Wines of Highlands is an authentic collection of premium wines from Armenia and Georgia that reflects the national ethos of the countries where viticulture originated, their distinct culture, and their eight-thousand-year-long history.
Wines of Highlands
South Caucasus is a territory with a large variety of micro-climatic zones, each of which is unique. The Wines of Highlands project is the unique collection compiled by the best Simple experts encompasses 9 wineries from 9 unique terroirs.
The Wines of Highlands collection won awards at several international competitions: Decanter, Wine Expo, Berliner Wine Trophy, Mundus Vini.
NOA
TUS
AGOS
BINEKHI
LUKASI
GIUAANI
BESINI
SHILDIS MTEBI
The NOA winery is a perfect combination of traditions and innovations in winemaking.
Jakob Schuler is the founder and ideologist of the project. He is the successor of one of the oldest Swiss wine houses. Armen Manukian, «master of indigenous wines», became the winery’s principal enologist.
NOA vineyards are based in Vayots Dzor region — the motherland of Areni grapes. The estate can be considered as the experts for this variety working hard to achieve their goal to make best Areni in Armenia.
Noa winery got the title of the best still wine manufacturer in Armenia in 2021 and the Decanter Gold Medal in 2019.
The winery name is reminiscent of the biblical Noah who not only saved animals from the Great Flood but also planted a grapevine on the sunny slopes of Mount Ararat.
TUS is a winery in Tavush Province in northern Armenia that is often referred to as «Little Armenian Switzerland».
The young team of TUS specializes only in white wines from Lalvari, an ancient indigenous grape variety. This white grape variety that resembles Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc just recently was on the verge of extinction. However, today it enters the period of a true renaissance.
The TUS wine label features «watercolor» landscapes of Tavush that directly refer to the grape’s palate: plenty of air, green grass, yellow fruit, and subtle minerality.
The wine owes its name — TUS — to the ancient name of Tavush Province.
AGOS is a project by Burgundian négociant Marie Siranossian and fifth-generation winemaker from Nuits-Saint-Georges Damien Gachot.
AGOS wine is 100% Areni, a unique Armenian indigenous grape variety, comes from the vineyard placed at 1200–1500 meters above sea level with super rare own-rooted vines.
For their wines, Marie and Damien select only the best grapes from old grapevines. Picked manually, the grapes transform into amazingly beautiful wines that were awarded Berliner Wine Trophy gold medal and are available at the best Michelin restaurants in Lyon and Paris.
In Armenian, «agos» means water furrow. Marie and Damien envisaged that water should deliver vitality and combine the energy of two winemaking regions — France and Armenia.
The case of BINEKHI is a typical success story of contemporary Georgian winemaking. In 20 years, the Kakheti winery made its path from a little-known home winery to a modern estate with 90 ha of its own vineyards.
The BINEKHI wines are made both in traditional Qvevri - earthenware vessels and with the use of international techniques; but regardless of production methods, they are remarkable for their purity, intensity, and charisma. In the winery’s portfolio, there are light and fresh wines, as well as amber wines – the signature of modern Georgian wine-making.
The chief winemaker Bachana Khalvashi is famous not only for wines. Bachana is the author of legendary puppets for Rezo Gabriadze Theater.
LUKASI is a family winery that gained a reputation as one of the best winemaking companies in Georgia. The LUKASI wines are on the wine cards at the best restaurants in Tbilisi, Paris, and New York.
The LUKASI portfolio comprises Tsinandali, Kisi, and Tvishi; however, the farm is especially proud of its Saperavi wines. Subtle and elegant, they are the gems of the winery and won numerous awards at international competitions.
Artist Mamuka Tsetskhladze created stylish labels for LUKASI wines. He succeeded in binding together the traditions of Georgian painting and the reminiscence of ancient Greek mythology.
The lands of the GIUAANI family winery are located in the Manavi zone in Kakheti. The contemporary history of the winery began in 2010, but the GIUAANI wine’s history dates back to 1894 when the first kvevri were installed in the winery cellars.
GIUAANI specializes in Georgian autochthon wines that are sold throughout the world, including Japan, Germany, and the US. Mtsvane appeared to be the most successful grape variety for the winery as the Manavi region is considered to have the best conditions for its cultivation.
The word «GIUAANI» derives from the name of the Giuaant neighborhood where the family ancestors were making wine for centuries.
The Besini company is one of the most vibrantly developing winemaking and viticulture companies, it cherishes the history and ancient traditions of Georgian winemaking.
In the old Georgian language, «besini» means «wine for offerings». The company owns over 200 hectares of vineyards in various microzones in Kakheti, each with its own climatic features. About 7 hectares are located right near the winery. The wine production on Tsinandali lands was established in 2004.
Using state-of-the-art technologies, Besini produces wines of highest quality with numerous international awards. The company has its own nursery vineyard with grapevines of both local and European varieties, as well as a modern laboratory.
Shildis Mtebi is the Simple Group’s own project in Kakheti.
Today, it is a négociant range of wines/ In the future, we plan to make this wine brand wine at our own vineyards. The picturesque Georgian village of Shilda is located near the ancient monastery Nekresi surrounded by majestic mountains. The word «shildis mtebi» means «the mountains of Shilda» in Georgian.
Vineyards are located near the Georgian village of Shilda in one of the most beautiful areas of Kakheti. The Nekresi monastery, the oldest one of the active monasteries in Georgia, is located nearby the village. Some of monastery’s structures date back to the 4th century.
Shildis Mtebi labels are the tribute to the breathtaking nature of Georgia, where lots of wild animals live in the forests, including rare species that survived only in the Caucasus.
