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Our weekly “Saperavi Press”, where we introduce Georgian winemakers from around the country, explore and build new relationships, and update on developments in the Georgian wine industry.
Inside the Life: News From Our Producers
From Marmenio: Harvest 2024
With a picturesque view surrounding the village of Vardisubani, in the Telavi region of Kakheti – a postcard of Georgia- Marmenio’s 2024 harvest is underway.
For Marmenio, winemaking is based on a philosophy: At Marmenio they love traditional Georgian winemaking, but they marry it with experimentation and a willingness to grow and learn.
From Chelti Winery: WinExpo 2024
Hundreds of people visited Chelti Winery’s booth at its center location inside the expo center, growing Chelti’s brand directly with samples of their high quality wine. The booth was managed by the knowledgeable Chelti team who spent every day of the WinExpo describing their winemaking from the vines to the bottle.
From Artizani: Harvest 2024
On a beautiful Fall day in the village of Khashmi in the region of Kakheti, Saperavi Brothers’ producer, Artizani, set out with a team of experienced, local agriculture workers and international visitors to harvest the region’s most popular grape- Saperavi. Khashmi is located in Georgia’s eastern Kakheti region famous for its history of wine production and its fertile climate for cultivating several of the best local grape varietals, including saperavi. The vineyards sit at one of the highest elevations of vineyards in Georgia, adding to the microregion’s appeal.
CNN Travel “Destination Georgia”: Chubini Winery
CNN Travel highlighted Georgian wine and its historical and cultural significance with an exclusive visit to Saperavri Brothers’ producer Chubini Winery. Tornike Chubinidze, Chubini’s primary winemaker, shared his insights at his winery while hosting both CNN and a group of curious Dutch travelers.
Highlighting New Winemakers
Ghvinia Winery: Fostering Natural Wines
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.
Nanua Winery: Winemaker for the Kings
Situated in the up and coming wine region of Imereti, Terjola encompasses a wild territory of villages stretching to the main city of Kutaisi. Imereti was an ancient kingdom of Georgia, once known for its royal family lineage. It’s the story behind Nanua Winery, and the family of Gia Chubinidze, who were winemakers for the last king of Imereti.
Napheri Family Winery: A Hometown Return
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.
Budeshuri Winery: Shining Eyes
Budeshuri Winery’s story begins at the start of the new millennium. The year Irakli Pirashvili was born, his grandfather Rezo, once mayor of the town of Sighnaghi, started planting the first roots. The word “budeshuri” is used in Georgian literature to describe something wide and bright, such as shining eyes or the sun.
AB Wines: Georgian Winemaking, German Quality
Exploring the winemakers of Georgia, Saperavi Brothers hosted a conversation and tasting with Hilarius Pütz of AB Wines in Tbilisi. In front of a Tbilisi-based, multinational community, Pütz entertained us with his seventeen year journey through the Georgian winemaking world.
Dive Into Georgia's Winemaking World
New York Times: “Georgia’s Winemakers Tip a Glass to the West”
The New York Times recently traveled to the country of Georgia to investigate the nation’s attempt to move closer to Western markets, particularly the extensive U.S. market and American wine drinkers. At the heart of this entrepreneurial push are Georgian winemakers themselves- a pillar of the Georgian developing economy.
BBC: “Georgia’s Moment of Truth”
The Georgian people have taken to the streets for days on end to protest Prime Minister Kobakhidze’s recent declaration that it would not continue negotiations with the European Union for the next four years, a surprising turn from the past twelve years spent developing the nation to become a full-fledged member of the EU. Among the protestors are Georgian winemakers, who have been a foundational piece to the economic and cultural revitalization of Georgia.
Land of Female Winemakers: Sommeliers International
An article published last year by Aurélien Foucault for Sommeliers International highlighted the women winemakers increasingly representing Georgian traditional winemaking. With an uncompromising love for wine, Georgian women have risen to challenge the male-dominated traditions of this centuries long tradition both on the vineyards and in the cellars.
Vogue: Georgia’s “Little Tuscany”
“Nicknamed “Little Tuscany”, Kakheti, just a two-hour drive from the capital Tbilisi, is not only one of Georgia’s most beautiful regions, with endless views of mountains and vineyards, but also its most famous wine region, responsible for 70% of Georgia’s wine production.”
CBS 60 Minutes Overtime: “Winemakers Revive Ancient Grapes”
Reporting for CBS 60 Minutes, a team of journalists headed to Georgia on an investigation of the nation’s winemakers and ancient grapes. At one point in history, Georgia boasted 1,400 native grape varieties, most of which were destroyed during Georgia’s years under the Soviet Bloc. As a vital part of the nation’s cultural identity, a bold move has been made to recultivate the lost varieties.
Buried in Tradition: The Georgian Qvevri Maker
Collecting clay from nearby his village of Vardisubani, Zaza Kbilashvili is a part of one of the most vital aspects of Georgian winemaking as a 4th generation qvevri maker. The qvevri- an egg-shaped clay vessel- is the foundation of traditional Georgian winemaking. This ancient craft, precious to every detail, takes several months to create each single qvevri.