Like many former Soviet republics, the Eurasian country of Georgia is still an unknown entity for many. But wine lovers have every reason to try to better understand Georgia, because this is the place where the most precious beverage in their lives originally comes from.
CLOSER was recently invited by Meiburg Wine Media for a week-long trip, hosted by the National Wine Agency of Georgia, to visit the country’s wineries and learn more about the Caucasus country’s winemaking industry.
Georgia is blessed by its mild climate. With the Greater Caucasus range serving as a barrier against the cold from the North, as well as the warm and moist air coming from the Black Sea to the West, extreme weather conditions are uncommon in Georgia, and the temperature fluctuates little throughout the year. These are essential factors for the country’s vineyards to produce high quality grapes for winemaking.
Archeological evidence shows that the winemaking history of Georgia can be dated back 8,000 years. Georgian wines were also mentioned in Greek mythologies such as The Odyssey and The Argonautica.
Wine became even more important to Georgian society following the Christianization of the country in the 4th century. In the 19th century, Georgian wine could be found at multiple wine exhibitions in Europe and was making its way onto the international arena. Even during the period when Georgia was a republic of the Soviet Union, the country’s wines were very popular within the communist bloc.
Including the wild vines, there are more than 500 varieties of grapes that are grown in Georgia, a level of diversity that has no match in the rest of the world. There are currently five major wine growing regions in the country, according to their viticulture zones and micro-zones: Kakheti (eastern Georgia), Kartli (mid-eastern of Georgia), Imereti (mid-western Georgia), Racha-Lechkhumi (Northern Georgia) and Black Sea Coastal Zone (western Georgia).
Wine Underground
Apart from its long history, what really sets Georgian wine apart from other wines is the unique winemaking methods and culture. In fact, many winemakers across the world are now becoming interested in the traditional winemaking methods of the country.
Traditional winemaking in Georgia involves the use of a handmade, egg-shaped clay vessel called a qvevri, which is used in the fermentation, storage and aging processes. After harvesting and pressing the grapes, the juice is put into a qvevri, which is buried undergroud with only its opening exposed, along with the skins and stalks and pips (Georgians call them chacha) for fermentation. During this stage the mixture is stirred several times a day.
Following the fermentation process, the qvevri is sealed and left there for five to six months to age. Some winemakers nowadays use a glass cover to seal the qvevri so that they can monitor the situation inside. During this stage, the chacha will sink to the bottom, slowly moving the liquid in the vessel. After this aging process is complete, the wine can be immediately consumed.
The quality of wine made in this way is influenced by the quality of the qvevri itself. Therefore, many wineries are very particular in the cleaning and maintenance of them. For example, some wineries do not use any chemicals in the cleaning process. Instead, they use herbal cleansers and water, with workers climbing into the vessels and scrubbing the inner surfaces. Sometimes winemakers also line the inner surface with beeswax.
This traditional qvevri winemaking method is getting attention from winemakers all over the world, with some qvevri makers in Georgia receiving requests from Italy, the Czech Republic and even the United States.
Unique Taste
While the Georgian wine industry is already modernized, there are still wineries, especially those family wineries, that continue to employ qvevri in the winemaking process.
Traditional Georgian qvevri wine can certainly be described as very natural and refreshing, because the winemakers avoid any unnecessary intervention during the process. However this also means that the quality of Georgian qvevri wines can sometimes be a bit inconsistent. This could even perhaps be considered as a special characteristic of Georgian wines, but regardless, there is no doubt that these wines are the made with the painstaking effort of the winemakers.
With most of us being unfamiliar with Georgian wines, it is indeed difficult to pick the first bottle. To start the journey of discovering Georgian wine, you can begin by looking for wines made with some popular grape varieties. For red wine, the Saperavi variety is a good choice. Being the most popular red variety in Georgia, Saperavi is grown in almost all wine regions around the country. It can produce some high-quality dry red wines that have a graceful aging quality. Some winemakers also use it in the production of sweet, semi-sweet and rosé wines.
And if you want to try some Georgian white wine, you can choose those made with Rkatsiteli. Like Saperavi, Rkatsiteli is grown throughout Georgia. Not only is this variety very resistant to cold climates, which is important for winemakers, the nice balance between sugar and acidity also means that Rkatsiteli is suitable for producing table wines, sparkling wines, sweet wines and fortified wines.
Other than red and white wines, Georgia is also famous for its pomace brandy Chacha, which is made with the chacha left over after the qvevri winemaking process. This strong distilled liquor is sometimes called vine vodka or Georgian vodka, with an alcohol content ranging from 40 percent up to 60 percent. Some Georgians even suggest that the beverage has medicinal properties.
Georgian wines are gaining momentum in the wine world, so they are definitely worth looking out for, especially for those who want to try something both new and old at the same time.
Chateau Mukhrani Rkatsiteli Dry White
A gentle wine, it has a straw colour with a greenish tinge. A Bouquet of golden plums and white mulberry elegantly blended with tropical overtones. Lively fresh taste, impressive mulberry and citrus fruits with a refreshing acidity. Soft and plentiful body.
Shumi Winery Bio Saperavi
Made of fully organic Saperavi grapes produced in full complicance with the requirements of the International Bio Standards, the wine has a deep ruby colour, full body and is rich in tannis, with a prominent carnation and tobacco nose.
