Hisotry Of

The Best Georgian Wines

The history of "Sauketeso Kartuli Ghvinoebi" (Best Georgian Wines) begins in Kakheti and is based on real people, descendant are still alive and proudly recalls how they were transformed by the oldest technologies of winemaking. The story begins with Giorgi (Gio) Berikashvili (1888-1935), in 16th years he married Minadora Mindorashvili (1892-1935) they had 11 children, but only six of them survived. Gio had two brothers: Datiko and Shakara and sister Milana, who married the prince (knyaz) Archil Shakiashvili, unfortunately, God did not reward the young family with children. Archil patronized the brothers of the marriage as their own. He entrusted his vineyards to Gio, he cared for them, according to his advice were planted about 40 varieties of Georgian and 10 varieties of the French grapes. Archil was proud of his quality wine obtained from his harvest. The rumors of his guilt spread throughout Kakheti, and a toast for the wine that Prince Vachnadze said on one feast and is the name of the company: "Dear friends, if you want to drink the best Georgian wines, it has to be made by Gio." This fact further increased Gio's interest in wine. He began to produce wine and sell on the market in small jugs and oak barrels. He had the six children, but only one showed interest in winemaking. Little Vladimer helped his father as he could, went with him to the market and sold wine called "Sauketeso Kartuli Ghvinoebi". Gio died at an early age, soon his wife - Milana too, and the tradition of the Best Georgian Wine passed to his heir, the 10-years-old son of Vladimer Berikashvili (1925- 2003) and also the house in which his father was born and grow. The clay, wooden and copper old winery vessels, also the notorious jug (kvevri) are still kept here. The most outstanding villagers gathered in this house, said a prayer and blessed the "rtveli" (harvesting) with last year's wine, and the very best grapes were selected for the next day, and the wine was prepared in the famous jug, the harvest began from that. Until now, this house exists and was rebuilt in 1985, in honor of the birth of the son of Joseb, Giorgi, which is the current founder of the company "Best Georgian Wines", where to this day continues the traditional winemaking, which synthesizes well both old and new technologies of winemaking. The centuries-old tradition continues to this day and works on the appearance of the best properties of the Georgian grape varieties that do not stop. This is the concept of "BG Wines", to show the world the possibilities of Georgian wine varieties. Hard work produced results and the company entered the market of foreign countries: Japan, Sweden, The Netherlands, Ukraine, China, Latvia, Azerbadjan, Israel, United Kingdom, Kazakhstan.