Gravner

The Gravner wine estate, located in the Friuli region of Italy, is considered by discerning connoisseurs to be the finest producer of white wines in all of Italy. The estate produces wines with a unique style and limits its production to 35,000 bottles per year.

The vineyards are situated around the village of Oslavia at an altitude of approximately 300 meters. The soils consist primarily of calcareous marl.

Francesco Gravner, known as Josko, has chosen to cultivate the vines at high planting densities—namely, 10,000 vines per hectare. His goal is to harvest the grapes at perfect ripeness without usingany inputs, either in the vineyard or in the winery. Josko Gravner’s demanding and unique approach sets him apart from other producers. In particular, he uses very distinctive 2,400-liter terracotta amphorae— custom-made and buried in the soil.

These amphorae are coated with beeswax and are all identical in volume.

The winemaking process is extremely meticulous: the grapes are harvested by hand—as one would expect—then destemmed and pressed in an old vertical press. The juice macerates for 7 to 8 months in contact with the grape skins without any temperature control; the amphora naturally and gently regulates the temperature.

The wines are then transferred to large Slovenian oak vats holding approximately 70 hectoliters, where they rest for 3 years with minimal intervention. At bottling, only a very small amount of SO₂ is added. Afterward, the wines age for two more years .

Josko Gravner’s unique philosophy and the reputation he has built stem from his constant pursuit of natural processes. He draws inspiration from readings about the Roman era and from several trips to Georgia, the birthplace of wine macerated in amphorae. What a remarkable journey, especially considering that Josko was one of the pioneers in the use of new oak barrels and temperature control.

The wines from the Josko Gravner wine estate are true gems, particularly his Ribolla cuvée, made from very old Ribolla Gialla vines—an indigenous Friulian grape variety whose name means “the vine at the top of the hill” in Slovenian.

The color isn’t particularly inviting at first glance due to the wine’s dark gold hue, which is the result of this long maceration on the skins. The wine is at once powerful, aromatic, and highly complex. Ribolla is undoubtedly Italy’s greatest white wine.