Georgia has been making wine for at least 8,000 years, and Ocho is one of the projects working hardest to show the world what that unbroken tradition actually tastes like today. Founded by the team behind DoReMi Wine, Ocho draws on organically farmed indigenous Georgian grapes and buries its wine in earthenware kvevri, just as winemakers in this part of the world have always done.
Backstory
Ocho was founded in 2012 by Giorgi Tsirghvava and Mamuka Tsiklauri, the same duo behind the DoReMi Wine Cellar, which began in 2013. Where DoReMi explores a more artisanal, cellar-focused approach, Ocho was conceived to offer accessible, expressive wines that communicate the range and character of Georgia's indigenous varieties to a wider international audience. The name Ocho references a figure from Georgian mythology considered the protector of forests and wild animals - a theme that runs through the label design, which features endangered Georgian fauna on every bottle.
The Region
Ocho draws fruit from two of Georgia's key wine regions. Kakheti, in eastern Georgia, is the country's largest wine zone and home to the great Rkatsiteli and Saperavi grape varieties, grown on fertile plains and low foothills flanking the Alazani River. Kartli, in central Georgia, is higher and cooler, known for lighter-bodied whites and reds from Chinuri and Goruli Mtsvane. Together, these two regions give Ocho access to Georgia's most important indigenous varieties across contrasting terroirs.
Vineyards and Farming
Ocho sources organically grown grapes from partner vineyards across Kakheti and Kartli. No synthetic pesticides or herbicides are used. The project is a member of the Natural Wine Association of Georgia. Grape varieties include Rkatsiteli, Mtsvane, Kisi, Khikhvi, Chinuri, Goruli Mtsvane, Krakhuna, Tsolikouri (whites), and Saperavi, Tavkveri (reds).
Winemaking
All Ocho wines are made in kvevri, the egg-shaped earthenware vessels lined with beeswax that are buried underground and used for fermentation, maturation, and storage. This is the same vessel and method used in Georgia for millennia, and it gives the wines their characteristic textured mouthfeel and amber hue in the whites. Fermentation relies solely on indigenous yeasts. No additives are used at any stage of production.
The Wines
The range is playful in naming - 'Who R U?', 'Why R U Here?', 'Do You Believe?', 'What RU Waiting For?' - but completely serious in execution. White and orange wines are made from Rkatsiteli, Mtsvane, Kisi, Kakhuri Mtsvane, Chinuri, and other varieties. Saperavi appears as the primary red. Each wine is named after an endangered species featured on its label, reinforcing the connection between biodiversity in the vineyard and biodiversity in Georgian ecosystems.
