Insights
One-on-One with the Founders
Please meet George and Zurab Margvelashvili, as they reflect on a range of topics, from initiation rituals in ancient cultures to the importance of following your bliss. How does it all intertwine with their lives dedicated to winemaking?
1. The Meaning of Wine
Q: Wine is so many things, covering the whole spectrum of meanings, from the profane to sacred. For some, it is no more than a means to get wasted; for others, it is a way to attain oneness with God, no less. What is it about wine that inspires you personally on your path as a winemaker?
GM: To begin with, wine is so much more than a thing – some consumer product on a par with lemonade and such. It's above all a cultural phenomenon. It's a culture in its own right as it encompasses the vast array of unique and intricate techniques employed in grape cultivation and production, and then all the various etiquettes, customs and ceremonies that contextualize and amplify the significance of wine...
GM: To begin with, wine is so much more than a thing – some consumer product on a par with lemonade and such. It's above all a cultural phenomenon. It's a culture in its own right as it encompasses the vast array of unique and intricate techniques employed in grape cultivation and production, and then all the various etiquettes, customs and ceremonies that contextualize and amplify the significance of wine...
Continue Reading ►
2. The Ritual Dimension of Wine
Q: Wine has great symbolic meaning in many cultures and is present in many religions. Even Islam, which forbids it in this life, promises wine – literally rivers of it – as a reward in the afterlife. Just as ayahuasca in indigenous cultures of the Amazon, wine has long been used in various rituals elsewhere to evoke mystical experiences. One notable example is the Bacchanalia, a festival dedicated to Bacchus, the ancient Roman god of fertility, dating back to the third century B.C. There, wine served as a conduit for spiritual transcendence, enabling participants – through frenzied dancing, singing, and revelry under its spell – to access a realm beyond their normal perception and establish a connection with the divine. Given its 8,000-year history of winemaking, cultural ties to ancient Greco-Roman civilization, and the near sacral status of wine in Georgian culture today, has it ever played a similar role in local religious tradition, as a gateway to the supernatural realm?..
Continue Reading ►
3. The Wellspring of Conviviality
Q: I honestly find it hard to believe. Five or six bottles of wine… up to fifteen per person in one sitting? That's a lot by our standards!
GM: It makes me wonder, too. Our ancestors must have had superpowers to handle so much wine. Wine had to flow through their veins, being their blood, part of their DNA – quite literally so. I guess we've got some catching up to do!
Though, also, it could be something to do with the quality of wine itself. In his 1856 book of adventures in Georgia, Alexandre Dumas observes that here more wine is consumed than anywhere in the world, adding that "God has endowed Georgians with wine of the kind that intoxicates without hitting one in the head." This last point is interesting and certainly merits further exploration...
GM: It makes me wonder, too. Our ancestors must have had superpowers to handle so much wine. Wine had to flow through their veins, being their blood, part of their DNA – quite literally so. I guess we've got some catching up to do!
Though, also, it could be something to do with the quality of wine itself. In his 1856 book of adventures in Georgia, Alexandre Dumas observes that here more wine is consumed than anywhere in the world, adding that "God has endowed Georgians with wine of the kind that intoxicates without hitting one in the head." This last point is interesting and certainly merits further exploration...
Continue Reading ►
“
Not a commodity. Wine is a global cultural phenomenon, complete with all its various etiquettes, customs and rituals...
4. The Lot of Georgian Wine Culture
Q: Despite its prehistoric origins, the coverage of Georgian wine culture in the global media, including even the most erudite and elaborate reviews, often presents it as a rather recent, largely exotic, almost odd phenomenon. How do you explain that?
GM: This peculiar state of affairs is not so much due to Georgian wine culture per se, but to a host of factors that are largely external to it – a combination of geographic, political, demographic, economic, religious, technological and commercial circumstances of our wine culture...
GM: This peculiar state of affairs is not so much due to Georgian wine culture per se, but to a host of factors that are largely external to it – a combination of geographic, political, demographic, economic, religious, technological and commercial circumstances of our wine culture...
Continue Reading ►
5. The Mythology of Georgian Wine
Q: It is fascinating how deeply the Georgian wine culture is steeped in myths and legends – all sorts of stories that pass down from generation to generation. The same cannot be attributed to other wine cultures. Why is this so?
GM: Myths are said to connect the everyday world to the eternal; they give meaning to the mundane. Traditional winemaking in Georgia has always been a very imaginative endeavor. And how could it be otherwise after a few glasses of Saperavi in a jolly good company after a day's hard work in the vineyard or in the winery! That is why this culture is infused with all sorts of fantastical themes... The "cradle of wine" story is perhaps the only bill that can be taken to the bank...
GM: Myths are said to connect the everyday world to the eternal; they give meaning to the mundane. Traditional winemaking in Georgia has always been a very imaginative endeavor. And how could it be otherwise after a few glasses of Saperavi in a jolly good company after a day's hard work in the vineyard or in the winery! That is why this culture is infused with all sorts of fantastical themes... The "cradle of wine" story is perhaps the only bill that can be taken to the bank...
Continue Reading ►
6. Beyond Mere Hedonism
Q: Alice Feiring has written a book about her travels in Georgia. It reads like a love letter to the Georgian people and their tradition of winemaking. Among other things, she points to the struggle of Georgian wine culture to stay true to its heritage. In other words, this culture is not wrapped up in itself, locked into its formulas, liquids and ceremonies. It also has a political dimension...
GM: That's true. This culture transcends its self-referential and hedonistic parameters, important as they are. It also encapsulates ethics, aesthetics, metaphysics, psychology, spirituality, community, and many other dimensions of being...
GM: That's true. This culture transcends its self-referential and hedonistic parameters, important as they are. It also encapsulates ethics, aesthetics, metaphysics, psychology, spirituality, community, and many other dimensions of being...
Continue Reading ►
“
It also fills me with pride as a bearer and custodian of this ancient culture, taking it a step further every day as a winemaker...
7. Ghosts Cast no Shadows
Q: Tbilvino was founded ages ago and years before you were born. The year 2023 marks the 60th anniversary of the enterprise. It was once the backbone of the Georgian wine industry and a pillar of the all-Union economy in this sector. How is the legacy of its grandiose past reflected in the current operations of the company?
GM: Its "grandiose" past is very much like a ghost. As we know, ghosts cast no reflection in the mirror. Because they have no soul. Luckily, neither do they cast shadows, which means the present moment of the company cannot be eclipsed or in any way affected by its past. We can only relate to the future and look ahead. Our path is somewhat like that of Orpheus in ancient Greek mythology. He was allowed to depart from The Netherworld, the realm of darkness, only on the condition that he never looked back...
GM: Its "grandiose" past is very much like a ghost. As we know, ghosts cast no reflection in the mirror. Because they have no soul. Luckily, neither do they cast shadows, which means the present moment of the company cannot be eclipsed or in any way affected by its past. We can only relate to the future and look ahead. Our path is somewhat like that of Orpheus in ancient Greek mythology. He was allowed to depart from The Netherworld, the realm of darkness, only on the condition that he never looked back...
Continue Reading ►
8. From Quantity to Quality
Q: You remarked that your initial experience in the field was both challenging and exciting. The exciting part aside for now, what was your greatest challenge in that phase?
GM: As Lisa Granik mentioned in her intro above, there were no winemakers in our family. I and Zurab, we were pioneers in this field. To complicate our story, this field was the graveyard of the wine industry in the early 1990s, when the Soviet system collapsed, with its "falling tide running all boats aground"...
GM: As Lisa Granik mentioned in her intro above, there were no winemakers in our family. I and Zurab, we were pioneers in this field. To complicate our story, this field was the graveyard of the wine industry in the early 1990s, when the Soviet system collapsed, with its "falling tide running all boats aground"...
Continue Reading ►
9. Follow your Bliss!
Q: Quoted in the preface, your musical analogy works quite well so far. Symphonies, sonatas and other classical forms, as they unfold, do reflect the dynamics of human experiences nicely. Your story begins with an Overture that prepares for what comes next. Abstract, yet it contains elements that will echo throughout the piece. It is followed by Exposition, where the main theme takes shape. We are now in Recapitulation mode. Here the main theme is reintroduced and given full instrumental expression; gains in intensity and valence. At this point everything in the work comes full circle. The period of 2009-2023 marks the current phase of Tbilvino's history. What's so distinct about it?
Continue Reading ►
10. Horizons
Q: You said that tomorrow is already upon you. In what sense?
GM: The future has stepped in a year ago, when we started thinking of a major paradigm shift in our business. It spells the structural development of our base and certain finetuning in the spectrum of our products, involving among other things the angle from which our new wines will be introduced. By thinking I do not mean idle musings, but a number of practical steps already taken in this direction...
GM: The future has stepped in a year ago, when we started thinking of a major paradigm shift in our business. It spells the structural development of our base and certain finetuning in the spectrum of our products, involving among other things the angle from which our new wines will be introduced. By thinking I do not mean idle musings, but a number of practical steps already taken in this direction...
Continue Reading ►
“
The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek... Follow your bliss!
1. The Meaning of Wine
Q: Wine is so many things, covering the whole spectrum of meanings, from the profane to sacred. For some, it is no more than a means to get wasted; for others, it is a way to attain oneness with God, no less. What is it about wine that inspires you personally on your path as a winemaker?
GM: To begin with, wine is so much more than a thing – some consumer product on a par with lemonade and such. It's above all a cultural phenomenon. It's a culture in its own right as it encompasses the vast array of unique and intricate techniques employed in grape cultivation and production, and then all the various etiquettes, customs and ceremonies that contextualize and amplify the significance of wine... READ ON
GM: To begin with, wine is so much more than a thing – some consumer product on a par with lemonade and such. It's above all a cultural phenomenon. It's a culture in its own right as it encompasses the vast array of unique and intricate techniques employed in grape cultivation and production, and then all the various etiquettes, customs and ceremonies that contextualize and amplify the significance of wine... READ ON
2. The Ritual Dimension of Wine
Wine has great symbolic meaning in many cultures and is present in many religions. Even Islam, which forbids it in this life, promises wine – literally rivers of it – as a reward in the afterlife. Just as ayahuasca in indigenous cultures of the Amazon, wine has long been used in various rituals elsewhere to evoke mystical experiences. One notable example is the Bacchanalia, a festival dedicated to Bacchus, the ancient Roman god of fertility, dating back to the third century B.C. There, wine served as a conduit for spiritual transcendence, enabling participants – through frenzied dancing, singing, and revelry under its spell – to access a realm beyond their normal perception and establish a connection with the divine... Q: Given its 8,000-year history of winemaking, cultural ties to ancient Greco-Roman civilization, and the near sacral status of wine in Georgian culture today, has it ever played a similar role in local religious tradition, as a gateway to the supernatural realm?.. READ ON
3. The Wellspring of Conviviality
Q: I honestly find it hard to believe. Five or six bottles of wine… up to fifteen per person in one sitting? That's a lot by our standards!
GM: It makes me wonder, too. Our ancestors must have had superpowers to handle so much wine. Wine had to flow through their veins, being their blood, part of their DNA – quite literally so. I guess we've got some catching up to do!
Though, also, it could be something to do with the quality of wine itself. In his 1856 book of adventures in Georgia, Alexandre Dumas observes that here more wine is consumed than anywhere in the world, adding that "God has endowed Georgians with wine of the kind that intoxicates without hitting one in the head." This last point is interesting and certainly merits further exploration... READ ON
GM: It makes me wonder, too. Our ancestors must have had superpowers to handle so much wine. Wine had to flow through their veins, being their blood, part of their DNA – quite literally so. I guess we've got some catching up to do!
Though, also, it could be something to do with the quality of wine itself. In his 1856 book of adventures in Georgia, Alexandre Dumas observes that here more wine is consumed than anywhere in the world, adding that "God has endowed Georgians with wine of the kind that intoxicates without hitting one in the head." This last point is interesting and certainly merits further exploration... READ ON
“
Not a commodity. Wine is a global cultural phenomenon, complete with all its various etiquettes, customs and rituals...
4. The Lot of Georgian Wine Culture
Q: Despite its prehistoric origins, the coverage of Georgian wine culture in the global media, including even the most erudite and elaborate reviews, often presents it as a rather recent, largely exotic, almost odd phenomenon. How do you explain that?
GM: This peculiar state of affairs is not so much due to Georgian wine culture per se, but to a host of factors that are largely external to it – a combination of geographic, political, demographic, economic, religious, technological and commercial circumstances of our wine culture... READ ON
GM: This peculiar state of affairs is not so much due to Georgian wine culture per se, but to a host of factors that are largely external to it – a combination of geographic, political, demographic, economic, religious, technological and commercial circumstances of our wine culture... READ ON
5. The Mythology of Georgian Wine
Q: It is fascinating how deeply the Georgian wine culture is steeped in myths and legends – all sorts of stories that pass down from generation to generation. The same cannot be attributed to other wine cultures. Why is this so?
GM: Myths are said to connect the everyday world to the eternal; they give meaning to the mundane. Traditional winemaking in Georgia has always been a very imaginative endeavor. And how could it be otherwise after a few glasses of Saperavi in a jolly good company after a day's hard work in the vineyard or in the winery! That is why this culture is infused with all sorts of fantastical themes... The "cradle of wine" story is perhaps the only bill that can be taken to the bank... READ ON
GM: Myths are said to connect the everyday world to the eternal; they give meaning to the mundane. Traditional winemaking in Georgia has always been a very imaginative endeavor. And how could it be otherwise after a few glasses of Saperavi in a jolly good company after a day's hard work in the vineyard or in the winery! That is why this culture is infused with all sorts of fantastical themes... The "cradle of wine" story is perhaps the only bill that can be taken to the bank... READ ON
6. Beyond Mere Hedonism
Q: Alice Feiring has written a book about her travels in Georgia. It reads like a love letter to the Georgian people and their tradition of winemaking. Among other things, she points to the struggle of Georgian wine culture to stay true to its heritage. In other words, this culture is not wrapped up in itself, locked into its formulas, liquids and ceremonies. It also has a political dimension...
GM: That's true. This culture transcends its self-referential and hedonistic parameters, important as they are. It also encapsulates ethics, aesthetics, metaphysics, psychology, spirituality, community, and many other dimensions of being... READ ON
GM: That's true. This culture transcends its self-referential and hedonistic parameters, important as they are. It also encapsulates ethics, aesthetics, metaphysics, psychology, spirituality, community, and many other dimensions of being... READ ON
“
It also fills me with pride as a bearer and custodian of this ancient culture, taking it a step further every day as a winemaker...
7. Ghosts Cast no Shadows
Q: Tbilvino was founded ages ago and years before you were born. The year 2023 marks the 60th anniversary of the enterprise. It was once the backbone of the Georgian wine industry and a pillar of the all-Union economy in this sector. How is the legacy of its grandiose past reflected in the current operations of the company?
GM: Its "grandiose" past is very much like a ghost. As we know, ghosts cast no reflection in the mirror. Because they have no soul. Luckily, neither do they cast shadows, which means the present moment of the company cannot be eclipsed or in any way affected by its past. We can only relate to the future and look ahead. Our path is somewhat like that of Orpheus in ancient Greek mythology. He was allowed to depart from The Netherworld, the realm of darkness, only on the condition that he never looked back... READ ON
GM: Its "grandiose" past is very much like a ghost. As we know, ghosts cast no reflection in the mirror. Because they have no soul. Luckily, neither do they cast shadows, which means the present moment of the company cannot be eclipsed or in any way affected by its past. We can only relate to the future and look ahead. Our path is somewhat like that of Orpheus in ancient Greek mythology. He was allowed to depart from The Netherworld, the realm of darkness, only on the condition that he never looked back... READ ON
8. From Quantity to Quality
Q: You remarked that your initial experience in the field was both challenging and exciting. The exciting part aside for now, what was your greatest challenge in that phase?
GM: As Lisa Granik mentioned in her intro above, there were no winemakers in our family. I and Zurab, we were pioneers in this field. To complicate our story, this field was the graveyard of the wine industry in the early 1990s, when the Soviet system collapsed, with its "falling tide running all boats aground"... READ ON
GM: As Lisa Granik mentioned in her intro above, there were no winemakers in our family. I and Zurab, we were pioneers in this field. To complicate our story, this field was the graveyard of the wine industry in the early 1990s, when the Soviet system collapsed, with its "falling tide running all boats aground"... READ ON
9. Follow your Bliss!
Quoted in the preface, your musical analogy works quite well so far. Symphonies, sonatas and other classical forms, as they unfold, do reflect the dynamics of human experiences nicely. Your story begins with an Overture that prepares for what comes next. Abstract, yet it contains elements that will echo throughout the piece. It is followed by Exposition, where the main theme takes shape. We are now in Recapitulation mode. Here the main theme is reintroduced and given full instrumental expression; gains in intensity and valence. At this point everything in the work comes full circle... Q: The period of 2009-2023 marks the current phase of TBILVINOs history. What's so distinct about it? READ ON
10. Horizons
Q: You said that tomorrow is already upon you. In what sense?
GM: The future has stepped in a year ago, when we started thinking of a major paradigm shift in our business. It spells the structural development of our base and certain finetuning in the spectrum of our products, involving among other things the angle from which our new wines will be introduced. By thinking I do not mean idle musings, but a number of practical steps already taken in this direction... READ ON
GM: The future has stepped in a year ago, when we started thinking of a major paradigm shift in our business. It spells the structural development of our base and certain finetuning in the spectrum of our products, involving among other things the angle from which our new wines will be introduced. By thinking I do not mean idle musings, but a number of practical steps already taken in this direction... READ ON
“
The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek... Follow your bliss!