Not so long ago, UNESCO decided to include in the list of the intangible heritage of mankind Georgian way winemaking. If all over the world the must is aged in barrels, then in this Caucasian country, or rather in its region of Kakheti, huge clay jugs - kvevri are used in production. The pulp is put into giant amphoras, two meters high, after which they are buried in the ground. Rocky soil and sharp fluctuations in the mountain climate create the unique wines of Georgia. Each variety has its own taste palette, aroma, history. Arriving in this sunny hospitable land, the main thing is not to get confused and choose from excellent and simple good drinks(because bad wines simply do not exist here) are the best.
Dry vintage
In Georgia, the old Soviet one is adopted. Therefore, the word "vintage" means the abbreviation DOC adopted in it, which means "quality control by origin". Thus, it is noted that the vines for making this drink grow only in this region, and nowhere else. This is Georgia. Of the white varieties, it is impossible not to mention the pride of the country and the winner of numerous international competitions "Tsinandali". Just as wonderful are "Gurjaani", "Tibaani" and "Manavi".
Vintage Georgia is also beyond praise. Four gold and six won at international competitions dry "Teliani". Here is a prime example of how a common french variety vines of Cabernet Sauvignon in a sunny mountainous region spawns clusters with unusual taste ripe cherries and the scent of violets. Not much inferior to "Teliani" and "Napareuli", "Kvareli", "Mukuzani". All these high quality products aged in oak barrels at least three years.
Ordinary wines of Georgia
These drinks from a small amount Sugars (dry), although they are not aged as long as vintage ones, and are made from the pulp, and not from the must, are nevertheless very worthy. "Kakheti" and "Shuamta" are fermented in clay kvevri. Saperavi is a local variety of vine grown specifically for these soils, climate, and relief. The clusters ripen late, which gives this a hint of autumn. But that's not all.
Semi-dry and semi-sweet wines of Georgia
From the first cohort, we can advise white "Tbilisuri", pink "Sachino" and red "Pirosmani". New European technologies are also used in their production. But for semi-sweet alcoholic drinks, very regional varieties of berries are taken. Therefore, the wines "Tvishi", "Tetra" and "Savane" (white), as well as "Khvanchkara", "Kindzmarauli" and "Akhasheni" (red) are considered vintage.
Dessert and liqueur wines of Georgia
Contrary to popular belief that the country does not produce sweet alcoholic drinks, they still exist, and very good ones. "Anaga" tastes like Madeira - dark amber, rich, with a long aftertaste with hints of almonds and chocolate. "Saamo" is drunk easily, although it is fraught with seventeen degrees. Pomegranate-colored Salkhino is a typical liqueur wine, as is the white Khikhvi.
In a word, make a choice and enjoy it!
Winemaking in Georgia is not a skill or even an art: it is a way of life and one of the most carefully guarded traditions in the country. Although most popular brands today are not even 100 years old, the first Georgian wines appeared over 30 centuries ago.
History reference. A thousand years before our era, on the lands of modern Georgia (then the kingdom of Colchis), they knew how to produce wine using the Kakhetian method - keeping the drink in kvevri vessels dug into the ground. More than 3,000 years have passed, but ancient recipe preserved and successfully used by modern winemakers.
In the IV century. n. e. the country adopted Christianity, after which the wine began to perform not only medical, but also ritual functions. Despite an active foreign policy and many military conflicts, Georgians have always found time to develop their wine culture, creating more than 500 unique types of wine, most of which are almost never exported.
Qvevri - vessels buried in the ground for fermentation and aging of wine In the 19th century, the most famous wines of Georgia appeared: dry Tsinandali, Mukuzani, Napareuli, semi-dry Tbilisuri. The Russian government spared no expense to support winemaking in the country: wineries and special schools were founded, local winemakers were trained abroad, and in 1889 the Georgian prince Ivane Bagration-Mukhransky made Chateau Mukhrani on his estate - a sparkling wine, awarded the First Prize at the Paris exhibition.
The Soviet "top" also understood the importance of preserving Georgia as the "wine capital" of the USSR, so the 20th century saw the peak of the heyday of Georgian wines, which were known far beyond the borders of the Union. Today, there are four main wine-growing regions in the country: Kakheti, Kartli, Imereti and Racha-Lechkhumi. Each of these territories includes a number of microzones with famous representative varieties.
Peculiarities. Georgian wines are noticeably different from European ones for several reasons:
- Autochthonous grape varieties, little known outside the country (for example, Saperavi, Rkatsiteli, Mtsvane).
- Ancient production technologies (Kakheti, Imerta). The pulp is only partially separated from the juice, the wines are more tannic, full-bodied and acidic (Sviri, Dimi).
- A unique subspecies of wines are naturally semi-sweet (Khvanchkara, Pirosmani, Kindzmarauli). In most regions, ripe grapes are harvested late, in mid-autumn. The berries are full of juice and very sweet, and due to climatic conditions (low temperature), fermentation is slow, so part of the sugar is retained in the finished wine. Such drinks are considered elite.
Classification of Georgian wines
In Georgia, there is no multi-stage system for categorizing wines by quality, as, for example, in France or Italy. Georgian vintage wines (considered the best) are controlled only by origin - the names are assigned to areas with unique soil and climatic conditions, where certain grape varieties are grown and the traditional winemaking technology for the region is observed. Vintage wines are aged for at least 2-3 years. The young wine is called ordinary, goes on sale the very next year after bottling, has a soft bouquet and an affordable price.
In addition, Georgian wines are varietal (made from only one grape variety) or blended, consisting of a mixture of juices or finished wines, which are usually mixed before aging.
White Georgian wines
<0,3%):
- Tsinandali (combined with fish, poultry, pkhali, has a pronounced floral and fruity bouquet, tea rose tones are felt).
- Gurjaani (spicy with bitterness, served with meat, cheese, fish).
- Napareuli (gentle "feminine" wine).
- Rkatsiteli (goes to barbecue, spicy cheese, bouquet with sourness).
- Manavi ("summer" refreshing alcohol).
- Vazisubani (in taste - tones of wild flowers and honey).
- Tsitska (aging up to 12 years, bright bouquet).
- Tsolikauri (aged 20 years, almost never exported).
- Bakhtrioni (pride of the Akhmeta region).
- Tibaani (produced according to the Kakhetian technology, the tone of a withering tea rose).
Real dry Georgian wines cannot contain more than 3-4 g of unfermented sugar per liter of product, the lower this figure, the better the drink is considered.
Dry, ordinary (alcohol 10-13%, sugar<0,3%):
- Kakheti (made according to Kakhetian technology).
- Shuamta (tart fruity taste).
- Tbilisuri (raw material - a mixture of several varieties of grapes, a soft and delicate drink).
- Alaverdi (sweet fruity taste, served with goat cheese, fish).
Natural semi-sweet (alcohol 9.5-11%, sugar 3-5%):
- Tvishi (rich fruity aroma, opens slowly, so you should drink slowly).
- Akhmeta (flower-berry aftertaste).
- Tetra (nuances of mountain flowers, honey, served with dessert).
- Chkhaveri (refreshing and invigorating).
- Savane (sweetness is especially pronounced).
- Alazani Valley (a blend of several varieties of white grapes).
Red Georgian wines
Dry, vintage (alcohol 10-13%, sugar<0,3%):
- Mukuzani (suitable for sheep cheese, barbecue, spicy dishes, has a thick bouquet with hints of ripe cherries and oak).
- Teliani (made from the Cabernet Sauvignon variety, nuances of violet, morocco are felt in a velvety taste).
- Napareuli (the bouquet consists of red berry flavors: currants, cherries).
- Kvareli (distinguished by a delicate and refined bouquet, in which tones of red berries, freshly cut grass, young greens are felt).
Dry, ordinary: (alcohol 10-13%, sugar<0,3%):
- Saperavi (later, "autumn" wine with tones of prunes and blackcurrant, goes well with meat and greens).
Semi-dry (alcohol 10-13%, sugar 0.5-2.5%):
- Sachino (rather pink than red, raw - berries from the western vineyards of Georgia).
- Pirosmani (produced from the Saperavi variety, named after the famous Georgian artist, it tastes like “drunk cherry”).
Natural semi-sweet (alcohol 9.5-12%, sugar 3-5%):
- Khvanchkara (thick "raspberry" taste, fruity-floral tones, served with blue cheese, nuts, game).
- Kindzmarauli (vintage, complex tart bouquet, often served with dessert).
- Barakoni (fresh wine with notes of mountain violet, made from autochthonous varieties of Mudzheretuli and Aleksandrouli).
- Akhasheni (produced only in Eastern Georgia, not far from the village of the same name, after which it received its name. It has notes of exotic fruits in the taste, it is combined with desserts and cheese).
- Ojaleshi (produced from the grape variety of the same name).
- Usakhelauri (made from a rare variety of the same name, distinct strawberry taste).
- Alazani Valley (in the "red" variation, the wine has tones of physalis and cornelian cherry).
Sparkling wines of Georgia
Georgia has not yet given the world its “Champagne”, as well-known as the French prototype or Spanish Cava, however, there are already local variations of “effervescent” wines (alcohol 9.5-12%, sugar 3-5%):
- Aishi (pink, a blend of several varieties).
- Atenuri (white, mild refreshing taste).
- Terjola (very young wine - produced since 2005, named after the city in which it was born).
Strong and dessert
Many of the wines of this section are not aged in cellars, but under the scorching sun, and therefore acquire a “roasted” rich taste (alcohol 15-19%, sugar 7-10%):
- Anacha (white, similar to Madera).
- Kardanakhi (Georgian "port wine", in taste - tones of honey and bread).
- Marabda (fruity flavor, only 5% sugar).
- Saamo (honey notes, sugar content reaches 13%).
- Salkhino (With a strength of 15 degrees, it contains as much as 30% sugar. Thick liquor with a rich bouquet: strawberries, creamy chocolate, caramel, quince and other fruits, oily taste).
- Khikhvi (nutmeg nuances, sugar content - 18-20%).
Almost all of the listed wines are made from the Rkatsiteli variety.
Georgian dry white wine is a special alcoholic drink that combines an extravaganza of taste and aroma and unique traditions that link the past and the present. Connoisseurs of this wine are ready to travel hundreds of kilometers to enjoy the real taste of the drink, created by the gentle sun and mountain air.
1 Georgian wine in the past and now
The history of winemaking in Georgia is rooted in the distant past. In the national art of this country, images of vines and wine are often found, which are symbols of the material and spiritual culture of the mountain people. Not a single ancient Georgian custom can do without fragrant wine, recognized as a symbol of inspiration and mutual understanding.
Georgian wine is a magnificent bouquet of smells and tastes. The color of the drink is similar to a sunbeam, gently awakening in the morning on a fine day. The eastern part of Georgia is famous for its unusually delicious white grape varieties Chinuri, Goruli, Rkatsiteli, Aligone, from which real heavenly nectar is obtained.
Today, Georgian wines are the pride of the country and its highlight, for which hundreds of tourists come here. And this is rightfully deserved, because a unique culture of drinking alcohol has been created in a sunny country. Not a single event is complete without amazing toasts and thanks to the host of the holiday. There are even special tourist wine tours where you can not only learn a lot of interesting information, but also taste the best wines.
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2 Kakheti dry white wine production technology
In the city of Kakheti, dry table wines are produced using the same technology. The most popular among them are Tibaani, Telavi, Rkatsiteli, Kakheti. The production process is based on the fermentation of must made from stemmed pulp when the grapes are fully ripe. This type of alcoholic beverage is characterized by a pronounced aroma and a special aftertaste.
The production process begins with the harvest, which is thoroughly washed and crushed in special roller crushers. The pulp ferments in jugs and during the day it is thoroughly mixed 4-6 times to enrich it with oxygen. Further, the wine material is aged on the pulp and sent for maturation in oak barrels, where it is aged for about one year.
Specialists have developed a new technology for the production of Kakhetian white wines. It is mechanized and allows you to process grapes without ridges. The pulp is fermented at a temperature of +20-25°C in special thermal fermentation reactors with a mixing function. Aeration is done once a day. After active fermentation stops, the mass is placed in enameled tanks, where it ferments. The wine material is aged in the pulp for about thirty days, then poured into containers for "rest" and aging. During this period, Georgian wine acquires its unique sunny color.
3 Snacks for white Georgian wines
Mark Tsinandali has been known since the distant 1886. This is a white dry wine of light straw color, belonging to vintage. It should be served chilled. The drink has a pronounced citrus taste with fresh tobacco and oak notes. The taste is invigorating and lively, goes well with dishes of chicken, sturgeon, vegetables, salads, herbs, cheeses.
No less old is Gurzhaani, a vintage wine aged three years. Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane varieties are used for its production. The alcohol content in the drink is about 10.5-12.5% vol. It gets its great taste thanks to a long aging in natural oak barrels. This white Georgian wine has a spicy taste with a slight bitterness. It goes well with fresh vegetables, satsivi and unsalted cheeses.
Another representative of vintage wines produced using the Kakhetian technology is Vazisubani. Its difference from other varieties is one and a half year aging in enameled tanks. The taste of wine with a hint of wild flowers, honey and fruits, very delicate and harmonious, perfectly complements satsivi, vegetable salads, light fruit desserts.
It is also worth noting that dry white wine does not need snacks. On the contrary, dishes should be washed down with small sips of wine. It is this practice that contributes to the fact that both the taste of the drink and the taste of the dish are fully opened, creating a wonderful bouquet of taste sensations.
4 Choosing a quality white Georgian wine
Dry white wine from Georgia is famous primarily for its unique bouquet. When choosing a grape drink, you should pay attention to its price. It shouldn't be too low.
All dry white wine under $10 is fake!
The second important point: carefully study the product label. It should contain all information about the manufacturer and be of high quality (no typos or glue marks).
Next, check the contents of the bottle. In a light vessel, Georgian wine sparkles in the sunlight and leaves slowly dripping drops on the walls, which indicates its density and quality. The aroma should not be sour and give off alcohol or vinegar. The aftertaste brightly reveals the main bouquet.
And, of course, we should not forget that good Georgian wine is a tribute to traditions and history, which is revered and cherished by producers. Therefore, purchase a drink only from official suppliers or in Georgia itself.
5 Georgian feast culture
The traditional Georgian feast is a sacred ceremony, a real feast, which presents a huge number of dishes and a variety of wines. At the time of the holiday, a toastmaster is necessarily chosen. They can be both the owner of the house and the eldest of the men, whose duty is to follow the sequence of pronunciation of toasts.
The first toast is pronounced for the heroes of the occasion, the second - for the family. Further, eulogies are spoken to brothers and sisters, for ancestors and descendants, for wives and mothers, for friends and the Motherland, for wine producers. After that, the holiday goes on in full force: wines flow like water, and toasts fall like leaves in the autumn. And at the same time, do not forget that each expression of respect lasts about 10-15 minutes.
Another interesting custom is the consumption of wine from the horn. Georgians say that this is a test of men for courage and strength. And this is not surprising: such a vessel can hold up to two liters of wine, which must be drunk in one gulp! Therefore, agreeing to the offer to participate in traditional rituals, you need to calculate your strength.
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We have collected the main varieties of Georgian wines - someone will remember the once beloved, but almost forgotten taste, and someone will have the opportunity to discover it for the first time.
1. "Kindzmarauli" - high-quality red semi-sweet wine with an intense color of overripe cherries, a varietal bouquet, a delicate, harmonious, velvety taste. One of the most famous wines of Kakheti. Produced since 1942. Connoisseurs note that kindzmarauli is best suited to grilled meat. In addition, the wine goes well with desserts and fruits. 
2. "Tsinandali" - a special white wine, the pride of Georgian winemakers, light straw color, with a wonderful fruity bouquet, mild delicate taste. Produced since 1886 at the country's oldest winery. 
3. "Khvanchkara" - the pearl of natural semi-sweet wines, the pride of Georgian winemakers, a multiple winner of international wine tasting competitions, with an elegant dark ruby color, a highly developed bouquet and aroma, a harmonious velvety taste with raspberry tones. Favorite wine of Comrade Stalin. 
4. "Saperavi" is not only red wine, but also a variety of wine grapes. The wine has an intense, thick dark garnet color, a kind of harmonious taste, pleasant astringency, developed bouquet. Produced since 1886. Saperavi is recommended for fatty dishes of Georgian cuisine. 
5. "Tbilisuri" - white semi-dry wine. Light straw color, a harmonious combination of natural sweetness, acidity and aroma of grapes give the wine freshness and softness of taste. It is recommended to combine wine with suluguni cheese, fish and fruits. 
6. "Akhasheni" - excellent semi-sweet red wine with a strong pleasant bouquet, bright dark pomegranate color and a rare harmony of taste properties with chocolate tones. Produced since 1958. 
7. "Hereti" - natural dry white wine, light straw color, aroma with fruit tones, fresh and harmonious taste. Produced since 1977. It is an excellent aperitif, and is also served with seafood and vegetable salads. 
8. "Mukuzani" - one of the best dry red wines, dark pomegranate color, with a pronounced fruity aroma and complex bouquet, has a soft velvety taste and a harmonious fine aftertaste. Produced since 1888. Mukuzani is considered the best Georgian wine made from Saperavi grapes. It differs in that it is aged for a long time in oak barrels - at least three years. Best paired with meat. 
9. "Kakhetian" - natural dry white wine produced in Georgia since 1948. The wine has a golden-amber color, high extractivity and a specific fruity aroma.
