Levan Kbiltsetskhlashvili was a successful lawyer in Tbilisi before he decided it was time to change his long-standing career- and his life- in the process. Levan grew up near Mtskheta in the village of Navazi. Above the village sits ruins of the ancient settlement in the region of Kartli, and as a child Levan would explore the ruins on the restless, long summer days. In the ruins sat the broken qvevris of the winemakers once prominent in the region. These childhood memories were the inspiration when he finally decided to become a full-time winemaker back in his hometown. 

Today, Levan hosts guests from around the world- 45 countries thus far- at the Napheri Family Winery. While rooted in ancient winemaking, he applies modern methods to ensure the best results. Key to Napheri’s process is the careful control of fermentation temperature, which helps maintain the integrity of the wine during production. Additionally, he varies the percentage of skin contact with the juice depending on the grape variety, meticulously managing the duration of skin contact to optimize the flavor profile of each wine. Currently, he works with five distinct grape varieties. 

Levan’s willingness to accept the progress of winemaking, while deeply respecting Georgian traditional winemaking has made his wines the most popular of the Kartli region and abroad.