Young sisters Baia and Gvantsa quickly became well known names in Georgia and already outside of their homeland when, in their early 20’s, they decided to continue with their family traditions of wine making in a beautiful village Optcha in the Imereti region of Georgia. The girls followed their father and grandfather’s passion to grow grapes in their family vineyards and make exquisite wines according to the Georgian traditional wine making method in Churi – Churi is how western Georgians, particularly Imeretians, call Qvevri. Baia is making typical Imerietian wines from grapes Tsitska, Tsolikauri and Krakhuna, she also blends these white grapes and is producing Imeretian light and lively amber wines, whilst Gvantsa is making red Georgian wines Otskhanuri Sapere, Aladasturi and Ojaleshi.
In 2019, Baia was named in the Forbes’ 30 Under 30. Read her article in Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/chloesorvino/2019/02/12/meet-the-25-year-old-georgian-winemaker-named-to-forbes-2019-30-under-30-europe-list/#1c73c8283f53
The Village of Obcha in Western Georgia boasts a unique micro-climate, located east of the Sairme Mountains, which receives a slightly higher angle of the sun’s rays with a greater solar intensity. At 324 meters above sea level, the Land offers an ideal location for growing premium wine grapes. The perfect balance of geography, micro-climate and well-drained soil come together to create the perfect environment for Bais’s exquisitely handcrafted wines. The heavy cold air that collects between the high peaks during the night drains off the heights, much like water, joining cold moist air, creating a double cooling effect. The cool night time temperatures are critical in developing high quality grapes. The alluvial soil, with clay, gravel, sand and limestone have another significant influence on wine quality. The limestone offers good drainage in the wet years, retaining much needed moisture in the dry vintages, while adding various mineral elements to the soils, which transfer to the gorgeous grapes.