We had a wonderful time in Georgia.
Georgia has over 500 indigenous grape varieties, with at least 45 currently used in commercial viticulture, of which around 20-25 indigenous grape varieties are available in export markets, 75% are white grapes and 25% black grapes. Georgia have 29 PDO regions, with over 2,000 wineries, with more than 400 of these exporting their wines.
Georgia’s most planted and ancient white variety grape is Rkatsiteli (phonetically: rQa-tsi-telly) ‘Rka’ translates to “stem” and Tsiteli translates to n”red”, as the stems of the grapes turn a brownish red on ripening. Rkatsiteli is adaptable to a range of soils and climatic conditions and wine styles can range from modern to amber, to sparkling to fortified.
Amber wines deepened on the length of skin contact as to the aroma and flavour profile and can develop flavours of marmalade, honey, caramel, white fig, stone fruits and spices.
The main black grape variety that we tried was Saperavi (phonetically: sa-phe-ra-vi), the locals call it the King of Red Grapes, whilst Rkatsiteli is considered the Queen of Georgian grapes.
Saperavi translates to “to dye” or “to colour with” as the juice of the grape is quite intense and easily dyes your clothes if accidentally spilt. The Saperavi is one of the few black grape varieties where the pulp is black, therefore, the wine can be made with intense colour, but with lower tannin as they do not require the skin contact for the colour. The Saperavi grape is a winter hardy and drought-resistant grape and has recently been planted in Australia and the Finger Lakes region in the United States. The grape can be made into a range of different styles ranging from dry to sweet, as well as fortified and sparkling.
Georgia also produces a wine called Cha-Cha a traditional brandy similar to grappa. The wine is crafted from the grape skins, seeds and stems left over after traditional wine production. The spirit is clear, aromatic and potent with an alcohol level of 40% to 60%.
We had a great couple of days touring the Kakheti wine region with Valhalla Kekelidze (+995 555 11 91 52). The 2-day tour was a perfect way to get to try a range of Georgian wines, visiting a range of vineyards from medium - large producers to a local family where they make their own Qvevri wine and tasting it with Georgian dishes.
We also visited the Kartli wine region outside the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.
It was fascinating to see the way that Georgian wine is traditionally made. After the industry was closed down during the Soviet period the Georgian wine industry started a new renaissance in 1991 when they gained independence and since that time they have adopted European technology and international grape varieties and are producing an incredible range of styles including using modern wine technology for their indigenous grapes, along with European grape varieties using the Qvevri method (underground clay pots). As you would expect the Amber Qvevri wines pair perfectly with the local Georgian food.
Amber wines are fermented with the juice of the grapes with their skins, seeds and sometimes their stems in Qvevri. The juice is left in contact with the skins during fermentation, and then the wine remains on the skins for a further 1-6 months.
During our trip we visited a number of very interesting wineries including:
- Giuaani (www.giuanni.ge) a wonderful cellar door in Kakheti first established in 1894 where we had a tour of the winemaking facilities and tasted a wide range of wines. Our favourite wines were Tvishi 2024, A PDO naturally semi-sweet white wine made with Tsolikouri grapes and a dry red wine, Saperavi 2024 from the Kakheti region.
- Lagvani (www.lagvani.ge) a lovely boutique cellar door run by artist, chef, winemaker Ms Sanata Tsitsuashvali in the Kakheti region that specialises in bio-organic natural wines utilizing ancient Qvevri (underground clay amphora pots. This small winery produces 5,000 bottles per annum and our favourite was the 20220 Mtsvane Kakhuri an amber coloured dry wine fermented and aged in Qvevri made from Mtsvane Kakhuri grapes.
- Togonidze’s Wine, in the village of Shalauri in Kakheti is led by talented winemaker and artist Gia Togonidze. The estate produces chemical-free, traditional Georgian orange and red wines fermented and aged in ancient Qvevri. Gia is a charming man that produces some of Georgia’s best wines. Our favourites were the Saperavi dry red and a Rkatsiteli-Chardonnay blend unique to the Kakheti region.
- Kerovani Winery (www.kerovani.com) in the Kakheti region is a small family winery using the Qvevri using centuries old Georgian traditional technology. Our favourite wines were Kesane, a dry white wine made from Rkatsiteli grapes and their Field Blend dry amber unfiltered Qvevri wine which is fermented in Qvevri and sealed and left for 6 months for gravity to do its thing before it is separated from the lees and must and bottled. The wine is made from four different grapes.
- Chatea Mukhrani (www.chateaumukhrani.com) located in the Kartli region outside the Georgian capital of Tbilisi was first established in 1878. This beautiful estate and grounds have a special place in Georgian wine with its grand history and architecture. Our favourite wine was the 2021 Chateau Mukhrani Collection Secrete a blend of Georgian and French grape varieties Saperavi, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shray and others that remain a secret.
