Welcome to Chateau Ateni

A young winery on ancient Kartli soil - Georgian tradition, lovingly renewed

Family-run Georgian winery, guest cottages and restaurant in the Ateni Valley near Gori. Wine tastings, cottage stays and agrotourism.

Founded
2010
Indigenous grapes
6
Best Small Winery
2020
Guest cottages
5

Our Wine Journey

From vineyard to bottle, every step honours the indigenous grapes of Kartli

  1. Vineyard: Tending indigenous Kartli vines in the Ateni micro-zone
  2. Harvest: Handpicking each cluster at peak ripeness
  3. Pressing: Gently working the fruit by traditional methods
  4. Fermentation: Organic fermentation, managed with care from start to finish
  5. Aging: Resting and maturing in oak barrels
  6. Bottling: Bottled on the estate, ready to share

Our Heritage

A young winery on ancient land - founded in 2010 in the Ateni Valley of Kartli

2010 - Founded
Soso Vanishvili planted the first vineyard in the Ateni micro-zone of Kartli.
2016 - First harvest & cellar
Our first good harvest in 2015; in 2016 we filled our first bottle and opened the tasting cellar.
2020 - Best Small Winery
We were awarded the title of Best Small Winery in 2020.
2024 - Cottages & restaurant
We built five guest cottages and a family restaurant beside the cellar, welcoming guests to stay.

The Story of Chateau Ateni

Our story begins in 2010, when we planted our first vineyard on land in the Ateni micro-zone that had held vines in the Soviet era before falling neglected. The first good harvest came in 2015, and in 2016 we filled our first bottle and opened our tasting cellar - welcoming guests for vineyard walks, a look at how the wine is made, tastings, traditional Georgian food and masterclasses. Château Ateni is the family winery of Soso (Ioseb) Vanishvili.

The site is ideal for the vine. Our vineyard sits about 400 metres from the cellar, in the Ateni micro-zone on the northern foothills of the Trialeti Range, with fresh air, fragrant surroundings and rich, mineral soil. Here we grow indigenous Kartli grapes - Chinuri, Goruli Mtsvane, Tetri Budeshuri, Tavkveri, Buza and Shavkapito - farmed with sustainable, traditional methods and handpicked at harvest.

Ateni is the home of Georgian sparkling wine: a tradition known since the 11th century, when still-fermenting qvevri were topped up, sealed, and opened in spring to a lively, bubbling wine. In that spirit we were the first in our district to make sparkling wine by the classic method, and in 2021 we created our Pet-Nat - a natural sparkling from Goruli Mtsvane and Chinuri. Today our wines are aged in oak barrels, and in 2023–24 we built five cottages and a family restaurant beside the cellar to welcome guests.

A Family Winery in the Ateni Valley

In the Ateni micro-zone of Kartli, we craft wines from indigenous grapes - Chinuri, Goruli Mtsvane, Tavkveri and more - handpicked and aged in oak barrels. Ateni is the home of Georgian sparkling wine, and we were the first in our district to make sparkling by the classic method.

  • Indigenous Kartli grapes - Chinuri, Goruli Mtsvane, Tavkveri
  • Six dry wines, four sparkling, and three chacha styles
  • Vineyard walks and cellar tours with tastings, led by the winemaker

Five Cottages by the Vineyard

Built in 2023–24, our five wooden cottages sit on the winery grounds in the Ateni Valley, with a family restaurant alongside. Wake to mountain and vineyard views, and step out to where the wine is made.

  • Five wooden cottages on the winery grounds
  • Mountain and vineyard views from private balconies
  • Air-conditioned comfort with a family restaurant on site