Wine charity auction hits record prices
Georgia’s wine lovers support American who makes wine in Georgia

Georgian wine manufacturers raise about 20,000 GEL to support American winemaker John Wurdeman, whose house and cellar was destroyed by fire.  

Georgian Wine Club said this was the first case of selling Georgian wines in such a high price.

Wurdeman came to Georgia in 1996 and settled in the town of Signaghi in Georgia’s main wine making region Kakheti. He lives there with his family and runs a winery, Pheasant's Tears, dedicated to preserving Georgian wine culture.

Georgian Wine Club announced, the natural wine manufacturers conducted auction for the support of Wurdeman and sold rare Georgian natural wines from private collections, "that are not found anywhere else on the market”.

In total, John Wurdeman supporting auction proceeds amounted to 20,000 GEL of which 18,020 GEL was raised from the auction and the rest money was donated by the individuals. 

The most expensive wine sold in the auction was Niki Antadze’s Rkatsiteli 2010, which was sold at 1200 GEL. Photo by Wine Club/Facebook.

Georgian Wine Club said 56 bottles of unique wine were sold during the auction (23 retail, and 33 in lots) and the sales amounted to 18,020 GEL. 

The most expensive wine sold in the auction was Niki Antadze’s Rkatsiteli 2010, which was sold at 1200 GEL. 

Other very expensive wines were Iago’s Chinuri and Jakeli Organ Vines and Wine’s Saperavi Khashmi which were sold at 1,010 GEL.

The most expensive among the wines grouped in lots was a lot consisted of Saperavi 2013 by Kakha Berishvili, Iberieli’s (Zurab Topuridze) Chkhaveri 2009, Coupage of Jani and Skhiltaubani and Mtsvane by Okro Wines, reported Georgian Wine Club. 

Within the charity campaign the individuals also transferred money directly to a general account of the affected winemaker. The Georgian Wine Club transferred 1,000 GEL while Kardenakhi Ancestral Cellar transferred $500 USD to John Wurdeman. 

John Wurdeman and his wife at their yard in Sighnagi. Photo by Wine Club/Facebook. 

Retail prices at the auction ranged from 200 to 1,200 GEL, and the average price of a bottle wine was 321 GEL. 

Unique wines from almost all wine regions of Georgia - Kakheti, Kartli, Imereti, Guria, Samegrelo and even Meskheti (wines from the last region are not in general sale as very rare) represented in the auction. 

The auction was held on December 27 in an informal setting in Vino Underground.  

Meanwhile, wine expert and co-owner of Azarphesha wine restaurant in central Tbilisi  Luarsab Togonidze named his favourite three wines. Among them was Pheasant’s Tears – wine made by American John Wurdeman.

Read the story ‘Your complete Georgian Christmas, New Year’s Eve guide’ written by Agenda.ge’s journalist Genevieve Helliwell about Christmas and New Year’s gifts from Georgia.