Ribolla Gialla – Slovenia’s white wine everyone is crazy about

Besides the fact that Brda is home of the best Slovenian white wine – RibollaGialla, GoriškaBrda is a wine region where the Alps kisses the Mediterranean.

Goriška Brda is located on the border between Slovenia and Italy, around the city of Gorizia. Vineyards stretch alongside the border in both countries. Slovenian part of the region is called GoriškaBrda (the hills of Gorizia) and in Italy Colio. Vineyards cover 2000ha in Slovenia and 1500ha in Italy.

The uniqueness of this wine region is climate, soil, and the people. In one word terroir. The geographical position of GoriškaBrda create an advantage climate conditions where the cool Alpine climate is mixed with warm air from the Mediterranean. Gorizia Hills are very close to the Alps, and, at the same time on the horizon, you can see Monfalcone and the beautiful Adriatic Sea. The sun is very plentiful here, which in combination with warm air from the Adriatic Sea, stimulates the grapes to ripen properly, both red and white. The cool breeze from the Alps helps grapes to preserve freshness and acidity.

The soil, which is unique here, is created over a period of 65mil of years. In Slovenian part of the region it’s called opoka and in Italy ponca. Opoka is layered sedimentary deposits of sandstone and marl of Eocene origin, with seashell fossils. That kind of soil, rich in minerals and microelements, give wines of its unique and unmistakable character.

Ribolla Gialla, known as Rebula in Slovenia, is the most important white variety in Italian Colio and Slovenian Brda. JoškoGravner from Oslavje says: “Ribolla is my Queen”.

Ribolla is suitable for all kind of vinifications – from sparkling, through fresh and wooden-aged whites, sweet with noble rot (botrytis), and all the way up to the Orange wines made in amphora.

Orange wine is a kind of white wine which behaves like a red. Which has a structural presence, a texture, a depth and a frame of reference altogether different and grander than the conventional white wines that we know.

In a fresh dry style, Ribolla produces pungent and sappy in scent whites, with balanced, vivid yet vinous flavours of lemon, grapefruit and saline edge.

Ribolla and oak go hand to hand like fish and the water. That’s why barrel aged Ribolla gives an excellent wine with full body, golden colour, mineral, but always vibrant. It’s an ancient variety, first mentioned in the twelfth century, and ever since then, producing the best Slovenian white wine.

Joško Gravner from the village of Oslavje in Colio, Italy, is the man in charge of the awakening an old way of white wine production with extended maceration on the grape skin in amphora made from clay, today known as Orange wine.

Wine produced in that way is very intense in aromas and flavours and long living. Joško Gravner dedicated his life: to live and to create the wines in sync with nature.

Aleš Kristančič and his Movia winery is one of the top 100 wineries in the world for the 9th time by Wine&Spirits magazine.

It was Aleš’s grandfather who, in a desire to save the legacy of family winemaking, convinced the Yugoslavian government to allow them not to sell their grapes to the co-op, but rather to make their wines.

Marjan Simčič who is the owner of the winery believes that everything starts and finish in the vineyards; and that the magic of Brda is terroir.

Their story starts in 1860 when Anton Simčič bought a farm in Medana and plant the first vineyard. All their vineyards are organically farmed and divided into three different lines – Classic, Cru Selection, and Opoka Cru.

Edi Simčič is one of Brda’s most consistent winery. This family own winery has just one aim, to make high-quality wine that will be known around the globe. They produce Kolos, which is iconic Slovenian wine, and one of the most powerful red wines in Slovenia. For them, Rebula is their pride and identity.

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