Shalva Alelishvili, founder and chief winemaker of Ghvinia Wines, merges his broad background in business, the science of wine, and sommelier training to produce one of Georgia’s most promising wine labels. He set out to build a cellar in his family’s village of Meskheti, a mountainous region in southwestern Georgia. Meskheti is named for ancient tribes known to be the first inhabitants of the modern Samtskhe-Javakheti region. Historians credit these early settlers with the invention of iron metallurgy, connecting this land with the innovation of human culture.

Shalva continued to refine his skills graduating from the most accredited wine schools in Georgia, and eventually went on to qualify as a sommelier. His only philosophy of winemaking is to produce the best natural Georgian wine to represent the great history of the Samtskhe-Javakheti region. Ghvinia produces both reds and amber qvevri wines, the majority of them being aged in handpicked oak barrels. His wines have been awarded numerous distinctions, including gold medals from Mundus Vini- Germany, Merano Wine Hunters- Italy, and ranked among the top 100 Georgian Wines nationally.