josko gravner

text by gianpaolo giacobbo

“few minutes past six in a scorching summer afternoon. the warmth gently gives away to a tender shy breeze that caresses the face. the big mulberry casts a shadow over the table where our thoughts flow.
josko is dressed to work in the vineyard, black shorts and a tank top in order to enjoy best every hint of cool air. also michele wears his work clothes, he just came straight from the “battiferro” (the forge), as for myself i am wearing a dotted shirt not really suited for the vineyard but more suited for a scribbler as michele is used to calling me.

underneath the mulberry we drink spring water and we talk a lot. josko gravner, michele massaro and gianpaolo giacobbo: three stories that braided together almost by chance.

maybe three entities in the same universe that slowly have found themselves converging towards the center. we don’t need any explanations when we talk about what is moving our passions. maybe some silences explain more than words.
when the temperature finally drops it is time for the wine, a 2011 ribolla, the latest one, which brings a natural freshness even if it has never seen a fridge, it is as pure and restoring as spring water.
we stay silent while from the monte santo the sound of bells expand through the air, tomorrow will be a nice day, and the wind will blow again.”

since 2000 josko has been preparing the dedno vineyard, in the borderland between italy and slovenia, a vineyard that will represent the synthesis of his way of thinking. also in this case, balance between the landscape, water, plants and life. the graft system chosen is the cleft. following the procedure, a t shaped incision is made in the bark and after that the bud, taken from existing plants from the vineyard, is inserted.

this form of selective breeding is done to assure the continuity of his work. a delicate procedure that requires knowledge, professionalism and great sensitivity. for this kind of operation josko gravner and michele massaro have studied the most suited knife for the task, with a comfortable grip, light weighted and maneuverable. a knife inspired by tradition but shaped by the needs of the wine maker from oslavia.

josko gravner graft knife is 18 cm long and 3 cm wide (7 inches long 1.18 wide) made in stainless steel of modern conception, one of the most efficient in order to assure the highest quality cut and sharpness. a direct and essential knife with no blunt points, just a little bit more than unrefined, a rough knife. the handle, all made of stainless steel, is matte black not polished in contrast with the blade, the functional part that is polished and sharpened finely with stones. the tip is truncated in order to be direct in the incision in the cleft graft and to gently lift up the bark before the insertion of the sleeping bud.