Eclipse Winery, Kvareli, Kakheti, Georgia
Eclipse Winery, Kvareli, Kakheti, Georgia
In the historic winemaking cradle of Georgia, where viticulture dates back over 8,000 years, Eclipse Winery is charting a bold path that bridges heritage and innovation. Founded in 2019 by a group of longtime colleagues from the IT industry, Eclipse is a newcomer to the Georgian wine scene with an ambitious vision — and deep respect for the land’s ancestral vines.
Located in the Kvareli municipality of Kakheti, Eclipse cultivates 35 hectares of vineyards across four distinct plots: Nekresi, Sanavardo, Kuchatani, and near the Bursa River. Among these holdings is a small but significant 1.2-hectare block of Rkatsiteli vines planted in 1975. Nestled in the village of Kutchatani, these old vines had fallen into neglect before Eclipse took over the land five years ago. Since then, the team has worked diligently to restore their vitality using a “lutte raisonnée” approach — minimal intervention, guided by observation and a strong move toward fully organic practices.
These fifty-year-old Rkatsiteli vines are poised to become the heart of Eclipse’s first old vine bottling, expected for release in 2026. For Eclipse, this wine is more than a new label — it’s a statement of intent: that age, authenticity, and care in viticulture can yield something truly profound.
The team behind Eclipse Winery isn’t typical of the wine world. The founders are friends and professionals from the tech sector — mathematicians and engineers with a passion for wine, sharpened over years of visiting iconic wineries in California, France, and Italy. This analytical yet creative spirit permeates everything they do. Their international team includes oenologists, sommeliers, engineers, photographers, and marketing specialists from Georgia, Ukraine, Poland, UAE, Italy, and Russia. Together, they form a dynamic and passionate collective committed to crafting wines of precision and soul.
The Alazani Valley, where Eclipse’s vineyards lie, offers one of Georgia’s most diverse terroirs — with nearly ten soil types and a climate strikingly similar to California’s Napa Valley. The famed Kindzmarauli zone, where Eclipse grows its Saperavi, is widely considered one of the finest terroirs for this native red variety. Eclipse’s holdings also include indigenous grapes like Kisi, Khikhvi, Mtsvane Kakhuri, and Kakhuri Mtsvivani, alongside international varieties such as Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Sangiovese.
In winemaking, Eclipse blends tradition with modernity. Fermentation and aging are carried out using a combination of French oak barriques from Seguin Moreau, Italian amphoras from Artenova Terrecotte, cutting-edge stainless steel tanks, and most importantly, Georgian qvevris — clay vessels buried underground, in keeping with the ancient Kakhetian method. The winery recently acquired 20 new qvevris from Western Georgia, with a combined volume of 36,000 liters, and completed construction of a dedicated Marani building for qvevri wine production.
Eclipse’s debut vintage in 2020 quickly gained international attention. Their Tsiskari (Rkatsiteli) and Alioni (Kisi) received bronze medals at WinExpo Georgia 2021, and later vintages earned silver and bronze at the London Wine Competition and the International Rosé Championship in Poland. More recently, the winery received acclaim at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2024 and IWSC 2023/2024, cementing its status as a rising force in Georgian wine.
Looking ahead, Eclipse plans to bottle 30,000 bottles in 2025 and continue expanding its range, with new expressions from their oldest Saperavi vines in Nekresi on the way. But it is the 2026 old vine Rkatsiteli, drawn from the carefully revitalized 1975 plantings, that marks a symbolic milestone — a quiet triumph of patience, craft, and reverence for the past.
At Eclipse Winery, ancient vines meet modern minds — and the result is something truly extraordinary.
