Josko Gravner

Josko Gravner is a leading winemaker in the Collio Goriziano region, on the border of northeastern Italy and Slovenia. He is known for his unique, long-lived wines, made using ancient methods, and is particularly associated with orange wines, particularly his Ribolla.

The land holdings cover 32 hectares (79 acres), with 15ha (37 acres) planted to vines. The focus is on the the Ribolla grape variety, which accounts for 85 percent of plantings. This is supported by Pignolo, and small parcels of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Gravner's non-vineyard land includes former vineyards that were uprooted and returned to a wild state.

Since the 2001 vintage, all of Josko Gravner's wines have been fermented for six to seven months in large amphorae imported from Georgia, the home of the method. These are buried in the cellar in the traditional way, and need no temperature control and little intervention. When the fermentation is finished, the wines are aged for three years in oak casks of various sizes. In addition, production in both the vineyards and winery follows lunar phases – for example, the wines are only bottled during a waning moon.