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 Producer:
Gravner
Region: Friuli
DOC(G):
Collio
About the Producer:
Clay amphorae are
believed by many to be the first tanks ever to hold wine—historians
have traced back more than 4,000 years with documents from Georgia
(formerly in the USSR) that reveal this ancient practice. In contrast,
today's Friulian winemakers have embraced words like stainless steel,
temperature control, and barrique. Ironically, it was Josko Gravner
who helped pioneer the use of these tools. However, the iconoclastic
and ever-changing Gravner has taken on a new "old" approach.
Contradiction? No. Experimentation? Yes. The relentless passion for
perfection through experimentation changed his philosophy, as Gravner
was among the first to combine bio-dynamic winemaking with a more
traditional, unintrusive style in this white wine epicenter.
Gravner is a proponent in the use of open-top wood vats, extended
maceration on the grape skins, no added yeasts, no sulphur dioxide,
and no temperature control—purely natural winemaking. This is
Josko's current position, and he employs both amphorae and large oak
barrels to make his three wines; Collio "Breg," Ribolla
Gialla, and "Rosso Gravner." The grapes for these wines
come from his 18 hectares of vineyards in Gorizia (Oslavia) that straddle
the Italian-Slovenian border. It is here that he exercises his current
approach to wine: "I am convinced that wine is a product of Nature,
not of Man, whose role therefore is to accompany its maturation process
while avoiding any artificial intervention."
*If you enjoy the wines of Gravner, be sure to visit Damijan
Podversic (read below), who was once apprenticed to Josko and
ascribes to the natural style of winemaking.
Related Wines and Links: Bastianich,
Damijan, Gravner,
Jermann, Kante,
La Castellada, Lis
Neris, Meroi, Miani,
Movia, Schiopetto,
Vie di Romans.
Featured Wine(s):
Gravner
"Breg"
Gravner Rosso
To purchase these wines, call our Portfolio
Managers at 212.473.2323.
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