Levan Sebiskveradze's Blog

Unlike my winemaking friends, I cannot boast that I have attended many natural wine festivals around the world. However, from all my travels and observations, true winegrowers and winemakers share one undeniable quality—a simplicity that, in Georgian, speaks for itself. For some reason, I believe that a snub-nosed, narcissistic person will never be able to produce great wine; and if he ever does, it will be purely by chance. That is why when my friends ask what to expect from the ZERO COMPROMISE natural wine festival, I always answer: real, delicious wine that revives old tastes along with genuine, simple, delightful people!

If someone had told us 20–30 years ago that a wine festival would be held in Tbilisi - where, in addition to Georgian wines, Italian, Slovenian, Swiss, Austrian, German, Spanish, French, Australian, American, Japanese, and Taiwanese wines would be sampled - we might have believed the story of Kenyan meat arriving by ship rather than this. In a country where people once celebrated the arrival of electricity even more than a good harvest, such tales seemed almost impossible. When you only drink your own wine, the harvest year and overall quality hardly matter because both good and bad vintages are consumed alike, often leading the winemaker to lose confidence.

Imagine someone who has been making wine all his life - his father made wine, his grandfather did too, his great-grandfather before him, and so on - and whose centuries-old wine tradition has remained confined to family consumption. For such a person, the discovery of this so-called family wine at a festival like ZERO COMPROMISE can be an absolutely unbelievable surprise. There, both foreign and Georgian wine specialists will persuade even the most hesitant winemaker that his ancestors’ old traditions are not only good and palatable but exactly what the rapidly growing international natural wine movement craves. They will argue that the qvevri is not a flawless vessel and that Georgian wine is far more than just an exotic flavor provider - it is precisely what modern wine enthusiasts are seeking.

At ZERO COMPROMISE, not only Georgian wine lovers but also foreign specialists showed their keen interest in qvevri wines. I even witnessed a British importer who differentiated between the terms “qvevri” and “churi,” stating that wine from western Georgia was “churi,” while that of the east was “qvevri.” I especially admired the Spanish female winemakers, who disregarded any language barrier as they passionately engaged with Georgian wine lovers - talking about their winemaking traditions, terroirs, and soil with infectious enthusiasm. It was truly a sight to behold.

Since the very first day of the festival, I have been asking winemakers what they enjoyed most about the previous “Zero” and what made Tbilisi’s flagship natural wine festival stand out. Now, I’ll share my own perspective. This year, it became evident that Georgian winemakers genuinely value friendly, constructive feedback; the improvement in the quality of their wines is so pronounced that even the most skeptical observers must acknowledge it. While most people are reluctant to accept advice, natural winemaking seems to excel in this regard.

I also appreciated the abundance of pet nats at the festival, which demonstrates that Georgian winemakers are keeping pace with the trends and standards of international winemaking. After all, no technological challenge is insurmountable when approached with ingenuity.

What truly delighted me was witnessing a new generation of winemakers emerging right before our eyes. In fact, it was a pleasant surprise to see just how quickly these young professionals are developing. Almost every third winery at this year’s “Zero” was represented by youthful talent. These young winemakers - having grown up among vineyards and festivals - have already accumulated considerable knowledge and experience thanks to the guidance and support of their parents and fellow artisans. I am deeply convinced that this new generation will produce even more extraordinary wines in the coming years. It’s worth noting that in recent times, the professions of winegrower and winemaker have become very popular among young people -something I could hardly say about my own generation.

The ZERO COMPROMISE festival has also evolved into a cherished meeting place for old acquaintances. There are many people I cross paths with exclusively at Tbilisi wine festivals -some whose names I can scarcely recall. Yet in this warm, inclusive atmosphere, you need not be an introvert; everyone here is a friend, and it would feel almost remiss not to reciprocate the genuine kindness exchanged among us.