If you’ve ever felt that the wine world keeps serving you the same dozen grapes, Georgia would like a word. The country often described as the birthplace of wine has 525 recognised indigenous grape varieties, and that’s before counting the wild vines nobody has got round to naming yet, which gives the rest of us a great deal of catching up to do.
Georgia has five main wine regions and, at the time of writing, 18 Protected Designations of Origin. Below are the four regions I visited this year, each quite different from the others in climate, soil, grapes and history, along with the grapes I think are worth knowing about.
Georgian wine appellations, courtesy of Wines of Georgia
IMERETI
Imereti sits in the eastern part of western Georgia and is one of the most varied regions for grapes, running from humid subtropical conditions in Lower Imereti all the way up to alpine meadows at 2,850m. Around 70% of the region is mountainous, and the Black Sea keeps the winters relatively mild.
Winemakers here use qvevri too, though in Imereti they call them churi, and the method differs from the one used further east. After fermentation, the wine usually stays in churi for around two months before the skins and pulp are removed and it’s moved into barrels. The wines have higher acidity than those from Kakheti, which suits the whites very well. Imereti’s one PDO, Sviri, is a blend of Tsitska and Tsolikouri, sometimes with Krakhuna added, and it makes a moderate-alcohol white with creamy, fresh fruit and a perfumed finish.
Tsitska-Tsolikouri from Vartsikhe Cellar in Imereti
Tsitska (white) is grown in cooler Upper Imereti and is often blended with Tsolikouri. It brings high acidity along with fresh lemon, honey and melon, and is one of the grapes in the Sviri blend.
Tsolikouri (white) was the defining white grape of western Georgia in the 19th century and is still the country’s second most planted grape after Rkatsiteli. It’s fuller-bodied than Tsitska, which is why the two blend so well, and it’s considered one of Georgia’s longest-lived whites, with citrus, white plum, yellow fruit and floral notes.
Krakhuna (white) is one of my favourite Georgian whites and is native to Imereti. It’s full-bodied and reminds me of an unoaked white Rhône, and it works in both the traditional and international styles, though I enjoyed it most when only part of the wine had spent time in churi. The grape ripens easily while keeping its acidity, so in stainless steel you get a higher-alcohol wine with a smooth, glycerol texture and flavours of tropical fruit, apricot and honey.
Otskhanuri Sapere (red) is another gem from Imereti, with a lovely ruby colour and medium weight. The tannins can be rough when young, but older bottles develop a rich, deep elegance that rewards your patience.
Aladastouri (red) has a great deal of potential. As a dry qvevri wine, it shows crunchy raspberry and black cherry, rather like a young Piedmontese red, and despite its thick skins it makes a surprisingly pale wine.
Aladastouri at the Agricultural Research Centre in Saguramo, Georgia
MESKHETI
Down on Georgia’s southern border, you can almost smell the dry heat of Turkey. Meskheti is thought to be one of the ancient homes of winemaking, with vines traditionally grown along the valleys of the Mtkvari River, and with 900m as the lowest altitude for vineyards, this is high-altitude viticulture with long hours of sunshine. It’s also one of Georgia’s driest regions, with harsh winters and plenty of frost.
Georgian researchers believe many of the country’s grapes, Saperavi among them, may have originated here. Natenadze’s Cellar, run by a man who describes himself as a cultural historian rather than a winemaker, is one of the very few producers making wine on the old terraces.
Meskhuri Mtsvane (white) takes its name from mtsvane, meaning “green,” so this is quite literally the green wine of Meskheti (see Mtsvane Kakhuri below).
Natenadze’s Cellar and the Vardzia terraces
Across the Mtkvari River
KARTLI
Kartli surrounds Tbilisi, whose name comes from an old Georgian word for “warm,” and has a continental climate with hot summers and cold winters, with vineyards planted at 750 to 800m. Its PDO is Atenuri, which was known for quality wine as far back as the Middle Ages, particularly sparkling wine made from Chinuri. Wines here are made in both qvevri and international styles.
Chinuri (white) owes much of its reputation outside Georgia to Iago Bitarishvili, whose qvevri amber wines from this high-acid grape introduced many Western European wine professionals to the style. Traditionally, the late-ripening grape’s acidity made it ideal for natural sparkling wine, with the must taken up into the cold heights of the Ateni Gorge for a long, cool fermentation. The Atenuri PDO allows Chinuri, Goruli Mtsvane and the French grape Aligoté.
Tavkveri (red) was once grown all over eastern Georgia but is now found mainly in its home region of Kartli. Made as a young, dry wine, it has fresh raspberry and strawberry fruit with a floral note of rose.
Iago Bitarishvili with a qvevri of Chinuri grapes
KAKHETI
Kakheti is the heavyweight, with around 65 to 70% of Georgia’s vineyards and the majority of its wine. It borders Russia and Azerbaijan, and the Caucasus Mountains to the north have a strong influence on its climate. The main growing area is the Alazani Valley, and the region is home to 14 of the 18 PDOs, including Tsinandali, a white blend of Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane Kakhuri; Kindzmarauli, a naturally semi-sweet red; and Mukuzani, a full-bodied, deeply coloured Saperavi, with both Tsinandali and Mukuzani on the right bank of the Alazani River.
Traditional winemaking in Kakheti
Kakheti has its own winemaking tradition, quite unlike anything else in the wine world. The grapes are crushed in a satsnakheli, a traditional wine press, and the juice goes into the qvevri along with the skins, stems and pips. During fermentation, the cap is stirred around four times a day to keep things even, and fermentation itself can take several weeks. Once it’s finished, the skins, stalks and pips sink to the bottom, and after malolactic fermentation the qvevri are sealed and the wine is left on its skins for several months.
With Zaza Kbilashvili, one of Georgia’s few remaining great qvevri makers
Saperavi (red) is the ambassador for Georgian red wine around the world. It grows all over the country, but its home is Kakheti. It’s one of the few grapes with red flesh as well as red skin, whereas almost all others have clear flesh, and it makes high-quality reds with plenty of tannin, colour and acidity that need time in bottle and can age well. Hugh Johnson recommends it as a good alternative to red Médoc. I think it has masses of potential, though I’ll admit the heavier Mukuzani style hasn’t quite won me over yet.
In 2013, when I visited the Biesina experimental vineyard in Marsala, Sicily, researchers there were crossing Sicilian grapes with Saperavi to study its DNA with climate change in mind. Australia also has its own Saperavi clones, which cope well with drought, so there’s a lot to look forward to with this grape.
Rkatsiteli (white) is to Georgian whites what Saperavi is to the reds. You’ll often find it as a traditional qvevri amber wine, but it’s also made in the international style.
Mtsvane Kakhuri (white) is one of Georgia’s ancient varieties, which by extension may make it one of the oldest grapes in the world. It’s often blended with Rkatsiteli, bringing aroma and delicacy, and is growing in popularity as a qvevri wine, with aromas of stone fruit and orchard blossom and good minerality.
Khikhvi (white) is a versatile grape that works in the international or qvevri style and as a sweet wine. The vines are naturally low-yielding, but the grapes ripen with good sugar levels.
Kisi (white) is one of my favourite Georgian grapes for amber wine, and some believe it to be a natural cross of Mtsvane and Rkatsiteli. Made in a traditional qvevri, it develops complex aromas of pear, honey, tobacco and walnut, along with wonderful textural tannins.
Ruispiri biodynamic vineyards in Tsinandali, Kakheti
Tsinandali
Lukasi Kisi with Ketevan Gersamia at Anona Restaurant in Tbilisi
22nd Oct 2018 · Georgia, Wine, Wine Regions by Juel Mahoney All Rights Reserved
