A Journey from the Caucasus to Berlin: The Soul of Niniani
Roots in Kakheti: Tsinandali, Napareuli, and Kondoli
We are a Georgian-German couple with a shared love for Georgian wine and heritage. What began as a personal passion - owning vineyards in Kakheti and making wine for family and friends - has grown into a deeper journey. In 2024, we began exporting our handcrafted wine to Germany, sharing a taste of Georgia's land, tradition, and soul with others.
I come from the beautiful country of Georgia, in Eastern Europe. My husband is German, and although we live primarily in Berlin, we travel to Tbilisi two to three times a year. My family, close friends, and relatives live there and it's also where my father and other loved ones are laid to rest. I feel a deep, enduring connection to my homeland - its history, culture, traditions, and natural beauty.
I was raised in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, where I studied and worked for most of my life before continuing my education in the United States. While my immediate family lived in the city, both sides of my family - my mother's and my father's - originate from Kakheti, Georgia's most renowned wine region. During my childhood, we often visited relatives in Kakheti. I was always captivated by the breathtaking Caucasus Mountains, stretching across the region, and by the endless vineyards I dreamed of one day calling my own.
During the Soviet era, however, private land ownership - including vineyards - was forbidden. Like many families, we were never able to cultivate our own vines. Yet, the dream remained. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, I finally fulfilled that dream. In 2001, I bought a small Rkatsiteli vineyard - a white/amber grape variety - in the village of Kondoli, Kakheti. At the time, I was still living and working in Tbilisi in a completely unrelated field, but with the help of local relatives, I began producing wine exclusively for family and close friends. I never planned to make it commercially.
My husband was born and raised in a village in Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany, where his family owned a large farm. As a child, he helped with farming activities, but he never intended to follow that path. He left home at 18 to pursue his studies and, though he returned regularly to visit, he no longer participated in the agricultural work.
From Family Tradition to German Export
After our marriage, we expanded our journey by acquiring additional vineyards in Kakheti, including sites in Napareuli and later in the renowned village of Tsinandali. With the support of local farmers, we began producing white, amber, and red wines - always following traditional Georgian methods and without any commercial intention.
For many years, our wines were made solely to be shared with family, close friends, and guests who visited us in Georgia. Each bottle opened was a moment of joy and pride, confirming what we felt from the beginning: these wines were rich in character, deeply authentic, and of exceptional quality.
Over time, the desire grew to share this passion more widely - without changing its nature. Today, selected Niniani vintages are made available in limited quantities and exported to Germany, allowing others to experience a small part of the heritage, craftsmanship, and land that shape our wines.
