Amiran Vepkhvaze

Amiran Vepkhvadze, half attorney, half vigneron, inherited a few vines in Zestaphoni, part of the Imereti region in Western Georgia. The vines are Otskhanuri Sapere, a rare, indigenous varietal to the region. Each year Amiran sold his precious grapes to the local winery, and each year the amount he was paid decreased. Eventually Amiran decided to make his own wine, and little by little he expanded his vineyards. The vines are trained in overhead pergola style to protect them from the humidity of the sub-tropical climate. The yields are often low, resulting in intense wines, almost black in colour. The grapes are fermented on their skins in qvevri before being aged for 9 months and bottled without filtration.