Pheasant's Tears

Modern, qvevri revival

Pheasant's Tears is a winery in Sighnaghi founded by the American painter John Wurdeman and the Georgian winemaker Gela Patalishvili. It became one of the symbols of the natural qvevri revival of the 2000s.

The estate works with dozens of nearly forgotten native varieties, makes wine in qvevri without additives, and did much to bring Georgian «orange» wines to world attention. The name recalls a Georgian saying about wine so fine that even a pheasant would weep.

Pheasant's Tears shows how modern «natural» winemaking builds on the most ancient qvevri tradition rather than breaking with it.