Askaneli Brothers — Wine in Tbilisi, Georgia

In short

Askaneli Brothers is a Georgian wine producer founded in 1998 by the Chkhaidze family, with roots that the company traces back to a nineteenth-century cellar in the village of Askana, in the Guria region of western Georgia. The company says it now farms 453 hectares of vineyards across Georgia, runs winemaking facilities in Kakheti and in Tbilisi, and produces more than 60 labelled wines alongside chacha and brandy. The Tbilisi site, on the Kakheti Highway, is the brand’s visitor-facing production and sales point in the capital.

The estate and its history

According to Askaneli, the company’s name and identity come from Askana, a village in Guria where the family’s ancestor, Antimoz Chkhaidze, built a wine cellar and made wine in qvevri, the traditional Georgian clay vessels buried in the ground. The company states that this cellar, along with clay pitchers dating to 1880, is still preserved in Askana today. The modern company was founded in 1998 by brothers from the Chkhaidze family, with Gocha Chkhaidze identified by the company as its founder and the figure credited with reviving family winemaking traditions and working to recover old Georgian grape varieties.

Askaneli describes itself as one of the largest wine businesses in Georgia and places itself among the country’s top three winemaking companies by production and vineyard holdings, according to its own account. The company also states that its production has implemented a food safety management system certified to the international ISO 22000 standard.

• 19th century (exact date not stated): Antimoz Chkhaidze builds a cellar and makes qvevri wine in the village of Askana, Guria
• 1880: date attributed by the company to clay pitchers still preserved at the Askana cellar
• 1998: Askaneli Brothers founded by the Chkhaidze family
• Present day: company operates two winemaking facilities (Kakheti and Tbilisi) and one fruit distillery in Guria, according to Askaneli

Vineyards, grapes and method

Askaneli states that its vineyards cover a total of 453 hectares. The main vineyard areas lie in Kvareli, in Kakheti, within the designated Kindzmarauli zone, where the company grows Saperavi. In Guria, in western Georgia, the company farms 22 hectares of Chkhaveri, a pink-skinned indigenous variety associated with that region. A further 22 hectares are set aside, in the company’s words, for experimental plantings of other varieties.

On method, Askaneli describes a harvest that is done by hand, beginning in late summer and running into late November, with white varieties picked earlier than reds to preserve acidity. After pressing, white wines are made off the skins, rosé is given brief skin contact, and reds ferment on the skins for colour and structure. The company says fermentation uses selected yeasts, and that some wines are made sweet by halting fermentation with cold temperatures.

For ageing, Askaneli states that wines spend up to six months in stainless steel or six to 24 months in oak barrels, while its Rkatsiteli and Saperavi wines are aged in qvevri according to traditional Kakhetian technique, which the company says gives these wines greater extraction and character. Wines are then given a further three to six months of bottle ageing before release, according to the company.

The wines

• Muza Qvevri – qvevri-aged wine, part of the company’s qvevri range made using traditional Kakhetian technique.
• Prima – a labelled wine in the company’s core range; grape and style not further specified on the official site.
• Saperavi-Muscat – a blend wine combining the red Saperavi grape with Muscat.
• Mukuzani and Mukuzani Premium – dry red wines made from Saperavi, from the Mukuzani appellation in Kakheti.
• Saperavi Premium and Saperavi Reserve – dry red wines from the Saperavi grape at different ageing tiers.
• Saperavi Qvevri and Rkatsiteli Qvevri – red and white wines respectively, aged in qvevri by traditional method.
• Tsolikauri and Tsolikauri (Manavi listed separately) – white wines made from the Tsolikauri and Rkatsiteli-based Manavi designations.
• Khikhvi and Kisi – dry white wines from these indigenous Kakhetian grape varieties.
• Chkhaveri Rose – rosé wine from the Chkhaveri grape grown in Guria.
• Rose Dry – a dry rosé wine.
• Kindzmarauli and Akhasheni – semi-sweet red wines from their respective Kakhetian appellations, made from Saperavi.
• Tsinandali – a dry white wine from the Tsinandali appellation, a blend typically of Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane.
• Tvishi – a semi-sweet white wine from the Tvishi appellation.
• Alazani Valley Red and Alazani Valley White – semi-sweet red and white wines from the Alazani Valley designation.
• Khvanchkara – a semi-sweet red wine from the Khvanchkara appellation in Racha.
• Late Harvest – Usakhelouri and Late Harvest Otskhanuri Reserve – late-harvest sweet wines from the Usakhelouri and Otskhanuri Sapere grapes.
• Classic Sparkling White 2020 and Classic Sparkling Rose 2020 – vintage sparkling wines in the company’s Classic range.
• Askaneli Chacha Premium – a grape pomace spirit (chacha), part of the company’s distillate range alongside aged brandy.

No retail prices are published on the official site for any of these wines.

Visiting

Askaneli states that it operates touristic centres in different regions of Georgia, and that it runs restaurants in Tbilisi and in Batumi. The official site does not publish specific tasting menus, cellar tour itineraries, opening hours or visit prices for the Tbilisi address, so travellers should contact the company directly in advance to confirm what a visit includes and whether booking is required.

Food and stays

The company states that it has restaurants in both Tbilisi and Batumi, associated with its wine tourism sites. No guesthouse, accommodation or event-hosting facilities are described on the official site for the Tbilisi location.

Awards

Askaneli’s official site lists numerous wines, including Muza Qvevri, Rkatsiteli Qvevri, Saperavi Reserve, Prima, Mukuzani Premium, Kisi, Khikhvi and others, as having received gold, silver or bronze awards, though specific competition names and years are not given for most entries. Separately, the company’s news section states that an Askaneli sparkling wine was awarded a silver medal at the International Wine Competition.

Location and getting there

The Tbilisi address given by Askaneli is 110a Kakheti Highway. The Kakheti Highway runs east out of Tbilisi and is the main road toward the Kakheti wine region, making this site a convenient stop either on the way into the city from Kakheti or as a wine-focused outing from central Tbilisi before continuing further east. No specific driving time or distance from the city centre is stated by the company.

Good to know

• Founded in 1998 by the Chkhaidze family, according to the company.
• Total vineyard holdings stated at 453 hectares across Georgia.
• Main Saperavi vineyards are in Kvareli, within the Kindzmarauli zone of Kakheti.
• Chkhaveri grape is grown on 22 hectares in Guria, western Georgia.
• Rkatsiteli and Saperavi wines are aged in qvevri using traditional Kakhetian technique.
• The company also runs a facility in Kakheti and a fruit distillery in Guria, in addition to the Tbilisi site.
• Restaurants linked to the brand operate in Tbilisi and Batumi, per the company.
• No prices, tour times or booking details for the Tbilisi site are published on the official website; confirm directly before visiting.

Questions travellers ask

Is Askaneli Brothers’ Tbilisi site a working winery or mainly a visitor centre?

The company describes the Tbilisi address as one of its winemaking facilities, alongside a separate site in Kakheti. It also refers to running touristic centres and a restaurant in Tbilisi, but does not spell out on its official site how production and visitor activities are divided between the two.

Can I taste wine and tour the cellar at the Tbilisi location?

The official website does not publish specific details on tastings or cellar tours for the Tbilisi address, so it is best to contact Askaneli in advance to ask what is offered and whether a booking is needed.

What grape varieties is Askaneli best known for?

Based on its own vineyard statements, the company’s core variety is Saperavi, grown in the Kindzmarauli zone of Kakheti, alongside Rkatsiteli and other indigenous whites such as Kisi and Khikhvi, and Chkhaveri from Guria.

Does Askaneli make qvevri wine using the traditional method?

Yes. The company states that its Rkatsiteli and Saperavi wines are aged in qvevri, the traditional Georgian clay vessels, following what it describes as traditional Kakhetian technology.

How far is the winery from central Tbilisi?

Askaneli’s Tbilisi address is on the Kakheti Highway, the road leading east from the city toward the Kakheti wine region. The company does not state an exact distance or travel time from the city centre on its official site.

Sources

• Askaneli Brothers — official website (askaneli.ge)
• Askaneli Brothers: About
• Askaneli Brothers: Winery
• Askaneli Brothers: wine
• Askaneli Brothers: sparkling_wine
• Askaneli Brothers: Awards
• Askaneli Brothers: Contacts

Profiled in depth by the GTour desk on 28 October 2026 from the property’s official website; photographs are the property’s own, from its official website, credited under each image. Not sponsored; tell us if something has changed.