Azienda Agricola Gravner Francesco

Common questions

• Where is Azienda Agricola Gravner Francesco located? add remove
  The estate is in Oslavia, a hamlet a few kilometres north of Gorizia in Friuli Venezia Giulia, on the Italian side of the border with Slovenia. The cellar address is Località Lenzuolo Bianco 9, 34170 Oslavia (GO). The vineyards lie in the Collio Goriziano, on south-facing slopes of soft ponca rock.
• Is the Gravner winery the same as Joško Gravner's estate? add remove
  Yes. The company is registered under the name Azienda Agricola Gravner Francesco, after Joško's father Francesco. Joško Gravner is the winemaker. His daughter Mateja Gravner runs the day-to-day work alongside him.
• Can I visit Gravner for a tasting? add remove
  Visits run by appointment only, for up to six people. A guided tour lasts around two hours and fifteen minutes. It moves through the vineyards, the buried qvevri cellar and the big-cask room, and ends with a tasting of three wines. Book through [email protected] or +39 0481 30882. Tours are offered in English and Slovenian.
• What does Gravner make and which grapes does the estate grow? add remove
  The flagship is Ribolla Anfora, a Ribolla Gialla fermented on its skins and aged about seven years before release. Bianco Breg is the white blend. Rosso Gravner is made only from Pignolo, and Rosso Breg is a red blend. The estate farms around 33 hectares and sells roughly 35,000 bottles a year, mostly Ribolla. International grape varieties have been phased out.
• What are qvevri and why does Gravner use them? add remove
  Qvevri are large clay vessels buried in the cellar floor. Winemakers in Georgia have used them for at least 8,000 years to ferment and age wine. Joško Gravner visited Georgia in 2000 and adopted the method from the 2001 vintage. It lets him make wine without temperature control, without additives and without any taste of new oak. Forty-seven qvevri now sit beneath the Gravner cellar.
• Is Gravner certified organic or biodynamic? add remove
  No. The farming follows organic and biodynamic methods, but the estate holds no certificate. Joško Gravner has said he works that way for the vineyards rather than for the label. Since the family left the Collio DOC in 2007, the wines have been bottled as IGT Venezia Giulia.