| A New Addition to the Dakishvili Winemaking Family |
As summer nears its end in Akhmeta, Natalia Dakishvili’s vineyard, situated in the yard of her ancestral house in Zhaluri (a district of Akhmeta), features a rare variety of Qisturi Saghvine alongside Aleksandrouli, both of which she has personally cultivated. Akhmeta is an expansive valley that encompasses several micro-gorges, each with its unique microclimate. It can boldly be described as a large terroir that unites numerous micro terroirs. One of these is Zhaluri, nestled among the mountains and small hills. Its geography creates an interesting climate, with hot days and significantly cooler nights. This contrast in day and night temperatures is particularly important from the period of grape veraison until harvest, as it enhances aroma development and ensures the production of high-quality grapes.
Natalia Dakishvili, a winemaker by both name and heritage, personally planted the rare grape variety in Zhaluri and tends to the vineyard herself. Her White Bunny is a new addition to the great Dakishvili winemaking family. With its debut wines—White Bunny Sparkling Rosé Brut and QS Aleksandrouli Red Dry Wine—this label has already made an impressive mark, upholding the family’s reputation for outstanding, high-quality, and memorable wines.
The ancestors of the Dakishvili family came to Georgia in the 1750s, migrating from the Argun Valley of Chechnya in the northern Caucasus Mountains. They settled in the Pankisi Gorge in the northern Kakheti region, where they engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry, planting vineyards alongside other crops. About 150 years later, in the early 1900s, Orthodox priest Simon Dakishvili began making wine for church services.
The Dakishvili family continues their winemaking tradition to this day. The Dakishvili Family Wine Cellar, founded by Gogi Dakishvili, has been producing high-quality, limited-quantity wines since 2002. Their vineyards are located in the heart of Georgian winemaking, Kakheti, specifically in Shalauri and Kisiskhevi, nestled in ecologically clean environments surrounded by mountains and forests. They also cultivate vineyards in the Tsinandali and Akhmeta PDO zones, specifically in Kondoli, Kurdghelauri, Akhmeta, and Babaneuri.
Winemaking is an intrinsic part of the Dakishvilis’ heritage and sense of purpose, passed down through generations. For over a century, the family has been producing white, amber, rosé, red, and sparkling wines, all distinguished by their high quality. They maintain a tradition of crafting these exceptional wines in limited quantities, with an annual production of 50,000 bottles. Each wine series ranges from 500 to 5,000 bottles. Wine lovers and connoisseurs around the world recognize them under the Dakishvili Family Selection brand.
The Dakishvili family uses both the traditional Georgian method (in qvevri) and the classic technique in winemaking. They incorporate modern knowledge and methods, staying attuned to market requirements and trends. All family members are involved in the process, with three—Gogi Dakishvili, his wife Ilona, and their son Temuri—being professional oenologists.
White Bunny by Natalia Dakishvili
White Bunny is a new addition to the Dakishvili family, created by Natalia Dakishvili, Gogi Dakishvili’s sister. The brand’s origin is tied to the birth of a white bunny in Natalia’s childhood. To this day, the bunny symbolises new beginnings, joy, and happiness, serving as a constant source of inspiration for her.
“I always wanted to create something that would honour both myself and our family, the Dakishvili family, renowned winemakers of Georgia. I have always sought to represent our legacy with respect and significance. This is why White Bunny by Natalia Dakishvili was created.
Since childhood, I have heard many captivating stories about winemaking. I participated, numerous times, in the grape pressing process using my great grandfather’s traditional press, which is still preserved in its original form in the cellar of the Akhmeta house.
Making wine has always been an interesting and enjoyable process for me. I have been fascinated by the history of wine for a long time. However, after graduating from the university, I worked in a different profession, though my childhood dream never faded.
I wanted to continue the family tradition and make wine myself. In 2020, I began pursuing this dream by planting a new vineyard with the rare grape variety Qisturi Saghvine on my grandparents’ ancient homestead in Akhmeta. With my roots in the Pankisi Gorge, I became increasingly interested in reviving the forgotten Qisturi Saghvine. This rare grape variety is known for its low yield and unique taste and aroma.
In 2020, I harvested a small quantity and produced several bottles of wine, which have become an integral part of the family’s wine history and a cherished relic. From the 2021 vintage, I bottled the first sparkling wine, Rosé Brut, in 2023. With the 2022 vintage, I added the red-dry qvevri wine, QS Aleksandrouli, to the White Bunny.
The process of making wine is a great art, starting with receiving and processing the grapes and continuing through fermentation—the birth of wine. A true winemaker cannot approach the entire winemaking sequence indifferently. Caring for the vineyard, harvesting, pressing the grapes, making the wine, and finally tasting it is a profound source of pride and pleasure. My grandparents, parents, and later my brother taught me this art and helped me truly appreciate it”
The history of Qisturi Saghvine, from the ancestors of the Dakishvili family, to the present day
Gogi Dakishvili: In the Akhmeta region, several grape varieties were known, including Qisturi Saghvine. Besides its primary name, this variety was also known by synonyms such as Qistauri Saghvine, Qisturi Shavi (black), and Qistauri Shavi. Our ancestors, the Vainakhs from Chechnya, were captivated by the beauty of nature and climate here. Given Chechnya’s cold climate, agriculture is less developed there compared to animal husbandry. The Vainakhs who settled in the Pankisi Gorge engaged in agriculture and produced wine from local Georgian grape varieties, including Qisturi Saghvine.
I discovered this forgotten variety a few years ago at the Jighaura Research Center. Mr. Levan Ujmajuridze, Director of the Agricultural Scientific Research Center at the State Agricultural University and a distinguished professor and academician, assisted me in growing its graft. Natalia then planted it in Zhaluri, where she personally tends to it and crafts the wine. This is the story of how Qisturi Saghvine found its place in her vineyard. It is the only vineyard in Georgia and the world where Qisturi Saghvine is cultivated, with a total of 1,000 vines.
In the same vineyard, 500 Aleksandrouli grapevines are also cultivated. Both the sparkling wine and the dry red wine QS Aleksandrouli, produced under the White Bunny brand, are made from Qisturi Saghvine and Aleksandrouli varieties.
Cultivating Aleksandrouli was both an experiential and intuitive decision. When it cropped excellent results alongside Qisturi Saghvine, we realized it was the right decision. Qisturi Saghvine and Aleksandrouli share many similarities. The style of the wines made from those grapes, produced under the White Bunny brand, is highly sought after in the global market and is expected to maintain its appeal in the future. A relatively low-alcohol, light-bodied red wine with aromas of berries and red fruits, we knew from the start that this was the direction we needed to pursue with these varieties.
It should also be noted that Natalia crafts the wines in qvevri. This not only enhances the symbolic and emotional significance of the qvevri in her wines but also allows this traditional vessel to showcase its charm and strengths, which is clearly reflected in the White Bunny wines.
Zhaluri’s Vineyard
The upper layer of soil in Zhaluri is a mixture of yellow clay and silt. The silt contributes to the soft and refined structure of the grapes. The lower soil layer consists of volcanic rock, which provides excellent drainage and allows for rapid precipitation infiltration. As a result, heavy rains do not lead to waterlogging, minimizing the risk of vine diseases. This indicates that the soil is of high quality for vine cultivation. Additionally, the correct exposure ensures that the vine absorbs solar energy effectively. During vineyard cultivation, the constant breeze and wind direction from the west is considered to minimise moisture in the vineyard.
Qisturi Saghvine – Strengths and weaknesses
This variety is less resistant to diseases and requires careful attention. Proper pruning is essential for a quality harvest. Its strengths include versatility in producing various wine styles, such as rosés, light-bodied reds, and aged reds. This versatility contributes to the high quality of the variety.
Qisturi Saghvine is a variety that is easy to work with and consistently performs well.
The Sparkling Wine Industry in the Kakheti Region
Gogi Dakishvili: It just so happened that sparkling wine production in our region received little attention, largely due to the approaches from the Soviet era. However, a few passionate winemakers discovered that high-quality sparkling wines could be produced in Kakheti, and we achieved impressive results.
Of course, selecting the right variety for the appropriate location is crucial. In the hotter parts of our region, growing grapes for sparkling wine would not be ideal. In this regard, Akhmeta is an excellent location. One of the common varieties here is Kakhuri Mtsvane, from which very high-quality sparkling wines can be produced when harvested at the optimal time of technological maturity.
Natalia also found the production of sparkling wines intriguing. The first ever wine bottled under the White Bunny brand was a sparkling wine – QS Aleksandrouli Sparkling Rosé Brut. This wine is crafted from these two varieties using the traditional méthode champenoise.
