Wine House Gurjaani — Wine in Kakheti, Georgia

In short

Wine House Gurjaani is a small, family-run winery based in the town of Gurjaani, in the Kakheti region of eastern Georgia. According to the winery, it is operated by the Aliashvili family, whose connection to winemaking goes back to 1864, and it makes its wine using the traditional qvevri method in vineyards it describes as farmed without chemical pesticides or herbicides. The winery says it produces five wines a year in small volumes, sold mainly from its own cellar on Rustaveli Street and in a small number of Tbilisi restaurants.

The estate and its history

Wine House Gurjaani presents itself as a family company rather than a commercial estate built for tourism. The winery states that winemaking has been “an inseparable part of the Aliashvili family” since 1864, and that the current generation is continuing work passed down over six generations. The family’s account, published on its own site, centres on the founder’s grandfather, who spent 37 years working at an industrial wine factory bottling wine on a large scale, while privately continuing to make wine at home using the older qvevri method, which the family says he did “to pay homage to the roots and traditional wine-making methods.” It is this home method, rather than the industrial one he worked with professionally, that the present-day Wine House Gurjaani says it has carried forward.

The winery frames its own story within the much longer history of wine in Georgia, which archaeological evidence dates back around 8,000 years, and describes itself as continuing that tradition on a small, family scale rather than an industrial one.

• 1864 – the winery says winemaking begins as a continuous family occupation for the Aliashvili family.
• Three generations later – the founder’s grandfather spends 37 years working at an industrial wine factory while making qvevri wine privately, according to the winery.
• Present day – sixth generation of the family operates Wine House Gurjaani, producing and selling wine from the family cellar in Gurjaani, the winery says.

Vineyards, grapes and method

The winery’s vineyards lie in the village of Pkhoveli in Kakheti, at an altitude the winery gives as 850 metres above sea level. Wine House Gurjaani says its vineyards are managed with “bio preparations” only, meaning no chemical pesticides or herbicides are used.

Winemaking follows the traditional Kakhetian qvevri method, which the winery describes as distinct from European winemaking. Grapes are pressed in a foot-operated wine press known in Georgian as a satsnakheli, and the resulting juice, together with the skins, stalks and pips (collectively chacha), is poured into qvevri – large, egg-shaped earthenware vessels buried below ground level. The sealed qvevri are left underground for five to six months of fermentation before the wine is drawn off and drunk, according to the winery.

Wine House Gurjaani makes five wines a year: Khikhvi, Kisi, Rkatsiteli, a Kisi-Khikhvi blend, and Saperavi. The winery states that production runs to up to 1,500 bottles of each wine, with a combined maximum output of around 8,000 bottles a year, though it says this volume could be increased in response to demand.

The wines

• Kisi – dry white wine made from the Kisi grape, a variety native to Kakheti; the winery lists it among its five annual wines without further tasting notes published.
• Khikhvi – dry white wine made from the Khikhvi grape, another Kakhetian variety traditionally used in qvevri winemaking.
• Kisi-Khikhvi – a white blend of the Kisi and Khikhvi grapes, produced as a separate bottling alongside the two varietal wines.
• Rkatsiteli – dry white wine made from Rkatsiteli, the most widely planted white grape variety in Georgia and a mainstay of Kakhetian qvevri wine.
• Saperavi – dry red wine made from the Saperavi grape, Georgia’s principal red variety; the winery describes it as having medium acidity, medium-plus tannins, a full body, and aromas of black cherry and blackberry, and suggests pairing it with regional, often spiced, Georgian dishes.

Visiting

The winery’s website includes a dedicated wine-tasting page, indicating that tastings are part of what it offers to visitors, though no further detail on format, duration or pricing is published there. Visitors wanting to arrange a tasting or cellar visit are best to contact the winery directly by phone or email before arriving. The winery’s listed opening hours are daily, 11:00 to 20:00.

Wine House Gurjaani also states that it supplies companies, restaurants, markets and private individuals, and that it can send wine samples internationally and arrange transfers of 100 to 600 bottles with the necessary certifications and documentation on request, though it notes it does not yet have export experience.

Food and stays

No restaurant, guesthouse or accommodation is mentioned on the winery’s website. The winery states that its wine is currently sold mainly from its own cellar in Gurjaani and through a small number of restaurants in Tbilisi that stock it, rather than through a visitor dining or lodging operation on site.

Awards

No awards or competition results are stated on the winery’s website.

Location and getting there

Wine House Gurjaani’s cellar address is 28 Rustaveli Street, Gurjaani, Georgia (zip code 1500). Gurjaani is a district town in Kakheti, on the right bank of the Alazani river valley, and gives its name to one of Georgia’s registered appellations of origin for dry white wine made from Rkatsiteli. The town lies roughly 100 kilometres east of Tbilisi, a drive of around one and a half to two hours depending on traffic and route, making it feasible to combine a visit with other Kakheti wine-region stops such as Telavi, Sighnaghi or Tsinandali on a day trip from the capital.

Good to know

• Address: 28 Rustaveli Street, Gurjaani, Georgia (zip 1500).
• Opening hours stated by the winery: Monday to Sunday, 11:00 to 20:00.
• Contact: info@whg.ge or +995 599 51 22 44.
• Family-run operation, according to the winery, tracing its winemaking back to 1864.
• Wines are made using the traditional Kakhetian qvevri method, not the European method.
• Vineyards are in the village of Pkhoveli at 850 metres above sea level and are managed, the winery says, without chemical pesticides or herbicides.
• Annual production is small: up to 1,500 bottles per wine, roughly 8,000 bottles in total across five wines.
• No export programme is in place yet, per the winery, though it is open to international orders and sample shipments.

Questions travellers ask

Is Wine House Gurjaani a large commercial winery or a family cellar?

It is a small, family-operated winery. The winery describes itself as run by the Aliashvili family across six generations, with total annual production capped at around 8,000 bottles across five wines.

What winemaking method does Wine House Gurjaani use?

The winery uses the traditional Kakhetian qvevri method, in which grapes are pressed in a foot-operated press and fermented with their skins, stalks and pips in buried earthenware vessels for five to six months, rather than the European stainless-steel or barrel method.

Can visitors book a tasting at the cellar?

The winery’s website has a wine-tasting page, suggesting tastings are offered, but it does not publish details on format or price. Visitors are advised to contact the winery directly ahead of a visit to arrange one.

Which wines does the winery produce?

Five wines: Kisi, Khikhvi, a Kisi-Khikhvi blend, Rkatsiteli and Saperavi, all made in Kakheti from grapes grown in the winery’s own vineyards in Pkhoveli village.

How far is Gurjaani from Tbilisi, and can it be combined with other sights?

Gurjaani is roughly 100 kilometres from Tbilisi, about one and a half to two hours by road, and sits within the Kakheti wine region, making it straightforward to combine with other towns in the area such as Telavi, Sighnaghi or Tsinandali on the same trip.

Sources

• Wine House Gurjaani — official website (whg.ge)
• Wine House Gurjaani: Wines
• Wine House Gurjaani: Our Offer
• Wine House Gurjaani: About Us
• Wine House Gurjaani: WINE TASTING
• Wine House Gurjaani: Contact
• Wine House Gurjaani: WineHouse

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.