As you report, wine production is making a comeback in former Yugoslavia (“Balkan Bottoms Up,” January 15, 2011). You mention only Croatia, Montenegro, and Macedonia, though. Slovenia’s wine production is perhaps the best in the region. In addition, Serbia and Bosnia are also striving to catch up with the rest of former Yugoslavia. Each former republic and now country’s comeback will follow a somewhat different path because many of the old connections have been lost during the many wars of the Nineties. But some are still there. Macedonia’s grapes are still exported in bulk to Slovenia and Croatia, where they can fetch much higher prices. But one change is typical of the region as a whole: ever-greater availability of imported wines, especially from Africa, South America, and Australia. These wines are often considerably cheaper than local wines. Many of them are appreciably better, as well. Hitherto kept out of reach by all sorts of legal impediments, not to mention prohibitive import duties, imported wines are now driving down the prices of local wines, the best of which are outrageous. For the price of an excellent French wine in London or Paris, you can get a mediocre Croatian wine in Zagreb, for instance. And for the price of an atrocious local wine, in the Croatian capital you can find a mediocre Macedonian wine. Happily, the days of extortion seem to be behind us.