Giorgi Lazareishvili

I am Giorgi Lazariashvili, a viticulturist and winemaker by profession. I received my education at the Agricultural University of Georgia.

T: How and why did I end up where I am?

After graduating from university, I wanted to gain more practical experience working with vines, and that’s exactly how things progressed. Today, I am employed as a regional viticulturist at "Kakhetian Traditional Winemaking." My responsibilities include pest and disease control, properly administering treatments, as well as providing recommendations on agrotechnical work, among other tasks. A very important aspect is that we cultivate around 20 different grape varieties, which gives me the opportunity to study each one in depth. Most importantly, I work with an experienced and competent team, which is crucial for maintaining high-quality vineyards.

T: Why did I choose this profession?

The reason I decided to thoroughly study this field was my love for nature and plants, as well as my family's annual involvement in the process of buying grapes, pressing, and winemaking. I was always drawn to and enjoyed this process. The fact that these days would turn into celebrations and that close people would join us with great enthusiasm in the winemaking process was always a pleasure for me. All of this pushed me to gain professional knowledge. After making this decision, I gradually became more interested in distinguishing wine quality and studying local grape varieties and wines.

T: My goal

I want to deepen my knowledge further and eventually create my own personal winery. Currently, I am involved in the process of vineyard cultivation. During my second year of undergraduate studies, I became interested in cultivating a small vineyard in Kartli, specifically in Mtskheta, where I wanted to grow a variety that wasn’t widely popular in the region. I received help in this endeavor from a prominent figure in both Georgian and global viticulture and winemaking, Mr. Vazha Gotsiridze, and with his advice, I decided to plant a vineyard with the traditional Georgian method (growing the Khikhvi variety). This motivated me to better understand both Georgian and global viticulture and winemaking.

T: What motivates me to do what I do?

First and foremost, my motivation comes from the country where I was born and raised. It is the cradle of global viticulture and winemaking, offering those interested in the field an inexhaustible wealth of information about vines and wine. I believe that it is the only profession in our country that was born alongside it, and thus we must approach it with responsibility.

T: What is lacking in Georgian viticulture and winemaking?

In my opinion, Georgian winemaking lacks greater representation on the global stage. This would encourage winemakers more, which in turn would increase demand and improve the quality of our wine in a competitive environment. From a viticulture perspective, I see the main problem in the operation of nurseries, as the quality of seedlings is often very low. This causes many problems later in the vineyard, including the absence of virus-free planting material and issues with callus healing. All of this increases costs and reduces quality.

T: Advice for those choosing this profession now?

I would advise those interested to first and foremost get to know and deepen their knowledge in this profession. Also, it is essential to love it, because without love and knowledge, it’s impossible to have the desire to create something new and interesting.