This small and beautiful family estate was established in 2005. Located in the north east of Kakheti, Babaneuris winery takes its name from the nearby town. This part of Georgia is the gateway to Tusheti, a national park in the Caucasus mountains and location of one of “the world’s most treacherous roads”. It’s much safer to go by foot or hoof, and Tushetians are famously accomplished horsemen. Vako Idoidze (“I cannot live without horses”) and family farm the 11 hectares and make a small range of impeccable qvevri wines. Their Tushetian origins helped when they set out to establish here, as the locals are notoriously unwilling to sell precious farming land. They started as a small project with just a few hectares of vineyards. The response from early customers and the increasing number of tourists coming to trek in the area encouraged them to go for it. They sold their construction business in Tbilisi, expanded the vineyard, and built an exquisite boutique hotel nestled against the foothills of the mountains. There is a heated pool with views of the mountains, and a lovely restaurant serving contemporary Georgian food made from the fantastic local produce. Vako organises trekking tours for his guests and would like to introduce horse riding one day. “But our local horses are too wild. You couldn’t put an unsuspecting tourist on one.”
Wines are all made in qvevri, and comprise a Saperavi, Mtsvane, Kisi and Rkatsiteli from exclusively estate-grown grapes. These are charming, succulent, beautifully balanced wines with generosity and freshness in perfect balance.
www.babaneuri.com
