Surface area 30 ha.
Natural since 2007

About the winemaker
Pheasant’s Tears was founded in 2007 by John Wurdeman and Gela Patalishvili. John, a painter originally from New Mexico (US), first visited Georgia in 1996 and fell in love with the country, buying a house two years later to make it his permanent home. Gela, himself an eighth-generation winemaker from Sighnaghi, met John, and after a series of long conversations, they decided to embark on the path of winemaking together.

About the vineyard
Pheasant’s Tears produces wine rooted in ancient Georgian tradition. The wines are crafted exclusively from indigenous grape varieties many of which are experiencing a renaissance in Georgia since the fall of the Soviet Union, as growers and producers reclaim their viticultural heritage. Their vineyards, spread across the country, account for some 30 hectares in total.

All wines are fermented, aged, and stored in qvevri buried clay amphorae integral to Georgian natural wine culture. Some of Pheasant’s Tears’ qvevri are up to 300 years old; if properly cared for, and kept from drying out, a qvevri can endure for centuries.

About the wines
True to Georgian tradition, the wines at Pheasant’s Tears are typically made with extended skin contact often for six or seven months. In certain cases, and particularly for grapes from the western part of the country, the maceration is a bit shorter. Still, it’s that unmistakable structure derived from lengthy maceration that so often defines their wines. What unites all Pheasant’s Tears wines is their extremity: they are uncompromising in aroma, mouthfeel, flavour, and style.

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