CHEF · SIGHNAGHI · KAKHETI

Gia Rokashvili

A Georgian Chef from Sighnaghi

A Sighnaghi chef rooted in Kakheti's seasonal cooking and Georgian culinary traditions, documented by major international food and travel media, and now welcoming guests at the Rokashvili family's own table at ROKA NATURALS.

Visit the Family Restaurant Explore Gia's Story

At a Glance

Gia Rokashvili at a Glance

FromSighnaghi, Kakheti, Georgia

ProfessionGeorgian chef

CookingSeasonal Georgian cuisine rooted in Kakhetian ingredients and traditions

Known forLocal produce, market-driven cooking, Georgian herbs, seasonal vegetables, traditional techniques and natural qvevri wine pairings

Featured / documented byCNN / Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Food & Wine, SAVEUR, Vogue, British Vogue, Forbes, The Guardian, Conde Nast Traveler, The New York Times and others

BooksTasting Georgia by Carla Capalbo and Kaukasis by Olia Hercules

TodayWelcoming guests as part of the Rokashvili family's own food and wine experience at ROKA NATURALS in Sighnaghi

Cooking Philosophy

Season, Place, Family

Gia Rokashvili is a chef from Sighnaghi, the hilltop Kakhetian town where Georgian wine, home cooking, gardens and hospitality meet naturally at the table.

His cooking is direct and seasonal: vegetables, herbs, mushrooms, meat, bread and wine treated with restraint, curiosity and respect for the everyday food of Georgia.

Alongside his long association with Pheasant's Tears, Gia now brings his cooking into the Rokashvili family's own project at ROKA NATURALS.

Recognition

You May Have Seen Gia Here

Anthony Bourdain / Parts Unknown

CNN's Georgia episode introduced Gia by name as the local chef in Sighnaghi.

Jamie Oliver

Gia Rokashvili and Jamie Oliver cooked chakapuli together during Jamie Oliver's Georgia/Kakheti project, based on ROKA-owned footage.

Food & Wine

Published a Gia Rokashvili recipe and dedicated profile in 2026.

SAVEUR

Karen Shimizu documented Gia's cooking in a major 2013 feature on Georgian food.

The New York Times

A 2015 Georgia travel story noted Gia's lighter, market-shaped cooking in Sighnaghi.

Vogue

Vogue's Kakheti guide highlighted Gia's seasonal kitchen at Pheasant's Tears.

British Vogue

British Vogue named Gia among the chefs shaping Kakheti dining.

Forbes

Forbes included Gia's market-driven cooking in its winery restaurant coverage.

The Guardian / Observer

The Observer singled out a meal by Gia during a Georgian culinary journey.

Conde Nast Traveler

The publication pointed readers to Gia's Georgian food in its wine country guide.

Seasonal chanterelle dish connected to Kakheti food traditions

Georgia · 2016

Anthony Bourdain — Parts Unknown

CNN's official transcript for Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown introduces Gia by name as the local chef at Pheasant's Tears in Sighnaghi. Bourdain describes the food as "soulful and delicious" and places the meal within Kakheti's wine region rather than as a studio or celebrity-chef collaboration.

This distinction matters: the verified record shows Bourdain visited Pheasant's Tears, Gia was identified as the local chef, and Bourdain ate Gia's cooking.

Read the CNN transcript

Open-fire Georgian cooking at ROKA NATURALS in Sighnaghi

Jamie Cooks: Georgia

Cooking with Jamie Oliver

During Jamie Oliver's Georgia and Kakheti project, Gia and Jamie cooked chakapuli together. ROKA NATURALS uses only its own original footage or photography for this story when available, and the reference here is included as context for the television special, not as an endorsement claim.

Visit Jamie Cooks: Georgia

Food & Wine · August 24, 2026

A New Food & Wine Feature

Food & Wine published Gia Rokashvili's "Stewed Eggplant with Peppers and Tomatoes" on August 24, 2026, and maintains a dedicated Gia Rokashvili contributor profile. The story connects back to Karen Shimizu, who also wrote about Gia for SAVEUR's Georgian food coverage.

The recipe is not reproduced here. This page links readers toward the original publication and keeps the focus on Gia's wider Sighnaghi story.

Search Food & Wine Open Press Archive

Selected International Press

Documented by Food, Wine and Travel Media

Food & Wine

Stewed Eggplant with Peppers and Tomatoes

2026 · A recent recipe by Gia Rokashvili that brings his seasonal vegetable cooking to an international food audience.

Source

CNN

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown — Tbilisi, Georgia

2016 · The official transcript identifies Gia as the local chef at Pheasant's Tears in Sighnaghi.

Source

SAVEUR

Everlasting Feast: Food in the Republic of Georgia

2013 · Karen Shimizu follows Gia in the kitchen as Georgian dishes are prepared with local ingredients and a personal hand.

Source

The New York Times

High in the Mountains and Monasteries of Georgia

2015 · A travel account notes Gia's cooking at Pheasant's Tears as a lighter, market-shaped expression of Georgian food.

Source

Vogue

Why Kakheti, Georgia's "Little Tuscany," Should Be on Every Wine Lover's Bucket List

2024 · Vogue highlights Pheasant's Tears with Gia leading a kitchen built around seasonal ingredients.

Source

British Vogue

The Obscure Wine Region That's Becoming Georgia's Answer to Bordeaux

2025 · British Vogue recommends Pheasant's Tears in Sighnaghi and names Gia among the chefs shaping modern Kakheti dining.

Source

Forbes

Food And Wine Pair Perfectly At These 10 Wineries With Outstanding Restaurants

2023 · Forbes includes Pheasant's Tears among winery restaurants and describes Gia's daily market-based approach.

Source

The Guardian / Observer

Georgia on my plate: a culinary journey in the Caucasus

2018 · The Observer's Georgia food journey singles out a meal by Gia in Signagi while exploring the country's culinary culture.

Source

Condé Nast Traveler

A Guide to Georgian Wine Country

2018 · A Kakheti travel guide points readers to Gia's Georgian-fusion feast at Pheasant's Tears in Sighnaghi.

Source

The Independent

Kaukasis cookbook: Gia's Mushrooms and Egg

2017 · Olia Hercules' Georgian cooking excerpt includes Gia's mushrooms and egg and credits his simple, inventive approach.

Source

Books and Recipes

On the Page

Tasting Georgia: A Food and Wine Journey in the Caucasus

Carla Capalbo's 2017 book includes a dedicated section, "Chef Gia Rokashvili," and features Gia's Ajapsandali recipe. The book places his cooking inside the wider story of Kakheti food and Georgian wine.

View reference

Kaukasis

Olia Hercules' Kaukasis includes "Gia's Mushrooms and Egg," a dish that shows the clarity of Gia's cooking: excellent ingredients, careful heat, and little need for ornament.

View reference

Food & Wine

Food & Wine's 2026 Gia Rokashvili recipe is part of the same documented line of seasonal Georgian cooking. The original recipe should be read on Food & Wine rather than reproduced here.

View reference

International Timeline

A Sighnaghi Kitchen, Seen Abroad

2013
SAVEUR documents Gia's kitchen in its long-form Georgia food feature.
2015
The New York Times coverage notes Gia's cooking in Sighnaghi.
2016
CNN's Parts Unknown brings Bourdain to Pheasant's Tears and names Gia as the local chef.
2017
Carla Capalbo's Tasting Georgia includes a dedicated section on Chef Gia Rokashvili.
2017
Olia Hercules' Kaukasis carries Gia's mushrooms and egg into an English-language cookbook context.
2018
The Guardian / Observer and Conde Nast Traveler point readers to Gia's seasonal cooking in Kakheti.
2023
Forbes includes Gia's market-based approach in its winery restaurant coverage.
2024
Vogue highlights Gia's seasonal kitchen in a Kakheti wine region guide.
2025
British Vogue names Gia among the chefs shaping modern Kakheti dining.
Jamie Oliver / Georgia
Gia Rokashvili and Jamie Oliver cook chakapuli together during Jamie Oliver's Georgia/Kakheti project, based on ROKA-owned material.
2026
Food & Wine publishes Gia's new eggplant, pepper and tomato recipe.
2026
Gia's cooking becomes part of the Rokashvili family's own food and wine chapter at ROKA NATURALS.

ROKA NATURALS family table with Georgian food and natural wine in Sighnaghi

A New Family Chapter

Gia's Table at ROKA NATURALS

Gia's cooking is now part of the Rokashvili family's own table at ROKA NATURALS in Sighnaghi. The experience is intimate and seasonal: Georgian food, natural wine and family hospitality in the place that shaped him.

Book Food & Wine at ROKA

Full Press Archive and Secondary References

Pheasant's Tears press archive Silk Road Gourmet Hidden Compass My Custard Pie Apron & Sneakers Proefschrift Schiller Wine Kommersant Time Out St Petersburg Restoran.ru Vinoge / Marani Snob Prephylloxera Reinis Fischer Orthodox Tours archive GeorgiaInMyHeart / related archival material

For Journalists & Writers

Press Enquiries

For press enquiries, high-resolution ROKA-owned images, or further information about Gia Rokashvili and the family restaurant, contact ROKA NATURALS directly.

Contact ROKA NATURALS

Seasonal Georgian food and natural wine at ROKA NATURALS

The Story Continues in Sighnaghi

Today, Gia's cooking can be experienced through the Rokashvili family's own project at ROKA NATURALS: seasonal Georgian food, local produce, natural qvevri wine and Kakhetian hospitality.

Experience Gia's Cooking at ROKA Contact Us

Sighnaghi, Kakheti, Georgia