Stanislao Radikon Venezia Giulia IGT Rosso 'Sassa' 2019

Stanko Radikon has been called a “maverick in a land of mavericks” where he farms and makes wine near the town of Oslavia. This place is Italian, Friuli, but right on the border with Slovenia, which is the Radikon ethnic homeland. Here’s one of the true pioneers of orange wine, made in the natural style. In Stanko Radikon’s words: “The winery’s philosophy is to always make a natural, organic wine with the least human intervention possible and with the maximum respect for the soils and nature.” Unfortunately, he passed away in 2016, but his son Saša still carries this ethos. “Sassa” is a blend of Merlot and Pignolo—an entry in the “S” line, which has shorter macerations (this one is two weeks), is lightly sulfured, and comes in 750ml bottles.