RADIKON

Radikon is situated in the Northeastern Italian town of Oslavia in Fruili on the border of Slovenia. Winemaking techniques at Radikon include extended skin maceration, fermentation in large botti with no temperature control, and extended maturation in both barrel and bottle for many years before release.

One cannot overstate the importance of the Radikon wines; Stanko Radikon was a true pioneer and visionary, raising the Radikon Estate to icon status somewhat unintentionally. He was ‘simply’ making wine that he enjoyed drinking, which was not easy to sell in the beginning. This changed rapidly as critics and consumers alike began to realise his and the wine’s brilliance.

The first time one tries a Radikon wine can be somewhat of a baptism of fire, an experience, especially for those unfamiliar with this style of wine.

The Radikon Estate covers 24 hectares of vineyards, with 12 hectares currently in production. The plantings include Ribolla Gialla, Merlot, Tocai Friulano, Pingolo and Pinot Grigio. All farming is organic in the Radikon vineyards, and yields are very low at roughly 3 tons per hectare.

Stanko Radikon sadly passed away from cancer in 2016, he left behind a formidable legacy of international renown for his complex ‘natural orange wines’. His son Saša and daughter Ivana continue Stanko’s legacy today.

The Radikon Estate and its wines are truly pioneering in the organic and natural wine paradigm. They are wild and beautiful and have considerable long-term ageing capacity. They are also incredibly rare and enjoy international cult status today alongside other producers, including Josko Gravner and Edi Keber from the region.