The winery Orkoli, founded by friends Giorgi Gegelia and Beka Gakharia, has expanded beyond the borders of Georgia and is now introducing Georgian wine to wine enthusiasts in the Czech Republic.
How did Orkoli come to be, what does the name mean, and what are the company’s future plans? Giorgi Gegelia shared insights with us.
Q: How did the story of Orkoli begin?
Our first harvest was in 2018. Since Beka and I are both originally from the western part of Georgia, we decided to make local varieties popular and started producing wine from Krakhuna, Tsitska, Tsolikouri, and Otskhanuri Saperavi grapes in very small quantities.
The local market gave us feedback on our results. Our wines received quite good evaluations both in the lab and from consumers. This encouraged us to continue making wine the following year.
Q: What does “Orkoli” mean and what is your branding about?
“Orkoli” is a Megrelian word meaning a wine jug. This jug is depicted on our label, and it features the sun—symbolizing the god and life. The theme of friendship follows, which is very precious to us—harvesting grapes and making wine with a second or third person is a great expression of trust and respect. Ultimately, the entire image transforms into the emotion that the wine provides us.
Wine is an energy, a collection of various emotions.
Q: How would you describe the character of Orkoli wines?
Our wines, deriving from western varieties, are intended for lovers of light, European-style wines with higher acidity, citrusy, tropical fruit aromas. They are cheerful, fresh wines.
Q: What are your future plans?
Our desire is to mainly focus on the export market. The Czech Republic is the second country where Orkoli has been introduced. Working on sales and consignment in the local market is a challenging and painful process for our production volume.
I believe that Georgian wine will always hold a niche place in the high-quality wine category, which should primarily be sold in the HoReCa sector, including various wine restaurants and bars.
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