Pheasant’s Tears

Credit: Keiko & Maika

Credit: Keiko & Maika

Quick facts:

Location: the village of Tibaani, in the eastern Kakheti region of Georgia

Owner & winemaker: John Wurdeman and Gela Patalishvili

Vineyard area: 17 hectares planted across several vineyards in the eastern Kakheti region, the western Adjara region, and Samtskhe-Javakheti region of Aspindza, with more being planted 

Vineyard management: practicing organic 

Soils: clay, granite, sandstone, grey clay, quartz, volcanic

Main varieties: Ancient indigenous Georgian varieties including Rkatsiteli, Saperavi, Tsolikouri, and hundreds more

Winemaking: hand-harvest only, with reds and whites macerated for anywhere from 3 weeks to 6 months. Many of the wines are fermented and aged in traditional qvevris below ground, or in stainless steel. No fining, no filtering, low- to no added SO2. 

Read an excellent profile on John in Apartamento magazine here. 

It’s not an exaggeration to say that John Wurdeman, an American artist, musician, restaurateur, and winemaker, is responsible for igniting global interest in the wines and winemaking traditions of Georgia. Considered by some to be the birthplace of wine, Georgia is one of the oldest winemaking regions in the world, with evidence of vinification stretching back 8,000 years. 

John and his business partner, Gela Patalishvili, opened Pheasant’s Tears in 2007, focusing on tracking down and reviving near-extinct native grape varieties from all around Georgia, which is home to over 500 indigenous varieties. They ferment and age the majority of their wines in qvevris, traditional amphorae that are buried underground. Recently, they’ve also incorporated stainless steel into their winemaking. The winery is based in Tibaani, while their vineyards are located both nearby and across the country, stretching from the western region of Adjara to the volcanic terroir of Meshketi in the south. 

From the beginning, their aim has always been to highlight the country’s immense native diversity and centuries-old winemaking traditions. Put simply, they wanted to create wines that honor and represent the land and culture that they both love dearly, with a focus on ancient techniques and vessels. Organic farming practices and minimal intervention in both the vineyards and cellar have been integral to their mission. Today, they work with hundreds of ancient varieties that they sought out and initially propagated themselves, including Rkatsiteli, Saperavi, Tsolikouri, and lesser-known varieties. 

John has had an indelible impact on protecting and promoting Georgian wine: in addition to Pheasant’s Tears, he founded Tbilisi’s first natural wine bar, Vino Underground, in 2010, and helped found the country’s Natural Wine Association.

So how did a kid from Virginia wind up igniting a Georgian wine renaissance? 

Born in New Mexico and raised in Virginia by artist parents, John was drawn to Georgia from a young age, after being introduced to traditional Georgian folk music (polyphonic music) by an exchange student that he met in high school and later married. 

After college, John moved to Russia for graduate studies at the renowned Surikov Art Institute. While there, he visited Georgia for the first time in 1995, returning the following year to help a friend harvest grapes and to explore the traditions of harvest time through his art. A fateful visit to the village of Sighnaghi convinced him to move there; in a matter of weeks, he bought a house overlooking the Alazani Valley, which included a small vineyard and orchard. 

John and his first wife soon separated; he remained in the village and later met his second wife, Ketevan Mindorashvili, who grew up there and is a specialist in local folk music. It was Ketevan who introduced him to Gela Patalishvili, a local farmer and winemaker who would become John’s business partner in Pheasant’s Tears. 

The winery’s name is a nod to a Georgian folk tale, which states that only a truly superlative wine could make a pheasant cry tears of joy. These are the types of wines that Pheasant’s Tears strives to make, and which we couldn’t be prouder to welcome into our portfolio as our first-ever producer from Georgia. 

Wines

 

Quinta 2021 — Back to the top

Kartli was famed to be the home of the royal vineyards of the East Georgian regents. In Soviet times, the region was designated for fruit orchards due to poor soil. Pheasant’s Tears and a few other small domains revived rare and nearly-extinct varieties such as the whites Goruli Mtsvane, Chinuri and light reds Danakharuli, Shavkapito and Tavkveri here. 

Quinta is used in Georgia as a musical term to describe an interval of 5ths. Untempered 5ths are a reoccurring harmony in Georgian polyphonic songs. John came to Georgia initially to collect and record such songs.

Grapes: Goruli Mtsvane, Chinuri, Danakharuli, Shavkapito, and Tavkveri

Vineyard: Kartli region, village of Mukhrani. Sandstone and gray clay.  

Making of: Destemmed and gently crushed into stainless steel. Macerated on the skins for 1 day, then racked to stainless steel for 24 months before bottling. These five varieties are co-planted, co-picked, and fermented together.

Soif da Vsvam 2022— Back to the top

The Meskheti project was launched to explore the rare and exotic soils of the southern region of Meskheti. The high elevation 1000 meters above  sea level , as well as the volcanic rock, create a great minerality and airy quality in these terraced vines on the bank of the Mtkvari river.

Grapes: A blend of 16 ancient indigenous varieties, a majority of which is Khikhvi, Meskhuri Mtsvane, Akhaltsikhuri Tetra, Bezhano, Tskhinis Dzudzu, Kharis Tvala, Chitis Bude

Vineyard: Samtskhe-Javakheti region of Aspindza, village of Khirtvisa. Volcanic soil, pink and black basalt.

Making of: Destemmed and gently crushed into stainless steel. Macerated for 1 week, then racked to stainless steel and aged for 9 months before bottling.

 

Chkhaveri 2021— Back to the top

The Chkhaveri vineyards are planted in a remote highland region in Adjara, where vineyard traditions were weakened by centuries of repeated incursions from Turkey. The grapes are grown in collaboration with John’s godson, Jambuli Disamidze, 

Grapes: Chkhaveri

Vineyard: West Georgian region of Adjara, village of Qvashta, region of Keda. Clay and granite soils. 500m above sea level, in mountains near the Black Sea. Planted 10 years ago, farmed organically from the start. The vineyard is composed of two parcels; one with higher terraces, and the other with a slightly lower steep slope. 

Making of: The grapes are harvested by hand, then destemmed and gently crushed into stainless steel. After one week of skin contact, the grapes are removed from the skins. Fermented and aged in stainless steel for one year, followed by another year in bottle.

Personality: Playful and pretty light red, Jura-style. 

Saperavi — Back to the top

When Pheasant’s Tears was established, the first vineyard was the 12 hectare plot in Tibaani, which had 4 hectares under Saperavi vines. Tibaani is a north facing slope in the Alazani valley. In bygone years it was the bottom of a sea when the Black and Caspian were united — you can still find seashell fossils in the soil. 

Saperavi is a powerful tertiary grape and Tibaani is the hottest, driest, part of Georgia. The semi carbonic maceration helps lighten the extraction, and give more finesse to the otherwise broad shouldered variety.

Grapes: 4 different clones of Saperavi.

Vineyard: Kakheti, Sighnaghi region, village of Tibaani. Sandstone and Quartz soils. 4 hectares of 25 year old vines, with a mixed planting of 4 clones. The climate is comparable to a semi-desert, hot and dry in the day and cool and windy at night. 

Making of (2023 + 2024): Grapes are hand-harvested early. 70% are de-stemmed and crushed after cooling down to minimize extraction, with the other 30% remaining whole-cluster. The two are combined in qvevri for semi-carbonic maceration, after which the juice is pressed off and moved into different qvevri. The wine is racked several times before finishing aging in stainless steel. 

Making of (2020): one half of grapes are destemmed and gently crushed into qvevri; the other half goes in whole bunch and is gently pressed after 10 days, so it’s semi carbonic. 

Personality (2023): Fresh acidity balanced with strong tannins, black currant and dark red fruit. “2023 was quite reserved,” says John. “There’s a certain evolution of flavor here that’s interesting and complex.”

Personality (2020): Dark and earthy, with notes of plum, black currant, and smoke. 

Vardisperi Rkatsiteli— Back to the top

The name Verdisperi translates to “like a rose.” Pheasant’s Tears was one of the first domains to bring attention to this rare, pink-skinned mutation of Rkatsiteli. 

Grapes: 100% Vardesperi Rkatsiteli

Vineyard: Kakheti, Sighnaghi region, village of Tibaani. Sandstone and quartz soil. 

Making of (2024): Grapes are hand-harvested, de-stemmed, and spend 3 weeks macerating on skins. 

Personality: The amber cousin to a rosé, with a gorgeous pink-copper color and notes of dried flowers, rooibos tea, sea salt and crunchy berries. Fresh and ocean-y with nice grippy tannins. 

From John, “This is a really pretty wine. It fits that category of being light, drinkable, approachable — there’s something delicate and attractive about it both in color and in flavor.”

 

Poliphonia — Back to the top

This collection of over 150 grapes was given to Pheasant’s Tears by the Ministry of Agriculture to help preserve and research indigenous grape varieties. It’s a co-plantation and co-fermentation of a mix of yellow, green, pink, red, purple and blue varieties, a dayglow spectrum of color and texture.

“Poliphonia” is the Greek word for “many voices at once,” and refers to a style of structured harmonic singing in Georgia. It’s also the name of John’s restaurant in Tbilisi! 

Grapes: A field blend featuring 117 indigenous Georgian varieties that are recognized, and 40 more that John and his team are still researching. 

Vineyard: This experimental plot takes up the upper left-hand corner of the Tibaani vineyard in Kakheti, Sighnaghi region. Sandstone and quartz soil. 

Making of (2024): Grapes are macerated on skins for 10 days; fermented and aged entirely in qvevri until bottling after one year. 

Making of (2022): Direct press into qvevri, then racked into stainless steel 6 months later. Aged for one year, then bottled.

Personality (2024): We’re reminded of stewed red fruits in brown butter — salty and fresh yet decadent. The palate pairs vivid, transparent fruit with strong tannic structure. Darker in color than the 2022 vintage thanks to a riper year and longer skin contact; a great pairing for meat dishes. 

Personality (2022): Citrusy, skinsy and wild, with tea-like tannic structure.

 

Kisi — Back to the top

“One of our most classic styles of wine for the region.”

Grapes: 100% Kisi

Vineyard: Kakheti, Sighnaghi region, village of Tibaani. Sandstone and Quartz. 

Making of (2023): Whole bunch gently crushed, then macerated on the skins in qvevri for 6 months. Racked into a new qvevri, where it’s aged for one year before bottling.  

Personality: A beautiful, hefty and hazy amber orange with notes of apricot. Kisi is both a tannic and very aromatic grape, and its skin maceration makes for a more grounded black tea profile with almost Biryani-like spiciness. Pair with Thai, Mexican, Indian and other cuisines with strong character.

From John, “Kisi with skin maceration becomes grounded, more handsome, has more substance. With its structure, this is a style of wine that’s entirely made to go with food — all of a sudden the tannins become a certain firm resistance that can embrace the punches of intense flavors. This is not the wine for your pre-dinner aperitivo!”

 

Tsolikouri 2022— Back to the top

Grapes: 100% Tsolikouri

Vineyard: West Georgian region of Imeriti, village of Shuagora region of Vani. Clay and limestone. 

Making of: Direct soft press, free running juice, fermented and aged in stainless steel for 1 year then one year in bottle.

Personality: The Tsolikouri vines are not far from the Black Sea, an area where tea and citrus also are grown. It’s a relatively humid climate with soils that naturally have low Ph providing the wines with a beautiful acidic backbone. Tsolikouri is a beautiful, linear, straight forward wine, reminiscent of Chenin in its good acidity, fit body and rich salty minerality. 

 

Goruli Mtsvane-Danakharuli 2020— Back to the top

Grapes: Goruli Mtsvane, Danakharuli. 

Vineyard: Kartli region, village of Mukhrani. Sandstone and Gray Clay.

Making of: Destemmed gently crushed into stainless steel. Macerated on the skins for one week, then racked to stainless steel and aged for 24 months before bottling. These two varieties are co-planted, co-picked, and fermented together.

Personality: Reminiscent of Pineau d’Aunis. Light red, with good acidity and a hint of spice. 

 

Tsiska 2023 — Back to the top

Grapes: Tsiska

Vineyard: Imereti region, Terjola township, Kvemo Sazaano village. Clay over lime rock. 

Making of: Destemmed, then gently crushed into stainless steel. Racked off the skins 3 days later, into stainless steel for 24 months before bottling.

Personality: Deep flavor enhanced by a very short skin maceration, something between a very light orange wine and a deep white.

 

Bodbiskhevi Mtsvane 2023 — Back to the top

Grapes: Mtsvane

Vineyard: Kakheti, Sighnaghi region, village of Bodbiskhevi. Sandstone soils, 45 year old vines. North facing towards the great Caucasus in the Alazani Valley. 

Making of: Direct-pressed into stainless steel. 

Personality: A rare expression of Kakhuri Mtsvane without skin contact, full of floral qualities and crunchy fruit. 

 

Mtsvane Tibaani 2023 — Back to the top

Grapes: Mtsvane

Vineyard: Kakheti, Sighnaghi region, village of Tibaani. Sandstone and Quartz. The climate is comparable to a semi-desert, hot and dry in the day and cool and windy at night.   

Making of: Whole bunch maceration, with all skins and all stems gently crushed then macerated on the skins for 3 days. Racked into a new qvevri, where it rests for one year before bottling. 

 

Rkatsiteli Bodbiskhevi — Back to the top

“We broke away from the dogma of the region in this one! In 2014 we had a drought, and the skins of our Rkatsiteli grapes were scorched by the sun. So we did a direct press, a Rkatsiteli without any skin contact, and we absolutely loved it. We’ve been making it ever since.”

Grapes: Rkatsiteli

Vineyard: Kakheti, Sighnaghi region, village of Bodbiskhevi. 45 year old vines on carbonic alluvial soil with some sandstone and quartz; lime rock and and sea-floor fossils deeper down. North facing towards the great Caucasus in the Alazani Valley.

Bodbiskhevi translates to “gorge of Bodbi,” an important pilgrimage site from the fourth century.

Making of (2024): Grapes are harvested early and direct-pressed into stainless steel using a pneumatic press.

Personality (2024): A rare expression of Rkatsiteli without skin, letting its shy fruit side and subtlety come through. Sea floor soils impart oceany minerality to the wine, which shows as salty and nutty alongside super-bright pear and stone fruit. For John it’s reminiscent of some Catalonian macabeos. 

From John, “I found that if you pick early enough, you can get this incredible shy beauty from the grape — almost quiet aromatics like in a pear.  It’s a really fresh, pretty, fruit-forward wine with umami backbone that’s even been described as seaweedy.”

 

Rkatsiteli Tibaani  — Back to the top

From John: “An introductory Georgian wine — drinkable and fresh with light tannins from the skin maceration and minerality coming from the terroir. For me, the shorter maceration is very food-friendly: you don’t lose the flavors of apricot, dried fruit, ripe fruit. It’s easy-going and very fun.”

Grapes: Rkatsiteli

Vineyard: Kakheti, Sighnaghi region, village of Tibaani. Sandstone and quartz soil. Tibaani, a hot and dry semi-desert, is known as the “Golden Belt,” the best site for making orange wines.

Making of (2022): Gently destemmed and crushed into qvevri, then macerated on the skins for one week. Racked off the skins, then racked again in 6 months and aged in stainless steel for one year before bottling. 

2024: Grapes spend just 10 days macerating on skins.

Personality (2024): A peachy-toned wine with nice grip and texture but easy drinkability thanks to less time spent on skins. Grapes are picked on the earlier side to keep good acidity. Salty on the nose; with flavors of peach tea, apricot and a pleasant bitterness.

 

Khikhvi 2023 — Back to the top

Grapes: Khikhvi

Vineyard: Kakheti, Sighnaghi region, village of Tibaani. Sandstone and Quartz.

Making of: Whole bunch maceration, with all skins and all stems gently crushed, then macerated on the skins for 6 months before being racked into a new qvevri and aged there for one more year before bottling. 

 

 

 

Phoenix’s Tears 2022 — Back to the top

Winemaker’s note: Phoenix’s Tears is a collaboration between John Wurdeman and Nuria Renom from Les Cantarelles, in Catalyuna — two close friends that wanted to make bubbles together. Every year it’s a bit different and can be one pet nat or a couple cuvées, always in very limited quantities. We’re lucky to get a few magnums of this one as well! 

Grapes: A field blend of a collection of grapes 117 indigenous Georgian varieties we can
recognize and 40 more we are still researching. This collection was given to Pheasant’s Tears by the Ministry of Agriculture to help preserve and research indigenous grape varieties it’s a co plantation and co fermentation of a mix of yellow, green, pink, red, purple and blue varieties, a day glow spectrum of color and texture.

Vineyard: Kakheti, Sighnaghi region, village of Tibaani. Sandstone and Quartz.

Making of: Direct press into qvevri, then racked into stainless steel 6 months later, where it ages for one year until bottling.  

Rkatsiteli Mtsvane Tibaani 

“This is probably the darling of the 2024’s for me,” says John. “The wine develops a tiny amount of flor, so it has that slight oxidative note which makes it food-friendly, easy-going and approachable. And for such a young wine, it’s got quite a long, developed, almost mature palate.”

Grapes: 50% Rkatsiteli, 50% Mtsvane

Vineyard: Tibaani, Kakheti; sandstone and quartz soil. “This is a very dry, hot area — technically a semi-desert. Hot throughout the days, windy and cold in the evenings.”

Making of (2024): Grapes are hand-harvested and macerate for 3 weeks on skins. The wine then ages in qvevri for 6 months where it develops a small amount of flor, before being transferred to stainless steel in the spring. Racked twice for gravity filtration and bottled in June. 

Personality: This one’s a treat! Sophisticated and mouthwatering aromas of caramel and honey, orange blossom, honeysuckle, sea salt and apricot; marmalade on the palate.

From John: “Mtsvane is more floral, with exotic aromas — while Rkatsiteli is more stoic, more quiet, more structured. And I think they lend something to one another; the Rkatsiteli gives the Mtsvane a touch more structure, and the Mtsvane has this beautiful aroma but suspended across the Rkatsiteli so it’s not too overwhelming.”