March
24, 2008
Ancient
Rome's Modern Renaissance
In This Issue
An
Excerpt from Passion
on the Vine
The reason why I was sitting and eating jam
on bread in winemaker Josko Gravner’s
house in Friuli was that he had had an
epiphany, and I wanted to know what his
epiphany meant in practical terms. This man
had once been the most technically
advanced winemaker in the country, and now it
seemed he had flown as far back
in time as a winemaker can go. Gravner was
making wines in the ancient Roman style.
He was convinced that it was the only true
way to make wine.
In this concern, he was on his own. His
once-devoted
followers had abandoned him—some
understandably resented him. He had
guided them to the heights of modernism;
they had invested in what he recommended,
had hung on his every word. And now,
Gravner had unapologetically scrapped it
all. He was saying at wine tastings—with
the press in the room—that he would no
longer allow his family to drink
wine full of the laboratory-made products
he had once used.
As I sat in Gravner’s office eating that
jam on bread, what I really wanted
was to see the amphorae, so we started for
the cellar. Compared to many other
cellars—sparkling, spotless
showrooms—the place was downright
ramshackle.
It was a miniscule venture: several dank,
old-stone rooms, centuries of moisture
packed into their walls. The few windows
were draped in gothic fashion with spider webs
so thick and dusty that they looked like
worn black scarves. We walked until
we came to another room, a little lower
down. This was the amphora room.
Gravner’s amphora room was a strange,
medieval, windowless underground
space, the floors made of large planks of
rough wood laid over dirt. Every few
feet, there was a substantial opening in
the wood surrounded by a circle of
dry red clay. A quarter of the room was
merely a gaping cavity, a deep opening
of damp soil and rock, with a shovel
balanced in the corner.
“Here you go,” Gravner said.
The circles of dry red clay were deceiving:
each was, in fact, the lip of one
of Gravner’s 20 amphorae. The
actual structure—which resembled
a primitive vase so big that a human could
fit inside (and often did, to clean
it)—was buried in the earth. Some of
the amphorae tops were covered
with slabs of cardboard cut from moving
boxes. Other amphorae were open and filled
to the brim with juice: the amber grape
skins had risen to the top and formed
a cover so thick that it was impossible to
glimpse the liquid below.
“The ground has all the life you need to
give birth to grapes,” Gravner
said. “A vine needs the earth to make
a grape. Once you have that grape,
you need the earth again to make the
wine.”
We tasted the wine, taken from the
earthenware containers. It wasn’t like
his old wine. In fact, it wasn’t like
anything I’d ever drunk before.
I wondered, how would he describe the
difference between this and his old wine?
“I don’t have words for that,”
Gravner said—Non ho parole.
“How can you describe a soul? I can
tell you only that these wines have
real spirit.” Swirling and swallowing
the wine, I had to agree with its
maker.
I am giving you this excerpt from my memoir,
Passion on the Vine, because I’m
proud to feature the wines of Josko Gravner
this week. They are wines that are
inextricably bound to their location, wines
that celebrate their land and their
iconoclastic maker in each exuberant
sip.
Unless you’ve been unusually fortunate
and bold, you probably have never
tasted anything like Gravner’s wines.
These wines have a bizarre—but
beautiful—nose and a color that defies
convention, and because they’re
like a strange but gorgeous language that
isn’t immediately understood
by everyone, they sometimes scare
off potential drinkers with their sheer
unusualness. However, if you are a person
with an open mind, and if
you are, as I am, a person who believes
that a wine can possess a soul, you
might just fall in love with Gravner’s
wines.
I have—completely.
My best,
Sergio
For more accounts of Italian
wine, food
and life reserve my new book:
Passion On The Vine: a Memoir of Food,
Wine, and
Family in the Heart of Italy
New
Gravner Anfora '03
 5,000-Year-Old
Technique Revisited
IWM is proud to present the largest Gravner
offering in the world, highlighted
by Josko Gravner’s new releases
from the 2002 and 2003 vintages.
In the 2001 vintage, Gravner galvanized the
wine world, rejecting modern winemaking
not through a radical new technique, but
rather, an ancient tool—the
amphora (anfora in Italian). Through
this
approach, Gravner divested himself of
all connection to his past revolutionary
streak, as he permanently implemented the form,
with the intention of perfecting its use in all
future vintages. He fashioned
his 2002 and 2003 bottlings by this
provocative method, which he experimented
with on the side during a significant
transitional phase from 1997 to 2000.
This former practitioner of stainless steel
and barrique now believes that
the best wines derive from large terracotta
vessels (amphorae) that he lines with
beeswax, burying them in the earth up to their
necks. He complements this effort with a
regimen that
includes wild-yeast fermentation, steadfastly
rejecting
all temperature control and the use of
rotary fermenters or pumps. Gravner
has also refined his varietal selection:
while he used to produce single-varietal
bottlings of Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, and
Sauvignon Blanc, he now works on
a monovarietal basis only with Ribolla
Gialla, a grape he effectually reclaimed
for a modern audience during an
intensive study spanning two decades.
His efforts to comprehend this difficult
varietal’s character represent the work
of which
he is most proud. In fact, this wine and the
black Pignolo grape constitute the
future of Gravner, as he plans to
work exclusively with these two varietals
following the 2010 vintage. The 2003
vintage marked his first production of
a pure-varietal Pignolo, which will not be
released until 2013.
We have poured the 2001 Ribolla Anfora at
numerous IWM events. Invariably,
it elicits shock and wonder as guests
marvel at its deep golden, ciderlike color
and riveting
palate expression, marked by a sensuous
amalgam of citrus fruits, butterscotch,
minerality, and honey. It is, as we like to
say, a white that drinks like a
red, a quality established by the beautiful
evocation wrought by a significant
period of decanting (we often decant the
wine eight hours prior to serving)—a
procedure that is normally red wine's
provenance alone. In the opinion of
Gravner’s
son, Miha, a chilled bottle of Gravner is
simply a waste.
While Gravner has found his perfect medium in
the amphora, he will continue
to experiment with various elements of
the process. The maceration and aging
periods, in particular, vary by vintage,
yet they reflect Gravner’s
intent to continually experiment with
lengthier timeframes. The maceration
period—which is conducted on the
skins—is a minimum of seven
months: to put this timeframe in
perspective, it is interesting to note that
most whites
complete the maceration
phase in one or two days, with several
going through the process in a
few hours. For the '02
and '03 issues, Gravner utilized a maturation period
of four to five years.
Gravner
2003 Ribolla Gialla…$101.97**
Gravner
2002 Ribolla Gialla…$101.97**
Gravner
2001 Ribolla Anfora…$89.87
Gravner
2001 Ribolla Anfora…$188.74 (1.5L)
**Indicates prearrival
The
Last Bottles...
 Gravner 2000: Open Vat Fermentation
This will most likely be the final
opportunity to acquire a wine from
Gravner’s
quiet and relatively brief transitional
phase (1997 to 2000), when he began implementing
traditional, Old World techniques, with the most
provocative measure being his experimental
use of amphorae (utilizing a small cadre of
five). His
commercial releases, however, represent his
final use of open vat fermentation
in large Slavonian oak barrels. In this
approach, Gravner pressed the grapes
manually, fermenting them separately on
their skins in Slavonian oak for an
extended maceration period. Thereafter, he
removed the pomace and placed the
juice in large oak casks for a maturation
period of three years.
During this stage, Gravner also reduced his
portfolio of wines, choosing to
concentrate exclusively on three
bottlings—Ribolla Gialla, Breg, and
Rosso Gravner. As aforementioned, his work
with Ribolla Gialla is of particular
significance, as it has been the focus of
his concerted efforts and will, in
a few vintages from now, be the only white he
vinifies. Unlike many of his other
viticultural decisions, this actually
reflects a general predilection of Friulian
winemakers. A favorite of the iconoclasts,
Ribolla Gialla is prized for its
remarkable ability to age. One of
Friuli’s oldest indigenous vines, it
enjoyed the distinction of serving as the
wine of choice—under the name Rabiola
del Collio—in the Republic of
Venice.
Gravner
2000 Ribolla Gialla…$99.99**
Gravner
2000 Ribolla Gialla…$249.00 (1.5L)**
**Indicates prearrival
The Largest Collection
 Not
Even Italy's Wine Stores Have Such an Extensive Gravner List
If you were
to travel
to Italy, or more specifically Friuli, and conduct
an exhaustive tour of its wine
bars and wine stores, you would not
encounter a Gravner offering that comes
close to rivaling the one we present
herein. This Vintage Gravner list is unsurpassed
in the extent of its reach and in the
marvelously
brilliant clarity that even the oldest of its
bottlings conveys.
Several of these selections (predating
1997) derive from a period when Gravner
employed both stainless steel and
barrique. Breg—a white field blend
comprising Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling
Italico, Chardonnay, and Pinot Grigio—was
conceived in 1982 under the designation
Vinograd Breg and represents
the most distinctive and best known of
Gravner’s wines. From 1990 to
1991, the wine was known as Bianco
Gravner, though it was ultimately
christened Breg, its present name.
As Gravner’s Ribolla, it
is now fermented and aged exclusively in
amphorae. The pure-varietal
bottlings—Chardonnay,
Pinot Grigio, and
Sauvignon—represent Gravner’s
final efforts
with these grapes as single entities.
They all dramatically testify to Gravner’s
consummate skill at maximizing the
ability of these wines to age, particularly
with regard to Pinot Grigio and
Sauvignon, which are, in most other hands,
early-drinking wines.
This extraordinary list also includes one
of Gravner’s rare, esoteric
reds—Gravner Rosso—a wine
that no other retailer in the US carries.
At present, it is vinified outside of
Gravner’s amphora regimen “in
a very traditional way,” according
to Miha Gravner. This outside-the-amphora
approach entails a four-week maceration
period in wooden barrels, followed
by a minimum of four years’ aging
in Slavonian oak. While the Rosso
is typically a Cabernet–Merlot
blend, in
some vintages, it is vinified as
a 100 percent Merlot, the composition of
Gravner’s other red, Rujno.
Gravner has attained the pinnacle
expression of each form that he has worked
within. Coupled with our amphora and
transitional offerings, this extensive
body presents Gravner in all his
arresting stages of rebellion, integrity,
and soulfulness.
**Indicates prearrival
Movia's
Moonlight Way
 While
Gravner is the epitome of reserve and quiet dignity, the
spirit of the northeastern region's esoteric iconoclasts
is best captured in Movia’s Ales Kristancic, a
passionate, charismatic individual who holds
audiences captive with his impromptu
lessons on the principles that inform his
pure and unrivaled biodynamic regimen.
(Movia is the leading producer of Slovenia,
yet the estate cultivates vines that cross
the border, extending into the Collio region
of Friuli.) As with most artists,
Ales makes his methodology sound
simple—particularly
when his descriptions are punctuated with
expressions from his own lexicon
as well as intermittent periods of dancing.
His protocol, however, represents
a highly conceptualized regimen that
integrates natural winemaking principles
and an astute understanding of vine and
root management. Perhaps the most
fascinating aspect of
Ales’ approach is his grasp of
lunar phases and their relevance to various
stages in the vinification process.
Movia’s wines represent the ultimate
expressions in the biodynamic category,
and their modest price points—most
are under $40—seem to capture
the very engaging persona of the winemaker
himself. As Ales would say, “Zak,
Zak!”
Movia
2000 Puro…$49.50
Experience a Slovenian, biodynamic take on
Champagne—the purest expression of
sparkling wine produced in the world (and that's
including those from the soon-to-be-expanded
Champagne region). In
an inspired move, Ales takes a little
bit of liberty with the esteemed
méthode
champenoise in his Puro
bottling, bypassing the disgorgement
procedure and
leaving it all in our hands. This
limited-production sparkler—a
favorite of Sergio’s and the
IWM team—is a blend of 60% Ribolla,
30% Chardonnay, and 10% Pinot Nero
that truly brings new meaning to the phrase
“popping the cork.”
Also Available: Movia
2000 Puro Rosé…$46.20
(Click
here for proper uncorking instructions.)
Movia
2005 Lunar…$36.30
Gravner has taken himself out of the
winemaking process in dramatic fashion,
and Ales has done much the same with Lunar,
a pure Ribolla bottling. Officially
designated as a trial production, this is a
wine that celebrates Ales'
desire to serve as a conduit of wine as
opposed to its creator. Thus, with
the exception of the harvesting procedure,
the vinification regimen essentially
precludes human touch. Being on the
outside, however, can be quite demanding,
particularly as leaving things
to the will of the wine incurs substantive
risks, including possible loss of the
entire production due to spoilage.
In order to be hands off, Ales becomes the
consummate mind behind the wine, exercising a
command of both traditional
and biodynamic principles: after
placing the grapes in custom-designed
French oak barriques, Ales leaves the
grapes to ferment for a seven-month period,
which commences without pressing
of the grapes and proceeds without the
addition of chemicals. The wine is
not filtered prior to be bottled—a
natural “touch” attested
to in the wine’s visually arresting
appearance,
which is hazy and ciderlike in hue. This is
ravishing
Ribolla—struck by pure moonlight and
begotten by pure genius.
Also Available:
Explore Movia's true colors—click for this week's Featured
Sampler.
Toast these wines and more with the stunning Movia
Glassware.
In Vino Parentis
 The April edition of Gourmet magazine,
which just debuted on the newsstand,
celebrates Italy’s regional epicurean
delights, spanning the North to
the South and making special stops in
Umbria and the Veneto. IWM is proud to
announce that this last stop provides a
special context in which to showcase
an excerpt from Sergio’s
soon-to-be-released book, Passion on the Vine:
A Memoir of Food, Wine, and Family in the
Heart of Italy. Entitled “In
Vino Parentis,” this piece offers
Sergio’s perspective on Giuseppe
Quintarelli, the Master of the Veneto,
which he relates
over the course of
a dining experience dedicated to
Quintarelli’s wines and infused with
a little family drama….all resolved,
however, with a few glasses from this
quintessential wine artisan.
IWM
Wine Experiences
 View
all of IWM's Upcoming Events.
Collector's
Seminar:
The Killer B's—Barolo, Brunello, and Barbaresco
April 5, 2008 1:00-3:00 p.m., $125.00
Barolo, Brunello, and Barbaresco. They represent the most collected pure-varietal
wines of Italy, competing with the Grand Crus of Burgundy as well as the cult
favorites of California. Every week, IWM features some of the many sought-after,
limited-production wines that best represent each category. More often than not,
these wines require aging to display their full opulence. So before uncorking
these collectible and ageworthy gems, it is important to sample bottlings that
are both ready to drink and in a stage that illuminates the characteristics of
these often complex and sophisticated wines. This rare tasting has been designed
to aid the experienced enthusiast in selecting wines that are both capable of
aging and appreciating in value. Legends such as Bruno Giacosa and Angelo
Gaja will be showcased in addition to rising stars such as Poggio di Sotto
and Il Palazzone.
Participants Receive:
• Tasting Booklet that includes IWM's proprietary notes
• Sampling of regional foods prepared by IWM chefs paired with each wine
tasted
To learn more about IWM's Studio Regionale Saturday Tasting Series or to make
a reservation over the phone, contact Michann Thompson at 212.473.2323, x106.
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