our children’s publications allows National Geographic and the local-language publishers to reach an untapped youth market with this best-loved brand,” said Society President John Fahey. “Giving young people in Indonesia a window to the world in their own language through National Geographic’s incomparable photographs and storytelling is a compelling way to spread geographic knowledge and to extend the Society’s mission to inspire people to care about the planet.”

Founded in 1973, PT Penerbitan Sarana Bobo is the largest publishing company and market leader for children’s magazines in Indonesia, with publications for children of all ages from toddlers to secondary school students. With a focus on information, communication and education, the Kompas-Gramedia Group has in the past four decades diversified its media business to include regional newspapers, books, magazines, a television channel, radio, bookstores, hotels, real estate development, travel bureaus and tissue paper production.

Contestants ages 6-14 may enter the contest by submitting photos from now through Nov. 2, 2009, in any or all of four categories: People, Animals, Scenery and Humor. Each participating edition of the magazine will select one winning photograph from each category to be sent to National Geographic headquarters. The grand-prize winner will be selected in December by a team of three judges: Melina Bellows, National Geographic Kids magazine editor in chief; Steve St. John, National Geographic Image Collection senior editor; and Jay Sumner, National Geographic Kids photo director.

Winning entries from each country will be featured in that country’s edition of National Geographic Kids magazine. Details and official contest rules can be found at kids.nationalgeographic.com/contests/Photos.

National Geographic Kids, geared toward children ages 6-14, is an interactive, multitopic magazine covering animals, entertainment, science, technology, current events and cultures from around the world. The magazine has 16 international editions, including the U.S. edition that is also available in Canada.