Meet Gogo: The Young Woman Reviving Georgian Wine Traditions
In the heart of Kakheti, Georgia’s most famous winemaking region, there’s a small village called Artana. This is where Ketevan “Keti” Berishvili, better known simply as Gogo (which means “girl” in Georgian), has been quietly reshaping the story of natural wine.
Keti didn’t grow up imagining herself as a winemaker. Like many young people, she first built a career in another field — banking. But the pull of the vineyard was strong. Her father, Kakha Berishvili, a musician turned winemaker, had already planted the seeds of a family tradition. As a child, Keti helped him in the cellar and vineyards, never realizing those memories would someday shape her future.
By 2015, she decided to take the leap. That was the birth of Gogo Wine — a name that’s both playful and bold. In a world where Georgian wine is often tied to centuries-old male-dominated traditions, Keti wanted her label to stand out. Calling it “Gogo” wasn’t just about identity, it was a statement: yes, a young woman can carry forward Georgia’s 8,000-year-old wine heritage in her own way.
Her winemaking philosophy is as natural as it gets. The vineyards, nestled in the Napareuli microzone, are farmed organically. Grapes are handpicked, sometimes transported by horse, and fermented with wild yeasts. Wines are aged in qvevri — the ancient clay vessels buried underground that make Georgian wine unique. No chemicals, no shortcuts, no unnecessary manipulation. Just grapes, earth, and patience.
The result? Wines that are alive, vibrant, and soulful. You taste them and feel a direct connection to the place and the person who made them. I had the chance to experience this myself when I tasted her wines at La Dive, the legendary natural wine fair in France. Each sip carried not just flavor, but energy — a sense of authenticity that immediately stood out among the crowd.
Address: Giorgi Shatberashvili 74, Village Artana, Kakheti, Georgia
Phone: +995 599 181 101
Email: ketevanberishvili@gmail.com
