Italy · 5 days · 6–10 people
Friuli and Collio: orange wine at the border
Five days from Trieste with sommelier Dante Minutello: a small-group wine tour of Friuli's Collio and Carso, amber Ribolla in Oslavia, Vitovska and osmize.
Topics
Skin-Contact
Tours
Georgia · 6 days · 6–10 people
Western Georgia: Imereti, Racha and the other qvevri
Six-day wine tour, Kutaisi to Tbilisi, with sommelier Dante Minutello: garden qvevri in Imereti, Khvanchkara cellars in Racha and the western Georgian table.
Winemaker stories
Austria · Styria NaturalBiodynamic
Sepp and Maria Muster and the Opok above Leutschach
Sepp and Maria Muster, Leutschach, Styria, Austria: Demeter vines on Opok, Gräfin and Erde on skins, and the Schmecke das Leben farms on a private wine tour.
Austria · Burgenland Biodynamic
Claus Preisinger and the green roof above Gols
Claus Preisinger in Gols, Burgenland, Austria: a biodynamic winemaker of Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt and St. Laurent in casks and amphorae above the Neusiedlersee.
Czechia · Velké Pavlovice Natural
Richard Stávek and the field blends of Němčičky
Richard Stávek in Němčičky, Velké Pavlovice, Czechia: a farmer-winemaker with 15 hectares, five of them vines, foot-trodden field blends, pet-nats and sheep.
Czechia · Velké Pavlovice Natural
Petr Koráb and the living hill of Boleradice
Petr Koráb in Boleradice, Velké Pavlovice, Moravia: a 100-metre hillside cellar, pet-nats, skin-contact whites and sekt from a chef turned natural winemaker.
Czechia · Velké Pavlovice Natural
Milan Nestarec and the energy in a Velké Bílovice glass
Milan Nestarec in Velké Bílovice, South Moravia, Czechia: a natural winemaker of pét-nat, field blends and unfiltered whites, 45 minutes from my door in Brno.
Italy · Friuli Natural
Saša Radikon and the slow Ribolla of Oslavia
Radikon in Oslavia, Collio, Friuli, Italy: Ribolla Gialla months on its skins, years in old oak, half-litre bottles, and the winemaker son who keeps the pace.
Italy · Friuli Natural
Joško Gravner and the qvevri of Oslavia
Gravner in Oslavia, Friuli Collio, Italy: Ribolla Gialla six months on skins in Georgian qvevri, six years in botti, and a winemaker who lets time do the work.
Georgia · Imereti Natural
Baia Abuladze and the churi of Obcha
Baia's Wine, Obcha, Imereti, Georgia: Tsitska, Tsolikouri and Krakhuna from churi buried in a village yard, and the young winemaker who put Obcha on a label.
Georgia · Imereti Natural
Ramaz Nikoladze and the qvevri in a garden near Kutaisi
Nikoladzeebis Marani, Nakhshirghele, Imereti, Georgia: winemaker Ramaz Nikoladze's Tsitska from qvevri in a garden, a fifth of the skins, no added sulfur.
Georgia · Kartli Natural
Iago Bitarishvili and the two Chinuris of Chardakhi
Winemaker Iago Bitarishvili in Chardakhi, Kartli, Georgia: two hectares of Chinuri in qvevri, organic since 2005, one grape made with and without skins.
Georgia · Kakheti Natural
John Wurdeman and the qvevri of Pheasant's Tears
Pheasant's Tears in Sighnaghi, Kakheti, Georgia: a painter, a grower, amber Rkatsiteli from buried qvevri, a 117-grape field blend and a winemaker who sings.
Wine knowledge
orange-wine · skin-contact
Orange wine: skin contact explained without the hype
Orange wine is white wine fermented on its skins. How the method works, how Kakheti in Georgia and Oslavia in Friuli, Italy do it, and how to drink it well.
Tell me where you want to drink
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Dante replies personally, usually within a day, in English, Russian, Czech, Armenian or Italian.