Zura Alavidze, Co-Owner of Oda House

At Oda House (406 East 73rd Street), one of the first Georgian restaurants in Manhattan, Michelin-recognized chef Maia Acquaviva and co-owner Zura Alavidze offer traditional Georgian food and wine, showcasing tastes and techniques that have been passed down for generations.

When it comes to food, Zura nods to his grandmother: “Our menu is very authentic Georgian,” he told me. “We make grandmother recipes and concentrate on quality.”

When it comes to wine, he invokes his grandfather: “In Georgia, almost every family makes wine,” he explained. “I was making wine with my grandfather all my childhood.” 

Wine is so central to culture and cuisine in Georgia because Georgia is the world-historical cradle of wine making. 

“Georgian wine is 8,000 years old,” Zura told me, and Georgia’s ancient Qvevri wine-making method is protected by UNESCO as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage.

Unique to Georgia, Qvevri are clay vessels used for making, aging and storing the wine. In the traditional process, still used throughout Georgia today, Qvevri are filled and then buried in the ground as the wine ferments. 

What makes Georgian wine special? Zura explains, “when they squeeze the grape, they make the juice for wine…they leave the skin during the fermentation, and after 3 months, sometimes 6 months, it becomes wine, then they remove the skin from the wine. Even white wines are full bodied, like red wines.”

Zura’s lifelong passion for Georgian wine inspired him to work with a sommelier to curate Oda House’s wine list, and to keep in close touch with wine makers throughout Georgia. 

“When I go to Georgia,” he explains, “I visit all the wineries. I know a lot of wine makers.” 

Zura also arranges vineyard visits for Oda House customers who are interested in traveling to Georgia and learning more about wine. 

The visits are exciting both for the visitors and the vintners: “The vintners love it, because we have their wines, and they love to welcome the customers from New York and explain more about their wines and wine cultures.”

At Oda House, Zura extends the same warm welcome. “Every guest,” he says, “I explain about wine, about culture, about cuisine, and we are building our friends and friendships.

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Build friendships over wine, culture and cuisine at Oda House, 406 East 73rd Street.

Listen to our full interview with Zura Alavidze below!