The Evolution of Gradis’ciutta 25 Years after the First Grape Harvest Among Organic Excellences, the Opening of a Reception Facility and the Recent Restyling of the Bràtinis Collio Label, the “Flagship” of the Collio Winery.
The entrepreneur Robert Princic carries forward the experimentation and tradition of a dynasty of peasants and winemakers in a borderland suited to great white wines
October 12th – In the heart of the Collio hills, there is a magical place where the passion for wine is intertwined with the beauty of the landscape. It is here that the Gradis’ciutta winery, led by entrepreneur Robert Princic, was born and developed to create extraordinary wines that capture the heart and soul of a wine region that is unique in the world.
Sustainability, tradition and experimentation are the keys to understanding this company based in Giasbana in San Floriano del Collio which covers approximately 40 hectares of spectacular hillside vineyards; at the head of this company is Robert Princic, an entrepreneur who, starting from the vines that belonged to his grandfather, first, and to his father later on, invested his knowledge, his energies and his resources with an infinite passion for this land and for his Gradis’ciutta, building a company whose history has become intertwined with that of this part of Friuli Venezia Giulia.
Robert Princic was born and raised in the Collio vineyards. His family, with deep roots in the peasant tradition, cultivated a love for the land and for the vine through generations. From a young age, Robert learned the art of wine-growing and care for the environment, values that he would carry forward passionately over the years and which convinced him to convert his vineyards to organic wine-growing (conversion which took place in 2018), with a clear vision: to produce high-quality wines that respect the people who work in Gradis’ciutta, that keep the environment intact and that transmit the winemaking tradition of the region. The cultural and family background inherited in this sense undoubtedly contributed to Robert Princic’s becoming a guardian of the Collio terroir.
25 years of winemaking excellence
An important milestone that arrives together with the restyling of the label of one of the company’s most appreciated wines, the Bràtinis Collio, a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon and Riesling, which takes its name from the place where the grapes grow, an elected elevation near the winery.
Gradis’ciutta’s path in these 25 years has been characterised by constant evolution. Some stages, in particular, have led to the current state of the company and its vineyards, from investments in the winery to those in the vineyards, through the conversion to organic wine-growing and, finally, to the purchase of Borgo Gradis’ciutta.
The company cultivates its vineyards meticulously following the principles of organic farming, reducing the environmental impact and preserving the health of people and plants. “This approach, more demanding and not always easy, has made it possible to obtain higher-quality grapes which is reflected in the wines produced,” says Robert Princic.
One of the most significant moments in the company’s history was the recent and far-sighted renovation of Borgo Gradis’ciutta, a 16th-century structure transformed today into an elegant residence to welcome wine tourists, surrounded by historic hillside vineyards (the very ones that belonged to his grandfather) and various proposals including sports, bicycle or Vespa routes and cuisine, aimed at raising awareness of the natural and food-and-wine excellences of the Collio.
Each bottle tells a story, a story of love for the land and the vine: the restyling of Bràtinis Collio
The renewed Bràtinis Collio label is a tribute to the timeless beauty of the Collio hills. The new look, with sophisticated and elegant details, presents a stylish, modern design that reflects the constant innovation that characterises Gradis’ciutta. Green, chosen as the background colour, recalls the profound connection with nature, which has always been at the center of Gradis’ciutta’s organic philosophy. Certainly, the new label represents a tribute to the Collio landscape, with its lush hills with a centuries-old character which, with its diversity of soils and microclimates, gives this wine an extraordinary complexity.
“Every sip of Bràtinis Collio is a journey through our terroir in a balance between tradition and internationality that manifests itself in every nuance of taste, and this is what we want to convey with the wine and visually stimulate also through the new label, in which the vintage was inserted, and that was embellished with some stylistic adjustments through the restyling”, declares Robert Princic.
Collio: Borderland and a land of wine excellence
Collio is a unique region, located on the border between Italy and Slovenia. This peculiar geographical position has made it a borderland, not only geographically but also culturally. Here, Italian and Slovenian wine-making traditions mix, giving life to unique and extraordinary wines.
“Sveti Nicolaj is a unique example of this, the proud fruit of a unique wine territory, even if it comes from two border areas that were once united, in which the Gradis’ciutta vineyards are located,” continues Robert Princic.
The future of Organic Gradis’ciutta
The evolution of the company in its first 25 years of activity from the first grape harvest reflects the ability to anticipate change without ever forgetting the deep roots that bind it to the Collio and its extraordinary wine-making history of which the Gradis’ciutta wines are excellent pieces of evidence.
“The future of my company lies in the art of improving quality, with ever greater attention to the entire production cycle, from the vineyard to the wines, up to their packaging and, through them, contributing to developing knowledge of the Collio all over the world,” concludes Robert Princic.
