Radikon

is a legendary and immensely influential natural wine producer located in Oslavia, Gorizia, in the heart of the Collio region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy, very close to the Slovenian border. Founded by Stanko Radikon in the late 1970s, the estate gained global fame for pioneering and perfecting the style of extended skin-contact white wines, now widely known as "orange wines." Since Stanko's passing in 2016, his son, Saša Radikon, has meticulously carried on his father's groundbreaking legacy.

Radikon's philosophy is rooted in a profound respect for nature and a commitment to minimal intervention, drawing inspiration from ancient winemaking traditions. The 12-hectare estate is farmed organically, with a strong emphasis on soil health and extremely low yields. In the cellar, their approach is uncompromisingly natural. Grapes are hand-harvested, destemmed, and then undergo extremely long maceration periods on their skins (ranging from weeks for their "S" line to several months for their "Blue Label" wines) in large, open-top Slavonian oak vats, without temperature control. Fermentation occurs spontaneously with indigenous yeasts only. The wines are then aged for extended periods (typically 3 years in large oak barrels and at least 1 year in bottle) before release. Critically, no sulfur is added at any stage of the winemaking process (since 2003 for the Blue Label wines), and the wines are unfined and unfiltered. Their distinctive 500ml and 1000ml bottles with unique corks are designed to facilitate optimal aging.

Radikon primarily cultivates indigenous Friulian grape varieties such as Ribolla Gialla, Friulano (formerly Tocai Friulano), and Malvasia Istriana, along with international varieties like Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, and Merlot. They also produce a rare red wine from the indigenous Pignolo grape. Their wines are renowned for their intense amber hues, complex aromatics, incredible textural depth (due to tannin extraction from skins), and profound ageability. They offer a powerful and authentic expression of the "ponka" soil (marl and sandstone) of the Collio.