Clai

In the village of Brajki , not far from Krasica near Buje, Giorgio Clai creates wines that are rightly considered the originators of the cult status of Istrian winemaking. Inspired by the philosophy of the famous Italian winemaker Joško Gravner from Colli , Clai decided to take a different path from the usual production, the path of biodynamic agriculture, spontaneous fermentation and long-term maceration on the skins, a technique that gives white wines a deeper color, texture and a strong expression of terroir , also known as the " orange " style of winemaking. "I make wine in the vineyard, not in the cellar," Clai often emphasizes, emphasizing how important it is for him to know every vine on his 10 hectares of vineyards located on the clay -sandy soils of white Istria. Without added selected yeasts, with minimal use of sulfur and long aging in large wooden barrels, Clai wines have become recognizable for their honesty and strength of character, and today they can be found on the menus of top restaurants from New York to San Francisco.