We live and take joy in everything we do

Back in 2015, we swapped the city’s rhythm for a life in nature and purchased 10 hectares in the Vilnius district. It was wild and neglected - thickets, boggy patches, ticks in the meadows, and wild boar in the groves. Most people would have passed it by.

We felt something different: a sense of déjà vu, of belonging - of a shared story, and maybe even a shared future. So we took it on. We removed hazardous trees to open up park-like clearings, leveled the land to plant our orchard with care, and tended the wetlands. That’s where our journey truly began.

By 2018 we’d learned our land had wet pockets where rowans struggled - trees simply don’t like standing water or a high water table. So we searched for something that loves moisture and would suit our vision.

We found guelder rose bushes (viburnum): hardy shrubs that naturally thrive on boggy edges, with berries rich in vitamins and beneficial compounds. We planted 1 hectare of viburnum, choosing cultivated varieties for larger, sweeter fruit - appealing even to those who usually shy away from wild viburnum.

We planted our rowan orchard in 2017 - 900 trees the first year, 600 more the next. That’s where the rowan chapter begins.

People always ask, “Why rowan?” The honest answer is that we simply felt its pull. The rowan has long been seen as a protective, almost magical tree - honored by healers, cherished by elders, a symbol of luck and fertility. Its hard, resilient wood once made trusty walking sticks - said to carry you far and keep misfortune at bay.

We chose cultivated varieties whose berries are not only healthy but delicious. When we planted, we didn’t yet know what we’d do with such a harvest - only that, when the time came, we’d find the right path.

Then came the moment of truth: what should we do with our harvest? Up to that point, we’d followed instinct - doing what felt right. But eventually you have to run the numbers: what would people actually buy, and at what price? What could we produce, and sustainably? We weighed juices, jams, dried fruit, condiments, sauces - many paths. Our gut said “not us,” and the merciless spreadsheet agreed. Then we stumbled upon a simple idea: rowan wine - and, as it turns out, it can be very good. Bingo.

Had we made wine before? No.

Any family winemakers to guide us? Also no.

We just loved good wine. And if others could do it, why not us?

So we took the leap. Our first rowan wine felt like a triumph then. We still have a few bottles; today we smile and admit it wasn’t exactly great. But it gave us something more important: the certainty that we can.

Our winery story begins in 2021: we built GERI METAI and earned our license to craft fruit & berry wines.

By December 2022, just before Christmas, we sold our first bottle - at Vilnius’ prestigious wine shop Vyno Klubas. We even know who bought it, and we’re especially grateful to Arūnas Starkus for believing in our wine and sharing it with his discerning clientele.

And the viburnum? We make a little viburnum wine too - an adventurous, distinctive sip for those seeking something unusual (and who enjoy viburnum’s unmistakable aroma). It’s a brilliant way to surprise friends who think they’ve tried everything - some even call it their favorite of all.

Most viburnum, however, becomes juice - a vitamin-rich companion for the cold season, long praised in folk tradition for its many wellness benefits.

Is that the end of our orchard’s story?

Not at all.

In 2022 we expanded our plantings with 800 black elderberry bushes, and in 2023 we added a small plot of wine grapes.

Their chapters are only beginning - more on them soon.

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