Georgia’s wine market is saturated with low-cost products, creating significant challenges for small wineries, according to Mamuka Kevkhishvili, founder of Marani 1915. He said retailers and bars often apply margins of 100% to 150%, making higher-quality wines less competitive.
“My selling price is GEL 30-35, but stores and bars work with very high margins, so they often prefer cheaper wines,” Kevkhishvili told BM.GE.
Located in the village of Kalauri in Kakheti, Marani 1915 operates 2.5 hectares of vineyards and produces Mukuzani, PDO Rkatsiteli, and semi-dry wines using only its own grapes. The winery launched commercially in 2021 and began bottling products in 2023.
Annual production is around 1,000 bottles, but sales remain below capacity, leaving part of the harvest in reserve. Kevkhishvili said the business is still self-financed and has yet to reach profitability, despite participating in wine festivals and industry exhibitions.
