GRAVNER

Josko Gravner is recognized as the ultimate pioneer who radically transformed winemaking in Oslavia (Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Northern Italy), sparking an "orange wine" movement that has spread worldwide. Among all the iconic Italian natural wine producers (such as Dario Princic, Paolo Vodopivec, and Angiolino Maule), Gravner is truly revered. He is also the only person whom the legendary Gianfranco Soldera acknowledged as a great white wine producer.

His family originally produced simple table wines to sell in bulk. When he took over the estate from his father, driven by passion, he began implementing new technologies. He was one of the first producers in the region to adopt stainless steel tanks, producing clean, crisp wines from Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Grigio. Later, he began using barriques, aiming to emulate the Burgundy style alongside his neighbor, Stanko Radikon. They eventually transitioned to large wooden vats and experimented with skin-contact maceration for white wines. In the vineyards, he fully embraced sustainable viticulture, deeply inspired by Masanobu Fukuoka, which ultimately led him to adopt no-till farming.

On this journey, they discovered Georgian wine, which made a profound impression. They longed to visit Georgia, but as it was part of the Soviet Union at the time, travel was restricted. Although the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Georgia was immediately plunged into civil war, preventing Josko from visiting. It wasn’t until May 2000 that he finally set foot in Georgia. Georgia boasts an 8,000-year history of winemaking, traditionally crafted in qvevri (amphorae)—large clay vessels buried underground. Upon returning to Oslavia, Gravner cleared out his modern equipment, buried amphorae in his cellar, and crafted his first "Amphora" vintage in 2001.

His white wines consist of Ribolla Gialla (as a single-varietal bottling) and "Breg"—a blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Riesling Italico (with 2012 marking its final vintage before production ceased). Fermented by wild yeasts with no temperature control, the wine undergoes an extensive skin-contact maceration in the buried Georgian amphorae. After drawing off and pressing, the wine is returned to the amphorae for at least five more months before aging in large oak barrels for six years. The wine is bottled during a waning moon, without fining or filtration.

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