The other day, I went to Dediko, a wonderful Georgian restaurant in Vancouver, WA, and I got to try Georgian wine. What a treat. That led me to want to explore Georgian wine and share what I learned with you. Thanks to Wine.com, Club Enologique and Somm TV for their help with this article.
The Georgian wine we tried
The History of Georgian Wine
Georgia is one of the world’s oldest winemaking countries. The fertile valleys and protective slopes of the South Caucasus were home to grapevine cultivation and neolithic wine production for at least 8,000 years.
Frequently referred to as the ‘cradle of wine’, Georgia is soaked in winemaking history, with various artifacts such as stone presses dating back 8,000 years.
Georgia is committed to ancient winemaking techniques, namely the use of qvevris, or clay vessels for fermentation and storage of both its red and white wines. Qvevris are typically buried underground or set into the floor of a cellar to help regulate temperature.
Qvevris are at the heart of Georgian wine
Some people think of the use of qvevris as indicative of “natural wine,” which is gaining in popularity. Surprisingly, only 5% of Georgian wine is produced in qvevris. However, they were the driving force behind the renaissance of Georgian wine in the 21st century.
Popular Georgian Grapes
Saperavi is probably the most popular red grape. This is the wine we got to try at the Georgian restaurant we went to. The nose reminded me of Syrah, but the taste was completely different. Very dry, very intense. Pocket Wine describes the wine as having “Aromas of autumn berries, ripe dark fruits, cassis and spice, with some earthy and smoky notes,…followed by flavors of cherry, blackberry, blackcurrant and plum, together with hints of leather, licorice, chocolate, coffee and even tobacco.”
Kisi might be the most popular white grape. This is a crisp, bright, dry wine with a medium body and aromas reminiscent of flowers, citrus fruit, apples, pears, and peaches.
In Georgia, orange wine (also called amber wine) is also very popular and has been for millennia. The reason: the qvevris.
Popularity of Georgian Wine
Georgian wine is very popular largely because of Georgia’s role as the motherland of wine and because of the use of qvevris.
Have you tried Georgian wine? What did you think?