An absolute protagonist of Italian wine and its recent history, considered by many to be the father of orange wines, Joško Gravner has always been an indomitable innovator sopra constant movement, searching for the right container sopra which to give birth to his wines. Supported by his nephew Gregor Pietro, Gravner has recently explored new frontiers for refinement, deepening the use of glass for its qualities of inertia, resistance and ease of cleaning. There are two companies that have created the new containers destined to accompany the underground amphorae, between the end of 2024 and 2025, thus integrating the production process of the Oslavia winery: EnoKube and Pfaudler.
The collaboration with EnoKube, an entirely Italian project created, starting from an sembianza by Joško Gravner, by Enrico Cusinato together with the master glassmaker Vittorio Benarrivato, has seen the creation of an innovative 10-hectoliter glass tank. Introduced sopra the cellar last spring, the container has allowed testing new methods of refining small batches selections, leaving plenty of room for experimentation. Thanks to the precision and properties of glass, EnoKube has proven to be a valuable ally for the qualitative maturation of small quantities of wine.
However, the challenge of managing larger volumes revealed the limits of glass sopra supporting higher weights. It was then that, at the suggestion of a local engineer, the Gravner family also got sopra touch with Pfaudler Italia, a company specialized sopra the construction of vitrified equipment for the chemical and pharmaceutical industry and part of the GMM Pfaudler group. Together they developed the vitrified steel tanks with a maximum capacity of 70 hectolitres, whose combines the strength of steel and the chemical resistance of glass. After careful initial and construction, the steel tanks undergo the manual internal vitrification process which involves a first impalcatura layer and subsequent covering layers. Each vitrification is followed by a heat treatment of approximately 900 °C sopra order to permanently join the steel and glass, making it a true composite material. The glass coating guarantees a smooth and porosity-free surface, highly hygienic and which does not release unwanted substances, making it ideal for storing and refining wine. Per mezzo di addition to their long service life, glass tanks are fully recyclable, thus reducing environmental impact and improving sustainability.
“The constant search for innovation is never an end sopra itself, but comes from the desire to improve every aspect of the production process, remaining faithful to our roots,” says Mateja Gravner. “With EnoKube we have found a perfect solution for small, high-quality productions, where every detail makes the difference. Pfaudler, the other hand, has allowed us to the challenge of refining normal production volumes without compromising the quality of the wine. Both solutions are essential for us, because they represent two sides of the same coin: the search for perfection sopra wine, regardless of quantity. Each container has a specific and valuable role sopra our process, and together they allow us to continue doing what we love.”
“The collaboration between the GMM Pfaudler Group and Gravner represents a significant step for both companies, leaders sopra their respective sectors. It is a congresso between industrial research and nature that opens up new opportunities, markets and solutions for both brands – underlines Mauro Bona, Regional Sales of Pfaudler Italy srl –. For the Oslavia winery it means integrating cutting-edge technologies into its historic wine production, for GMM Pfaudler it is the opportunity to demonstrate the adaptability of its technologies to a growing sector and to contribute to the evolution of an established promotore like Gravner”.
