Tamar Khvedelidze
Mamuka Orkodashvili
The shortest route to Telavi runs over the Gombori Pass, which rises to a maximum elevation of 1,620 metres. The pass and its surrounding landscape are striking in every season. After crossing Gombori, you first reach Telavi, and just a few kilometres further lies the village of Shalauri. It is here that Orta, the family winery of Tamar Khvedelidze and Mamuka Orkodashvili, is located.
‘Orta’ in the Kakhetian dialect refers to something shared by two people. Fittingly, the story of this cellar began with two winemakers, Tamar and Mamuka, in 2016. Tamar is originally from Imereti, one of western Georgia’s leading wine regions, known for its light-bodied, high-acidity, crisp wines. That background is reflected within Orta’s family cellar, where, alongside wines made using the traditional Kakhetian method, you will also find classically made styles- lighter and more lively in character.
The village of Shalauri is located in the Tsinandali microzone, where soils are diverse, and the climate is moderately humid, characterized by hot summers and relatively cold winters. Tamar and Mamuka’s vineyards are planted here as well.
They produce several types of wine:
Qvevri Rkatsiteli - an amber wine with aromas of dried peach and apricot, alongside herbal and honeyed notes, balanced acidity, and a long finish.
Qvevri Saperavi - a cherry-hued wine with aromas of black plum and spice, a pleasant, long finish, and good ageing potential.
Mtsvane - made in the classic style, a pale straw-coloured wine with aromas of apricot and fresh fruit, and a pleasant acidity.
Jghia - Rosé Wine.
Jghia is an endemic Georgian grape variety from Kakheti. A pink hue, low alcohol content, and a pleasant palate characterise wines produced from it. It is a rarely found, collectible variety. In Orta’s vineyards, it was planted alongside Rkatsiteli and Kakhuri Mtsvane by Mamuka’s grandfather in Shilauri, in a place the locals call Naghomari. The vineyard is 40 years old and, as Tamar notes, Mamuka does not entrust its care to anyone else.
‘Jghia is rarely found as a standalone vineyard,’ Mamuka explains. ‘It is a fascinating variety from which we produce a fresh, dry rosé using classical winemaking techniques, with fermentation carried out without skin contact. ’The wine shows notes of berry fruit, strawberry, and currant, and is pleasant to drink. In our vineyard, this variety ripens one to two weeks earlier than Rkatsiteli, which is why Jghia is the first harvest of the season.
In Kakheti, Jghia was rarely vinified as a single varietal wine and was mostly blended with Saperavi. At Orta, however, its production has been approached in a different manner. We aim to preserve this unique Kakhetian variety. Since only small plantings exist, production is limited to approximately 300 bottles per year. Orta’s first export was, in fact, this very wine, sent to Poland, where it attracted strong interest from consumers. Alongside Jghia, our Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane were also exported.’
Mamuka and Tamar are planning to expand their vineyard area and plant Khikhvi, a particularly notable Kakhetian grape variety with wide potential, which Ivane Javakhishvili (1876 -1940), a leading Georgian historian, described as one of the oldest endemic varieties.
The Story of Two Winemakers
That Began with Two Qvevris
Tamar explains that everything began with two qvevris that Mamuka’s grandfather had buried in the cellar. They used one for Rkatsiteli and the other for Saperavi. This is how Orta’s story began - today it has grown to include more qvevris, a cellar that welcomes wine lovers, and a range of wines in various styles, available on the local market and in specialist wine shops.
‘Every year, wine - like a living organism - teaches us something new, and we listen and learn. I often like to say we make what I call gemotsminda wines - wines of ‘pure taste’. Gemotsminda - have you heard this word before? It sounds beautiful, with a slightly religious undertone, much like wine itself. Each year, we listen more closely and continue to evolve .’
It is spring in Orta’s vineyards, where Tamar and Mamuka are not alone. The winemakers have three children, with the third born this year. Orta’s story, which began with two qvevris, continues. Ahead lie new grape varieties, new wines, and new countries where the family cellar’s wines will no doubt find appreciation.
