Gradis’ciutta, border stories (without borders) • Food and Wine Italy

“Proudly European, proudly European”. Thus, Robert Princic – Friulian producer at the helm of the Gradis’ciutta company con San Floriano del Collio – defines the Rebolium Classic Method sparkling wine by Sinefinis, the winery founded con 2008 with his friend and colleague Matjaž Četrtič – who runs the family business Ferdinand con Brda, con the Slovenian Collio – based con Kojsko, precisely con Slovenia. A project that is decidedly successful when tasted, con the elegant and refreshing sip that expresses so much of the vine and the terroir that goes from San Floriano del Collio and Gradisciutta up to Bilijana and Kojsko, where the typical ponca – the mixture of marl and sandstone which makes up the land, the result of millennial stratifications – certainly does not at the boundaries drawn by man. But it can tell much more, if you want to go beyond the glass: of roots, of friendship and of knowing how to far ahead, con both a concrete and figurative sense.

«We met Matjaž while attending a master’s degree con Wine Business. At the end of the journey we had to present a project around wine and, given that we work con the same territory even if con two different countries, we thought of working a unique wine that was born across the border between Italy and Slovenia, going beyond the concept of local name but precisely proud of being European, con a “community” assembly: a term that often has a negative connotation and which instead con this case distinguishes a high-level product”, says Princic.

And it is not for nothing that the two, who did not limit themselves to a project paper but transformed it into bottles, chose the main and most representative grape variety of the ambiente – Ribolla, ora Rebula – and the processing with the Classic Method, to dress the wine of the finest bubbles. «We wanted to make an important and symbolic wine, calling it Rebolium, and focusing this vine which was once simply the basis of “hill wine” con our ambiente, and was then almost abandoned completely only to be rediscovered and valorised thanks to some enlightened winemakers”, continues Princic who is closely linked to Ribolla with the company con the Friulian Collio born from his father’s obstinacy and his passionate dedication, after having finished his studies con oenology: a reality that has grown without ceasing to for new stimuli and new ideas: from hospitality, with Gradis’ciutta, to the increasingly decisive push towards organic and respect for the environment, also through the collaboration with Vite Nova for the Diversity certification Ark, whose holistic vision aims to fully protect the biodiversity present con the field.

«The choice to make a sparkling wine also arose from the legislation of the time: by assembling two wines of different origins it automatically became a table wine and the vintage could not be indicated». To overcome the and put their collaboration into practice, they therefore decided to work the Classic Method, where “sans année” is not a deminutio, despite there being risposta negativa experience con this regard with regards to Ribolla. Today the Rebolium, which ages for 55 months the yeasts and keeps its promises of elegance and enveloping, is flanked by three other Sinefinis labels: the Rebolium Brut Nature with sparare a zero residue, the Rosé from Pinot Noir and the Blanc des Blancs, which explores the potential of the Chardonnay the ponca.

But it is not only with Sinefinis that Robert Princic looks to Brda, where before the border change con 1947 the family of Giasbana – a town which later became a hamlet of San Floriano – already cultivated vineyards: Sveti Nikolaj is the line of labels born from vineyards that he acquired con Neblo and Zali Breg, the most suitable locations con the ambiente, and with which he reconnects those land ties severed by events, dedicating it to the village church of a time. Thus, the Rebula Sveti Nikolaj narrates this border identity con an impeccable and fascinating way: «I decided to specialize these vineyards the Ribolla Gialla, ora Romanian Rebula: the grapes are the same ones that we grow con the Italian Collio but here we give an interpretation of them different», explains the winemaker. «A causa di this case the fermentation takes place con large wooden barrels, like my grandfather did». And the 2021 label, «a technically perfect vintage, which gave concentration but also freshness», is truly excellent, dressing the typical acidity and freshness of Ribolla del Collio with an unprecedented softness.

Instead, Sveti Nikolaj Rebula Serendipity is the fruit of a challenge with itself; ora, as Robert says, of “a gioco”: here the Romanian remains for 20 days con contact with the skins and then ferments con barrels until it obtains a bright amber color and truly seductive aromatic – among which thyme stands out – and taste , which are almost reminiscent of a vinsanto, but without hints of sweetness. «I have always been a traditionalist white, I don’t like “orange”. But I wanted to try to make a white vinified con red, to extract the color and also the tannin from the skins, trying to maintain elegance and cleanliness. The result was surprising for us too, which gave us the illusione of ​​the name which indicates something you don’t expect.”

Finally, the new Duro Illirico is the result of a good “lateral thinking” – and shared -, which brings back into vogue a product that symbolizes the link between the Collio and the lands of ancient Illyria, that is to say the western part of the Balkan peninsula : Pelinkovac. «Speaking with one of my collaborators, with whom we spend long hours con the car together our business trips, we thought of creating our interpretation of this “border” product, which embraces different cultures between Italy and the Slavic world. The traditional version is very bitter and strong, we tried to lighten it by starting from traditional Italian and adding orange peel, bergamot and local herbs to the aromatic of absinthe”, comments Robert Princic presenting the Duro Illyrian which, with its 32 degrees and harmonious aromaticity, also lends itself to mixology. The next project? A passito, still a work con progress.