In the heart of Tbilisi, where centuries-old traditions meet modern ambition, Tamar Abuladze is redefining what it means to build a business rooted in culture, emotion, and individuality. As the Founder & CEO of Wine Diamond, Marila, and Emocia Wines, she has transformed one of Georgia’s oldest symbols—wine—into a global story of innovation, luxury, and creative expression.
But Tamar’s journey was never simply about entrepreneurship. It was about courage. About walking away from certainty to create something the world had never seen before. And above all, it was about believing in an idea long before anyone else could understand it.
The Courage to Leave Comfort Behind
“In one word, what defines me is an individualist—because I don’t follow paths. I create them,” says Tamar Abuladze—a Georgian entrepreneur, a mother of two incredible daughters, and a woman who made one of the hardest decisions of her life…and turned it into her greatest breakthrough.
For 15 years, Tamar lived what many would describe as a “perfect” career and a successful corporate life. Working within a large international company, she experienced professional stability, recognition, and a sense of purpose. It was a career built on trust, values, and belonging.
Then everything changed.
When the company was sold, the culture and principles she once believed in slowly began to disappear. What followed was not merely a professional crossroads—it was a deeply personal one.
And in that moment, she faced a difficult choice: stay comfortable or stay true to herself. Should she remain in a comfortable environment that no longer reflected who she was, or leave behind security in pursuit of truth?
Tamar chose the truth.
“I walked away without guarantees, without a backup plan—only with belief. That moment didn’t just change my career. It changed who I was,” she shares.
A Father’s Belief That Became Her Foundation
Behind Tamar’s fearless mindset stands the influence of one extraordinary person: her father.
“The most influential person in my life was my father. He saw something in me long before I saw it in myself. He always told me I was special—and more importantly, he believed it. He taught me kindness, strength, and the value of trust. He taught me that betraying someone who believes in you is the worst thing you can do—and that even in the darkest moments, there is always something meaningful to find,” she reflects.
Today, his words continue to guide her decisions. His belief that “nothing happens by accident” became more than advice—it became a philosophy that helped her navigate uncertainty and transform challenges into opportunities.
A Foundation Built Through Experience
“My 15 years of corporate experience became my foundation. I learned what it means to be part of a strong team, what great leadership looks like—and equally important—what it doesn’t,” she says.
“I had the privilege of working with leaders who were not only managers but mentors. And I also experienced environments that showed me exactly how I would never treat my own team,” she adds.
“That contrast became my greatest lesson.
Combined with continuous learning and self-development, it gave me the clarity and confidence to build a company not just on strategy—but on values,” reflects Tamar.
From Self-Discovery to Reinvention
After leaving her corporate career, Tamar entered a period of deep self-discovery. She was not searching for another job; she was searching for an entirely new life.
Her initial dream was to become a winemaker, which led her to enroll in wine school. But during that journey, she uncovered an important truth: passion alone is not enough. True success comes from recognizing where you can be exceptional.
Instead of forcing herself into a role that did not fully align with her identity, she chose something far more daring—she created her own path.
That decision led to the birth of Wine Diamond, a concept that did not exist anywhere in the world.
For Tamar, entrepreneurship was never about fitting into existing systems. It was about creating what did not yet exist.
Seeing Diamonds Where Others Saw Waste
“Georgia is not just my country—it is the birthplace of wine, with 8,000 years of uninterrupted history,” she says.
“Wine is part of our identity. It is in our culture. It is in our DNA. And yet, for centuries, something extraordinary was overlooked—wine crystals. Something beautiful…ignored,” she adds.
Tamar saw something within that heritage that others had overlooked for centuries: wine crystals.
She saw diamonds where others saw waste.
That vision became Wine Diamond—a pioneering fusion of ancient Georgian wine culture and contemporary luxury innovation. The brand became the first in the world to create fine jewelry from wine crystals, preserving the essence of a harvest forever within wearable art.
“My mission was never just to create a product. It was to expand the philosophy of wine—to show the world that wine is not only something you drink…it is something you can wear, feel, and experience in entirely new ways,” says Tamar.
“Today, that vision continues to evolve—into jewelry, gourmet innovation, and even art created with wine itself,” she adds.
Building a Business During the Hardest Times
The early days of building Wine Diamond were filled with challenges—not only financial limitations, but also skepticism.
The biggest challenge was not money—it was belief.
When you create something the world has never seen before, people don’t immediately understand it. And when that product is premium, the challenge becomes even greater.
Tamar started with a single bracelet. There was no major investment, no guaranteed success, and no certainty about what would come next.
Every achievement was reinvested back into the company. Every step forward required discipline, patience, and persistence. Perhaps the greatest challenge was learning how to silence self-doubt.
Then the pandemic arrived.
“While the world slowed down, I worked 16–18 hours a day. I was building a company while raising children and managing a household. It felt like living two lives in one day,” she recalls. “But that pressure didn’t break me—it built me.”
The struggle became part of the foundation upon which her companies were built.
Expanding Wine Beyond Tradition
Today, Tamar Abuladze’s ventures represent innovation across multiple creative industries.
Wine Diamond (2021) has earned international recognition, including attention from The New York Times, for pioneering fine jewelry crafted from wine crystals. Each creation captures a moment in time—a harvest transformed into timeless luxury.
Her second venture, Marila (2023), introduced another original concept: premium finishing salt made from Georgian qvevri wine and Mediterranean Sea salt. While wine salts already existed in the culinary world, Marila became the only brand producing them from authentic qvevri wine—an 8,000-year-old tradition presented in a modern form.
Now, Tamar is pushing creative boundaries even further through wine-inspired art and artistic experimentation with wine crystals, creating entirely new intersections between heritage, innovation, and design.
Her work consistently reflects one central belief: tradition should not remain static—it should evolve.
Leadership Built on Trust
As a woman entrepreneur leading multiple ventures, Tamar believes her responsibility extends far beyond products or profit.
“My responsibility goes beyond business. I build teams, create opportunities, and shape environments where people feel valued, heard, and inspired. I also believe a strong team is not built by control—but by trust,” she says.
“I personally select every team member because I know one thing for certain: a group of people who truly believe in one idea can achieve what seems impossible,” she adds.
Her leadership style is deeply human-centered—focused not only on innovation, but also on emotional connection, collaboration, and shared purpose.
Balancing Business, Motherhood, and Ambition
When asked about work-life balance, Tamar describes it with one honest word: “juggling.”
For her, balance is not something you find—it is something you continuously create.
Tamar shares, “My husband is not only my life partner, but also my business partner. We divide responsibilities in a way that allows both structure and freedom. My children are part of my journey. They come to the office, they observe, they ask questions—and sometimes, they give the best ideas. And in the middle of everything, I remind myself: success means nothing if your family doesn’t experience it with you.”
Redefining the Future
Looking ahead, Tamar has already set ambitious goals that promise to elevate her companies onto a new international stage.
Some of those plans are already underway, while others are still evolving behind the scenes. Yet one thing remains certain: her vision continues to grow bolder with every step.
Whenever she shares a new idea with her team, they respond with the same words:
“We know you can do it.”
And for Tamar Abuladze, that level of trust changes everything. With a team that believes in her vision, failure no longer feels like part of the plan.
The Power of Belief
If there is one quality Tamar believes every woman entrepreneur must possess, it is belief—unshakable, undeniable belief in herself.
She understands the realities women leaders face every day—the emotional weight of nurturing families while leading companies, making strategic decisions, and carrying multiple responsibilities simultaneously.
It is exhausting. It is demanding. And often, it requires extraordinary resilience.
But Tamar firmly believes that a woman who truly believes in herself becomes unstoppable.
A Message to Women Who Dare to Create
To aspiring women leaders and entrepreneurs, Tamar offers advice grounded in experience rather than theory.
Do not wait.
Do not seek permission.
Do not search for perfect conditions, because they rarely exist.
Start. Act. Fail. Learn. Grow.
Above all, she encourages women not to imitate others. Instead, she urges them to embrace difference, even when it leads to misunderstanding.
Be bold enough to be different. Be strong enough to be misunderstood. Be patient enough to be recognized.
She believes that in a world where everything already seems to exist, true leadership begins the moment you dare to create what has never existed before—and have the courage to believe in it before anyone else does.
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