Gravner, Radikon

Friulian Orange Wine Odyssey

In 1996, hail destroyed 95% of Joško Gravner's harvest. With what little remained, he left the skins on. What fermented in the tank changed wine history. Today, 47 Georgian qvevri are buried in his underground cellar — the largest collection outside Georgia — and the Ribolla Gialla inside them won't reach you for seven years. Neighbor Stanko Radikon arrived at the same conclusion independently in 1995, then died days before harvest in 2016, leaving his son Saša to finish the vintage alone. In Oslavia, on hills that hold 57,201 war dead beneath the ponca soil, you can visit both cellars and taste the amber wine that rewrote the rulebook.