Our Story

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.

Nino Saakashvili and Hartmut Sannecke - Niniani Owners
Nino Saakashvili and Hartmut Sannecke - Niniani Owners

After our marriage, we expanded our dream by purchasing another vineyard in Napareuli, also in Kakheti. With the help of local farmers (this time not relatives), we began producing white and amber wine, still only for ourselves, our Georgian family and friends, and our German guests who visited us in Georgia.

Then in 2022, we acquired a vineyard in the famous village of Tsinandali, where we began making red wine for the first time-again with the support of local farmers. This, too, was never intended for sale. It was wine to be shared and enjoyed with the people we love.

Each time we opened a bottle with family or friends, we were filled with joy and pride. We knew our wine was truly special - rich in character, authentic, and of premium quality.

Finally, after the 2023 harvest, we decided it was time to take the next step. Once our new wine was ready, we chose to begin exporting it to Germany in 2024, so we could share a small part of our passion, heritage, and the land we love with others.

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