An evening with Edi Kante

Our last visit to the Carso provided with us the opportunity to visit and taste with Edi Kante. In the mid-1980s, Kante tunneled deep into the limestone hillsides to form the basis of his cellar and then trucked in the earth to construct a vineyard, layer by layer, right over the top.

“For us, stone is life, you can taste hints of salt from the sea and minerals from the stone”

The estate is situated in the hills facing the Gulf of Trieste on the Adriatic Sea, whose brisk breezes allow the grapes to retain superior acidity, making these wines great accompaniments to the local seafood.

We arrived after one of Edi’s friends had just delivered his daily catch. Left to his own resources (his wife was out of town that evening), our host proceeded to spear whole squids and grill them over his open hearth.

The fresh local seafood paired beautifully with his flinty, fragrant, Vitovska- the first of many that we would taste that evening.

The highlight of the comprehensive tasting was his unsdisgorged sparkling Vitovska 2001 that he impressively disgorged with a wine glass. Of the many expressions of Vitovska Edi treated us to, we found the 2002 and 2003 vintages of the Vitovska Selezione particularly impressive.

We then ventured down a 60 feet down a spiral staircase carved into the solid rock, to his spectacular state-of-the-art cellars.

Proving his stance on the inferiority of plastic closures, he opened two bottles of 1997 Sauvignon- one that had been sealed with a plastic cork and one that had been stored in a glass water bottle. Upon uncorking the bottle with the plastic stopper, he took one sniff and proceeded to empty the bottle onto the cellar floor. Amazingly the other bottle was perfect…

The visit was a testament to Kante’s simple goal.

“To produce wines with guts, close to tradition, good with food—not painted ladies designed for display”.

Josko Gravner: “at the base of every Wine, there should be the winemaker’s honesty”

It was a rainy summer’s day, many years ago. In the vineyards he grapes were just beginning to change color. Suddenly the hail arrived. I rushed outside. Dense sheets of hailstones, like tiny needles of ice were sweeping across the hillside. I stood and cursed the weather and the lot of the “cotandino”. Uncle Franc came up quietly behind me and said softly, “Josko, mother nature gives us everything we have. It’s only right that now and then she takes something back.” That day I understood. For me it was the beginning. -Josko Gravner

We recently had the opportunity to visit with the compelling figure of Josko Gravner. To capture in words the essence of this individual, farmer, winemaker, philosopher, artist whose honesty, passion, and commitment has inspired a movement is challenging. Josko’s colleague Filippo Polidori has done so with such eloquence that we prefer to to share it.

Once upon a time there was a child that dreamt of being a farmer. His superheroes were Father Jozef and his Uncle Franc….this could very easily be the beginning of this Man’s story…Josko Gravner.

Josko Gravner is one of the most emblematic and talked-about men in oenology. By many he is seen as a madman, a visionary, and by others as a genius, an artist. By the same token his wines are either loved or loathed.

It would be nice to be able to tell you about Gravner’s world, his philosophy, his approach to life/lives/wine but I would need a book to include everything, without mentioning the skill to write it which I definitely don’t have.

People who have never met Josko in person or who have never had the pleasure of hearing him speak might think that behind the Gravner phenomenon there is a complex marketing and communication strategy..but believe me, everything which has been said is true and I would even add that his real life is even more fascinating than that which myself and others try to portray. Surely, the only way to understand the more intimate and personal aspects of his life is through his Wine.

Josko was born with a great love for the Earth and this might seem banal for the son of farmers, “real” farmers, but this is not always the case. Progress has transformed, and in some cases substituted, farmers with agricultural entrepreneurs.

His father, Jozef, taught him to respect the Earth and to work honestly without ever compromising his beliefs and values. When, as a child, Josko would come back home from school he couldn’t wait to run to the vineyards to spy on his father, to try and understand every single movement of him. At the age of 14 his dream came true and he began working in the family business. It would take him 43 years of experience to reach his current way of making Wine. 43 years! And this is something many people forget. In Josko’s way of working there is no improvisation; time is his strength and the ability to know how to wait, to listen only and always to his instinct and his heart.

43 years of first-hand experience, not passed on from other generations.
43 years of great successes.
43 years of changes, every time he tried a new path, constantly putting himself to the test.

1966 he started working in the father’s wine cellar with large barrels.
1973 he did away with the large barrels and began working with steel.
1980 he did away with steel and began working with barriques/tubs.
1997 he did away with the barriques and went back to large barrels/tubs.
2000 after years of experimenting with amphorae he began working with them and large barrels.

Josko always put his heart into everything; even if the market praised his traditional wines, he would always admit his mistakes, and he would try and explain the limits of this kind of wine making which he abandoned despite his success.

But this is Josko: someone who does not follow trends and is not interested in the market…once again the story repeats itself, from Oslavia with only 35,000 bottles he paved the way for a new way of making wine which many are already following today….

Wine making in amphorae is a difficult path. In a test conducted with 10 people whom we asked to taste the wines, eight of them refused them, whilst two were enthralled by them and instantly adored them. Yet it is thanks to this small percentage of people that the Gravner myth has been able to change the traditional concept of white wine, once again without improvising.

In light of this a journalist wrote: “You will hear many things about Gravner wines. He changed style many times and many people did not understand this. Just like Pablo Picasso was not understood; he could paint like Raffaello and for certain periods of his life he did, but then he invented cubism and he painted Les demoiselles d’Avignon. Josko’s Ribolla….is a work of art in every sense of the word. This led to a new way of conceiving and making wine….”

Today we are used to selling or buying Wines or anything else through the support of an appropriate communication or marketing strategy…and this is necessary for everyone. However, Josko’s Wines cannot only be communicated because the most important thing is that they must be tasted. This is what I have been trying to do for years and in these very complex years what makes me happy is that in the midst of so many people there will always be two people who will allow us to continue making our Wines….Josko’s Wines.

Da Giachetti: No occaison required

Da Giacchetti, located in Portonovo in the shadows of the majestic Monte Conero (at 572 meters above sea level, it is the highest point along the Adriatic between Veneto and Puglia), is one of of our favorite places to enjoy delicious, simply prepared seafood in a casual and fun environment. While seated on its seaside balcony, savoring fresh-caught piatto di crudità and panoramic views of the Adriatic, it is the perfect place to celebrate the pleasures of life. While this beachfront escape embodies minimalist cuisine and relaxation, its wine list is serious and decadent with over 250 selections that include some of our favorite grower champagnes. During our most recent visit, Selosse Initial & Substance, Vouette & Sorbée Blanc d’Argile, and David Leclapart L’Apotre Extra Brut proved perfect complements to our ethereal, moonlight surroundings and the daily celebration of lifestyle that occurs here!

DA GIACCHETTI | Via Portonovo 171 (Loc. Portonovo), Portonovo, +39 071 801 384

La Croisette and La Coulée de Serrant: A Heavenly Match Made in the Loire

Our recent trip in France took us to Savennieres for a visit with Nicolas Joly on the day following the summer solstice- a very important day of the year for this celebrated guru of biodynamy.

The summer solstice is a very important day for a vine. The vine is waiting for sun to land on earth. This is what happens at the summer solstice. It withholds its flowering process for the time when the sun lands on earth. The vines flowering closest to the solstice produce the best wines. -Nicolas Joly

After a tour of the stunning La Coulée de Serrant in the midsummer twilight, we made our way for what would become an exciting culinary discovery. Nestled in a corner facing the striking Loire river and its sandy banks, La Croisette could be easily be mistaken for a fishing cabin if it was not for the mouthwatering flavors filling the air and the beautiful garden. La Croisette is a new venture from the intrepid Isabelle and J-Paul Feuvray whose vast culinary passions lead to a diverse array of experiences that include a stint in Texas. They opened their first Tex Mex restaurants in the 1980s followed by a steakhouse in the 1990s. Returning to their roots, they created this open air barbecue on the tiny island of Behuard in 2004. While there, we enjoyed river fish and some of the most delicious barbecued ribs that we have ever tasted!

Joined by Nicolas Joly, another passionate explorer who ultimate decided to return to his roots (in his case literally), and his remarkable 1989 and 2004 vintages of La Coulée de Serrant the pairing was complete. As our meal ended and the sun finally made its descent, La Croisette proved the perfect venue in which to savor a magical evening in an enchanted region over a cuban cigar and great conversation.

La Croisette | Rue de La Boire, Béhuard