Edi Keber

Cormons - Gorizia, Collio Friuli, Italy Situated just a stone’s throw away from the Slovenian border, Edi Keber’s 10 hectares of vineyards grow on the classic “ponka” soil, a stony, friable marl that gives the wines remarkable weight and body. Extremely poor, the "ponka" naturally stresses the vines which produce very small quantities of grapes (1 to 1.5 kg x vine) and provide a distinctive minerality, typical of the Collio region. Keber's first bottled wines date back to 1957, although his family, originally from Vienna, has made wine for 350 years. Edi deeply believes in the unique character of the Collio terroir and his objective is to make, starting with the 2008 vintage, only one white wine that will embody the tradition of the Collio by blending the three varieties that have been grown in the area since before the two great wars: Friulano, providing for body and structure, Malvasia Istriana to impart the aromatic component and Ribolla Gialla for its acidity. Edi’s young son, Kristian, follows his father’s maverick footsteps helping in every aspect of the production. The grapes are picked at their highest possible maturity levels and are then fermented and matured in old cement vats, which according to Edi, add an element of “soul” to the wine as opposed to the sterility of stainless steel. Keber’s wines are deep, intense, long-lived, where generous fruit and terroir blend seamlessly.