Portrait of John Wurdeman
i. Biography
The Path
Co-founding Pheasant's Tears in 2007 gave John Wurdeman’s work in wine its first clear structure. The role was less a finish line than a base layer: a place where the discipline of making wine, and the question of how it should speak to place, could be worked out in practice. In 2010, he founded Vino Underground, extending that same line of work into a second venture. Read together, Pheasant's Tears and Vino Underground map a career built through repetition, focus, and the steady accumulation of experience rather than reinvention.
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The Work Today
In Sighnaghi, John Wurdeman works as owner and winemaker with Georgian natural wine as the center of the practice. The emphasis is on place, cellar discipline, and wine made with intention—less a style statement than a method of keeping the work closely tied to its setting.
In Their Words “That’s the whole reason we make wine.”
Acclaim
He has said, "That’s the whole reason we make wine."
FAQ
Asked of John
What is John Wurdeman's current role?
As of 2026, John Wurdeman is Owner and Winemaker.
What is John Wurdeman known for?
Georgian natural wine.
The Sunday email
Read about winemakers like John Wurdeman in the Sunday email.
Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.
Recent stories
Free. One email a week, and you can unsubscribe from any issue.