Manavi Wines - Rkatsiteli White 2022

Surface area 4.3 ha.
Natural since 2021

About the winemaker, the estate and the vineyards
Giorgi Aivazyan is in his forties and, after his university years, spent a considerable stretch in the business world before gradually shifting his focus toward what truly fascinated him: food and drink. In 2015, he established Coffee LAB in Tbilisi a coffee import business, café, and roastery. By 2019, he had become a co-owner of g.Vino, a natural wine bar in Tbilisi. It was here that Giorgi’s passion for natural wine began to grow, and over time, the dream of making his own natural wine steadily took hold. In 2021, he finally found the opportunity to acquire vineyards in Manavi, a so-called ‘microzone’ of Kakheti. Manavi sits roughly halfway between Tbilisi and Sighnaghi, not far from where Pheasant’s Tears maintains its cellar.

Today, Giorgi works with about 4.3 hectares in Manavi, including 0.8 hectares planted as recently as 2023. The village of Manavi lies at about 570 meters above sea level, nestled at the foot of a mountain range and at the edge of the Iori river valley. These features define both the local ecosystem and the landscape: Manavi is markedly greener and more undulating than the parched east, though summers can still be quite warm. The surrounding Gombori mountains help temper the otherwise scorching Kakhetian summers, making this pocket of eastern Georgia especially well-suited to sustainable viticulture and winegrowing.

The vineyards themselves grow in clay-rich soils and are currently planted with around 40% Mtsvane, 40% Rkatsiteli and 20% Saperavi, giving Giorgi the potential to produce approximately 15,000 bottles per year.

About the wines
The wines of Manavi Wines stand out for their almost un-Kakhetian softness something perhaps owed to the unique microclimate that defines this region. Giorgi harvests all his fruit by hand, and fermentation is largely carried out in traditional qvevri. The wines span a range from zesty, fresh whites to spicy, earthy orange wines, sometimes involving up to six months of skin contact. Giorgi also impresses with his distinctively authentic, gentle, and approachable take on Saperavi. After Dick returned from a wine journey in Georgia with a couple of Giorgi’s bottles, we were immediately smitten: pure, strongly expressive natural wines from a passionate artisan winemaker, offered at respectful prices.

Website Manavi Wines
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RAW Wine profile Manavi Wines