Our
vineyards have been cultivated for generations. The bibliographer Vakhushti
Batonishvili mentioned our Kondoli vineyards as a source of noble wines, in his
book of 1742 “Life of Georgia” For three centuries these have been the
benchmark of quality, showcasing the best of Kakheti region.
The terrain is composed of alluvial, strongly skeletal, loamy soil on a
limestone bedrock. Climate is transitional from humid subtropical to
continental under the influence of the Great Caucasus Mountains from the left
bank of Alazani River and Tsiv-Gombori mountain range from the right. Cold air
flows down the valley from the Caucasus glaciers, forming an ambient
microclimate for quality viticulture with large swings between day and night
temperatures, thus, ensuring perfect grape ripening conditions. Of the 240
hectares of Kondoli vineyards, 30% are given to white grapes and 70% to reds.
Most of the area is planted with indigenous Georgian vine varieties, such as
Saperavi, Rkatsiteli, Alexandreuli, Mtsvane and Kisi. We dedicate a small area
to international varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Chardonnay and
Riesling. A further vineyard site (30.5h), planted purely with Saperavi vines,
is situated on the opposite (left) bank of Alazani River, in the heart of
famous Kindzmarauli Specific Viticulture Area. We also have a smaller vineyard
in the Napareuli appellation. The vine training systems are traditional
for the Kakheti region: bilateral cane or spur pruning. The vine density per
hectare is 2400-3400 and the grape yield can be no more than 9 tons per hectare
for standard range of wines.