Lurji Bani

Kakheti, Eastern Georgia

Lurji Bani was founded in 2021 by lifelong friends, Dato & Gogita. Since they were old enough to drink, they made wine for themselves in Dato’s basement in the centre of Tbilisi. In 2021, an opportunity presented itself that was far too good to pass up… An old 18th century building came on the market which had a marani attached to it and historic kvevri still inside. Within a 5 minute drive from this site there was also a 1 hectare vineyard available that had been farmed organically since it was planted 18 years ago.

The two friends (with Gogita’s son Leo) decided to jump head first into launching an official wine brand. Although still a fledgling business, there are a lot of plans afoot for the three; a tasting room, cafe, guest rooms and a roof terrace to take in the magnificent view over Sighnaghi (a historic fortified town 10 minutes drive away) and the whole Alazani Valley. The name Lurji Bani translates to Blue Terrace, which is how this magnificent vista looks from high on their terrace.

The 1ha vineyard is located in the village of Nukriani which is in Kakheti in Eastern Georgia. It is 800 metres above sea level and was planted in 2005. It is mostly Rkatsiteli with a couple of rows of Mtsvane & Buera mixed through. The soil is alluvial clay with sandstone and greywacke.

The marani is also located in the village of Nukriani. There are a 3 kvevri from the 18th century that are not currently in use but will be restored and used for the 2023/24 harvest. They range in size from 350L to 1000L. The wines are currently made in stainless steel tanks.