Josko Gravner lives just a few hundred metres away from the Slovenian border and surrounded by 18 hectares of vineyards, some of which are actually across the border.
Gravner is a real contadino (farmer) who, at the age of 10, was taught how to work the vineyards by his father. He is in love with his land, to the point of physically knowing each of his vines. Gravner does not follow any rules or programme for what ageing, bottling or length of maceration is required, simply because he listens to his wines every day in the cellar. His only rule is that wine is made by nature and not by humans, therefore it requires the least manipulation in the cellar and great attention in the vineyards. For Gravner, working with Mother Nature, not abusing it, is his prime concern and using lessons from the past rather than constant modernisation, has become his way of living.
Gravner wanted to understand wine better, so he went to to research at the real origin, in a country which has been producing wine for more then 3,000 years: Georgia. The result of this journey is that since the 2001 vintage his white wines have a 7-month long maceration in amphoras, a further 2 months in barrel and a refining period of 36 months in big barrel. Then of course there is the bottling, without filtration and clarification. His wines are amazing for complexity, aromas, tannins, freshness and style.