Meskheti, a historical region of winemaking.
Grape hunter and collector Giorgi Natenadze did the Rehabilitation of ancient Meskhetian terraces that were destroyed many times by the invasions and occupations of Ottomans.
In 2015, Natenadze started his unbelievable and super expansive project with his partners of rehabilitation and restoration of ancient vine terraces. Before the 16th century, it was known that there were more than 300 local Meskhetian grape species in the region.
When Natenadze uncovered more than 24 local grapes species, he decided to plant it on ancient historical terraces and he did it. Once people said: “Giorgi it is crazy what you are doing, stop it, you could not do it” – but I did because I see now that I am really crazy after this.. 😉
On October 3, the winery Vardzia Terraces harvested restored historical varieties of rare grapes for the first time in 400 years. The event was held on the territory of the Khizabavra Meskhetian terraces, in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region.
“Our company started the rehabilitation of 30 hectares of land. The first 12 hectares have already been restored and 24 historical varieties of grape have been planted in this area. These unique vine species have not been produced for the last four centuries. Soon, we will have the first wines made from these ancient grape varieties
I really put my full hidden energy and my heart into this project. This place is known for its harsh climatic conditions; winter is very cold here and the entire harvest can be spoiled in a day, so, having such sweet grapes here is the result of a lot of hard work. We are covering nearly 30 000 plants for winter time to keep vines alive.
Georgian scientist Levan Ujmajuridze and collector of Meskhetian grape varieties, Giorgi Natenadze made great contributions to the project, identifying more than 20 Meskhetian vines at the Saguramo Scientific Research Center. many unique species of the Meskhetian vine have been destroyed and lost.
In 2016, we started planting these ancient vine species on the Meskhetian terraces. At this stage, we have about 24 varieties of vine here. Today, we see the result of our hard work: the first grape harvest in such a short period of time. This event is important and a celebration worth having, not only for Meskheti but for the whole of Georgia as well
Meskheti is one of the most ancient sites of viticulture in Georgia and some scientists believe that ancient Georgian varieties could have origins there.Ancient Meskheti was formerly the home of stonewall terraces meant for vineyards and orchards. The area was famous for its unique grapes that made among the best wines in the country. Centuries ago, viticulture was well-developed in Meskheti, evidenced by the centuries-old grape varieties and unique vine presses hollowed out of the rock, called ‘Satsnakheli.’ At the end of the 16th century, the last grape harvest was arranged on the Meskhetian terraces. Afterward, many ancient varieties of Meskhetian wine were destroyed due to historical events and known difficulties.