Wine

While I was visiting Kakha Berishvili, young men from the village turned up. Shota Iashagashvili, Vaxo Paghava and their friend Ika Gavasheli call themselves Marani Juniors and have just started making organic wines in Artana. “We were economists in Tbilisi but quit our bank jobs to come back to the village to make wine,” Shota says. “Unfortunately our first crop of grapes was stolen from the vineyard before we could pick it but in 2014 we got there first!” Growers who don’t live close to their vineyards often pool together and hire guards to camp in the vineyards until the grapes have been safely picked. The Juniors sell their wines at Ghvino Underground in Tbilisi and plan to expand their operation with different varieties. maranijuniors@gmail.com