Matthew Herfort
When it comes to wine, you start with a philosophy. At Marmenio they love traditional Georgian winemaking, but marry it with experimentation and a willingness to grow and learn. Matt’s goal is to make interesting (maybe even surprising!) wines, but with a familiarity that is inviting. He has a passion to share his experiences and knowledge, especially through sharing his wine. Matt started making wine in 2016 as an amateur with an eye towards natural winemaking as his standard practice. In 2017 he moved to the Republic of Georgia because of the fantastic natural winemaking movement there; it has a great reputation in a lot of serious winemaking circles and is a perfect blend of tradition and experimentation within winemaking. Since 2020 Marmenio has been completely independent, experimenting with natural sparkling wines (pet nat!), long skin contact maceration, and carbonic maceration, all done using traditional methods and qvevri. It is his sincerest hope that you enjoy Marmenio wines!
Winery
The winery is a short drive from the vineyard and is located in the village of Vardisubani, in the Telavi region of Kakheti. Hand tools are used whenever possible. Whole cluster fermentation is used in some wines, ranging from 5-50% whole cluster additions directly to the qvevri. After aging in qvevri, the wines are transferred to stainless steel tanks and racking is used to achieve clarity, as they do not use filtration. Starting in 2020 Marmenio eliminated the use of added yeasts, and now the only addition to the wines is low levels of sulfites. The wines are unfined, unfiltered, and otherwise produced with the minimal amount of intervention possible.
Vineyard
The vineyard is located in the village of Eniseli, part of the Kindzmarauli zone, in the Kvareli region of Kakheti. The size of the vineyard is 10 hectares, with 6 hectares being planted with Saperavi, and 4 being planted with Rkatsiteli. Marmenio started in 2018 with a young vineyard and are progressing towards certified organic. The use of insecticides and herbicides on the property is strictly prohibited by default. The entire vineyard is dry farmed. Tractor usage is minimal, with only occasional tilling of the soil, if at all. Spraying is done to maintain a balance of healthy fruit production and strong, healthy vines. Harvest is done by hand using small boxes to protect fruit and reduce spoilage prior to crushing.
Wines
