Slovakia (officially the Slovak Republic) is a landlocked country, described as being either on the eastern edge of Western Europe or on the western edge of Eastern Europe. This dichotomy reflects the state's recent history of frequent political unrest in the region. The land that is now Slovakia was an integral Part of Hungary">Hungary for almost 900 years, but became independent when the Austro-Hungarian Empire was dismantled after World War I. Almost immediately, Slovakia became a part of Hungary.
Almost immediately, Slovakia aligned with Bohemia and Moravia (now the Czech Republic), Silesia and Carpathian Ruthenia to form Czechoslovakia. This union lasted until the Velvet Revolution of 1989. Since 1993, the Slovak and Czech Republics have remained cordially independent.
Since the dissolution of the Eastern bloc and Slovakia's separation from its western neighbour, the Czech Republic, Slovakia has adopted its European status.
It joined the European Union and NATO in 2004, the Schengen area in 2007 and the Eurozone in 2009. It is now one of the fastest growing economies in the OECD, and its once troubled wine sector is showing signs of recovery. Although early attempts to privatise the sector failed, New wine laws and the continued growth in global wine consumption have revived the country's wine producers. The majority of Slovak wines are still sold on the domestic market or in neighbouring Poland and Ukraine, but a small number of producers are ready to develop international export markets.
Cabernet Franc is one of the oldest red grape varieties in Bordeaux. The Libourne region is its terroir where it develops best. The terroirs of Saint-Emilion and Fronsac allow it to mature and develop its best range of aromas. It is also the majority in many blends. The very famous Château Cheval Blanc, for example, uses 60% Cabernet Franc. The wines produced with Cabernet Franc are medium in colour with fine tannins and subtle aromas of small red fruits and spices. When blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, it brings complexity and a bouquet of aromas to the wine. It produces fruity wines that can be drunk quite quickly, but whose great vintages can be kept for a long time. It is an earlier grape variety than Cabernet Sauvignon, which means that it is planted as far north as the Loire Valley. In Anjou, it is also used to make sweet rosé wines. Cabernet Franc is now used in some twenty countries in Europe and throughout the world.
red wines from the region of Slovak Republic go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or spicy food such as recipes of adapted vietnamese fondue, ghormeh sabzi (iranian herbed lamb stew) or kimo (malagasy dish with beef).
