Gela Patalishvili

Gela Patalishvili is a winegrower and farmer in the Kakheti region of eastern Georgia near the Azeri border. His partner, John Wurdeman, is an American painter based in Georgia since 1998 who is as passionate about Georgia’s polyphonic music and culture as he is about its wine. Their friendship and shared love for wine led them to create Pheasant's Tears in 2007. Gela is a true man of the Earth, entirely devoted to these vines that he nurtures all year round. His philosophy is to let nature do its work and then try to capture the essence of that magic, allowing the terroirs to express themselves freely. Over the years, the two men have acquired vineyard parcels throughout Georgia to be able to represent the vast panorama of wines the country has to offer. They now cultivate about twenty hectares of organic vines and are working to preserve the country’s ampelographic heritage, which includes more than 500 planted grape varieties. In the winery it’s traditional qvevris, no additives, and magic at work...