Mirianis Marani: A Fersati Cellar Opening Imereti’s Wine Story

By Mariam Lomidze, Culture & Events Reporter · 02/11/2026

West of Kakheti‘s famous vineyards lies a quieter wine country: Imereti, where grapes such as Tsitska, Tsolikouri and Krakhuna have been fermented in buried qvevri for centuries, often using methods that differ from the eastern Georgian style. Mirianis Marani, a small wine-focused establishment in the village of Fersati, sits squarely within this tradition. It is listed in the Georgian National Tourism Administration register, with its location and contact details verified for travellers planning a visit.

November is a sound month to seek it out. The harvest is finished, the countryside has thinned of summer crowds, and the air carries the particular smell of a working marani — fermenting must, damp clay, wood smoke — that is harder to catch later in winter or during the business of peak season. For anyone curious about how Imereti’s winemaking diverges from Kakheti’s better-documented methods, this is a useful, low-key place to start asking questions and tasting the difference for yourself.

Who it suits

Mirianis Marani will appeal most to travellers already curious about Georgian wine beyond the familiar Kakhetian names, and to those building a slower, village-based itinerary rather than rushing between headline sights. It also suits anyone basing themselves around Kutaisi, since Fersati sits within easy reach of the city and its airport, making the cellar a realistic stop rather than a detour requiring a separate overnight.

It is less suited to travellers wanting a polished, large-scale tasting room experience; this is a family-run cellar in a rural Imeretian village, and visitors should approach it with the flexibility that implies — checking current details via the listed website before travelling, since opening arrangements at small maranis can vary.

In terms of logistics, Kutaisi functions as the natural gateway: its international airport brings in travellers heading for western Georgia, and the city itself makes a sensible overnight base. From there, Fersati and Mirianis Marani can be combined with some of the region’s strongest natural attractions — the Okatse and Martvili canyons, Sataplia Nature Reserve with its preserved dinosaur footprints, and the Prometheus Cave. November’s cooler, drier air generally makes walking the canyon paths and cave routes more comfortable than in the height of summer, without the winter risk of closures that can affect higher-altitude sites elsewhere in Georgia.

A day built around one or two of these natural sites, finishing at a cellar like Mirianis Marani, gives a rounded sense of Imereti: its landscape, its underground wonders, and the quieter wine culture that locals have sustained for generations without the tourism infrastructure of the east.

Read more on gtour.ge: Imereti · Mirianis Marani — Wine in Imereti, Georgia

Wine of the day — a daily GTour desk feature drawn from the verified-place register and our destination guides. Not sponsored.