MAriam Guniavi
The Guniava family has been making wine in Imereti for more than 200 years. Mariam grew up in the village of Kvaliti, learning the craft from her father, Archil, before setting out on her own in 2019. She established her own vineyard and cellar, drawing on generations of family knowledge while developing her own approach to winemaking.
Her 1.5-hectare vineyard lies in Simoneti, a small village in western Georgia, at approximately 250 meters elevation. Planted in 2019 on sandy clay soils with flint, the vines are farmed organically.
Mariam makes her two wines on the ground floor of her home in central Kutaisi, where her marani, or traditional Georgian wine cellar, houses eight qvevri ranging from 100 to 1,000 liters. The clay vessels are partially buried to help maintain stable temperatures throughout the year. Fermentations begin spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, and sulfur additions are kept to a minimum.
