The community behind Pheasant’s Tears are among the pioneers to share Georgian natural wines across its borders. Gela Patalishvili and John Wurdeman began their journey to preserve the traditional practices of winemaking and its centre role in Georgian people and culture. Luckily, this traditional philosophy aligned with the core values of the natural wine movement that was picking up stride all over the world at the time. Pheasant's Tears is a member of the Natural Wine Association of Georgia which employs rigorous regulations and check-ins to ensure the honest marketing of natural winemaking.
John, an American, fell in love with Georgia as everyone does when they first visit the country. So naturally, when a beloved winemaker in Kakheti named Gela Patalishvili approached him to begin the project of Pheasants, it didn’t take too much convincing. His background being in the Fine Arts, John has been able to uplift the cultural infrastructure of Georgia and with love, passion, and authenticity, has inspired a global community. With an open door to all those seeking to find the beauty behind holistic winemaking, Georgian people, and art, this community is able to share a story through the wine glass. Knowledge-derived, unapologetically funky, and upholding the 8,000 year-old winemaking practices, these wines are for those needing to re-ignite their palate.
"Pheasant’s Tears was born out of a love of authentic tradition, and culture and endless creativity. It is more than a winery, it’s about songs, cuisine, art, heritage, tangible and intangible. For wine is born out of a confluence of the spirit of a place, its geology, its history, and the emotions of the vitner himself. In the end, a dialogue between nature and man, a fine tension between respect for the past and creating a new experience for tomorrow. Traditions here are seen as the nourishing soul for improvisation and respectful evolution." - J. Wurdeman
Vardisperi (meaning 'pink' in Georgian) was a one-in-a-million chanced spontaneous bud mutation from the white variety Rkatsiteli. Thus, Pink Rkatsiteli was born. Vardisperi Rkatsiteli is the pink grape of the Rkatsiteli family. This wine was made with 3 weeks of skin-contact and aged in Qvevri. It is complex, layered, aromatic, and trés acidic but balanced with a slightly off-dry character. Think balsamic tomato salad flavours meet fall stone fruit.
This wine is made from a 50/50 blend of the rare red variety ‘Danakharuli’ and the aromatic white Goruli Mtsvane variety from Kartli region. Aged in Qvevri for 9 months, this light and playful red has aromas of blossoms and meets your palate with silky textures of peaches and nectarines.
This red is made from over 117 different indigenous varieties that were close to extinction before they were brought to Pheasants to be revitalized. The vines are located in their main vineyard in Sighnaghi in the Kakheti region. White, yellow, pink, golden, red, and black grapes were fermented and aged in Qvevri then further in stainless steel. Having aged well since 2019, Poliphonia is a medium-bodied red with high acidity which makes for a delightfully playful mouthfeel.
'Quinta' is a blend of five varieties, two white and three red, from the central region, Kartli. Kartli was famed to be the home of the royal vineyards of the ancient Georgian monarchy. During the Soviet times, the region's vineyards were largely ripped out to make room for apples and pears, as it is quite cold and windy with poor soil, so harvests of grapes were minimal. Varieties such as the white Goruli Mtsvane and Chinuri, and light reds like Danakharuli, Shavkapito and Tavkveri were almost lost. Pheasant’s Tears, together with a handful of other small winemakers, were the first to bring back attention to these rare and beautiful varieties. Quinta is used in Georgia as a musical term to describe an interval of 5ths. Untempered 5ths are a recurring harmony in Georgian polyphonic songs. John came to Georgia initially to collect and record such songs. This blend is a homage to revitalizing forgotten varieties, which is a movement shared across many winemakers in Georgia. The grapes were co-planted and co-fermented together. In the cellar, they were de-stemmed and gently crushed into stainless steel. The following day, they were racked off their skins into stainless steel for 24 months. Bottled with no additives, including no sulphites.
This is a very special wine from Pheasant's Tears from revitalized 90-year-old vines. In the cellar, it underwent a whole bunch fermentation with full skins and stems that were gently crushed and then macerated for 3 days. Following, it was racked into a Qvevri to finish fermentation and age for one year before bottling. This Mtsvane reflects the natural beauty and traditions of the region, showcasing an earthy complexity alongside a subtle peach and apricot note. Bottles without anything added or taken away, including no sulphites.
This Mtsvane is from 45-year-old vines in sandstone soils. The vineyard faces the Caucasus mountains in the famous Alazani Valley and is known for its distinctive terroir. Direct-pressed into stainless steel, this wine is lively, elegant, and has a distinct character. Somewhat herbaceous, with a slight touch of stone fruit and softly baked citrus. Bottled without anything added or taken away, including no sulphites.
Tibaani is a village in the Alazani Valley. Thousands of years ago, it was the bottom of a sea when the Black and Caspian Seas were united. Today, you can still find seashell fossils in the soil. The influence on the wine is often a slight saline character. Saperavi and Vardisperi Rkatsiteli were hand-harvested from the infamous Alazani Valley vineyards. They then went into a whole-bunch fermentation together after a gentle crushing. Macerated on the skins for 7 days, then racked into Qvevris and aged for one more year. Bottled without anything added or taken away, including no sulphites. This wine is super exciting, as these two varieties are rarely done together. The result is a light-bodied red with a bursting red fruit candies expressed by an earthy undertone.
