SAMTAVISI MARANI

Kartli, Georgia

In 2011, Mamuka Kikvadze acquired two hectares in Kartli’s Samtavisi Village, which sits between the Trialeti mountains and the High Caucasus. There, he planted regional grape varieties such as Chinuri, Buza, Shavkapito and Goruli Mtsvane. In 2016, he further expanded the winemaking process by burying qvevris in his winery. Mamuka is a painter (designing the labels for his wines himself) and singer, and employed winemaking as an additional art form in his repertoire. His thoughtful approach to winemaking is evident in his exploration of the grapes' full potential - whether utilizing skins and stems based on the grape's characteristics, employing direct pressing or experimenting with various blends.