Georgian Wine Tasting was our chance to go back to the beginning of the world’s winemaking history.
The earliest archeological evidence suggests that wine was made in the Caucus Mountains area as far back as 8,000 years ago. Today, the region is split between four former Soviet Republics: Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.
Some researchers consider Georgia as the birthplace of wine, while others believe the first wine was made at the foothills of Ararat Mountain of Armenia.
Still, the Republic of Georgia has the longest uninterrupted winemaking tradition in the world. No one knows what the wine tasted like, what grapes it was made from, and whether it was red or white.
In any case, Georgian wine we would taste now hardly has the same organoleptic profile as wine made thousands of years ago. But one thing for sure, the ages-old traditional winemaking is alive and booming in Georgia. In particular, Georgia is famous for Qvevri wine.
Qvevri Wine
So what is Qvevri (Kvevri) anyway? Scholars believe that the word “qvevri” comes from “kveuri,” meaning “that which is buried” or “something dug deep in the ground.”
A Qvevri (also called a Churi in western Georgia) is a large, egg-shaped clay vessel with a narrow bottom and a wide mouth at the top. Though researchers think that the earliest Qvevri were stored above ground, Georgian winemakers have buried them all the way to the vessel’s rim for millennia.
So what’s the big deal about Qvevri? It was a groundbreaking, literally, innovation of its time. The two biggest enemies of wine are oxygen and temperature swings, which can compromise the winemaking process, storage, and longevity of the wine. As you can imagine, there were no fridges and wine bottles 8,000 years ago.
Qvevri helps solve both problems. The vessel is sealed by the clay top to prevent oxidation after it’s loaded with pressed grapes. The soil helps to dissipate heat generated during the fermentation process and keeps wine at a constant temperature year-round (between 50° and 60° F).
The downside to this process was that the wine would stay in contact with skins the entire time until it’s consumed or transferred to a smaller vessel for transportation. That’s why Qvervi white wines always had amber color and were notably tannic. So now you know who invented Orange wines. The red wines had intense colors and angular tannins.
Today Georgian winemakers combine traditional and modern winemaking methods to produce more balanced wines. Although many boutique producers follow the old ways to a tee. In both cases, the more intense color is the hallmark of both white and red Qvervi wine.
Georgian Grape Varieties
According to some estimates, Georgia is home to over 500 indigenous grape varieties, including some found nowhere else on earth. The vineyards are dominated by white grape varieties (75%). The Kakheti region is the primary winemaking area.
While there are close to 80 grape varieties planted in Kakheti, the two most prominent are Rkatsiteli (white) and Saperavi (red). We tasted wines made from these two and Goruli Mtsvane grapes.
Georgian Wine Tasting
We added a little twist to make the Georgian Wine Tasting even more exciting for our Wine Swinging Club members. We turned it into a blind tasting and picked four wines from other world regions to compare with seven Georgian wines. Yes! We tasted eleven wines altogether. Fun!
Tsinandali Marani 2018
Typically, Georgian wines are called by their names, with some exceptions. Tsinandali wines are called after the grapes grown and made in, just like in France. Tsinandali is a small region named after a village within Kakheti in eastern Georgia.
Marani Tsinandali 2018 is a blend of 80% Rkatsiteli with 20% of Mtsvane grapes. Marani is one of the larger producers in Georgian. Marani Tsinandali is a light-bodied wine with refreshing acidity, and flavors of apple, lemon, apricot, and minerality reminded us of Northern Italy whites. While it’s hardly complex, we were impressed by its floral honeysuckle and white rose notes.
In Marani Tsinandali, Rkatsiteli responsible for the structure, and Mtsvane adds aromas and acidity.
Rkatsiteli Terra Initia 2016
While Marani is a prominent Georgian producer, Terra Initia came from a boutique winery. We could tell that it was related to the first wine. After all, they are both made with Rkatsiteli, although Terra Initia is a 100% varietal wine.
Still, Terra Initia Rkatsiteli 2016 felt like a more substantial wine. The lemon-driven acidity was balanced by baked apple, pear, and, surprisingly, English cucumber. It tasted like apricot, nuts, and honeycomb. The wine had an underlying herbal note both on the palate and the nose.
Rkatsiteli Qvevri Marani 2017
One of the most exciting parts of our tasting was comparing wines made from the same grape made following traditional and modern winemaking techniques.
Marani Rkatsiteli Qvevri 2017 following Terra Initia Rkatsiteli offered a unique opportunity to taste how prolonged contact with skins affects the wine. The wine felt more substantial and creamy with notes of orange cream, hazelnut, and light to medium tannin.
Mtsvane Qvevri Marani 2017
We were surprised by some similarities between the two wines when we followed Rkatsiteli Qvevri with Marani Mtsvane Qvevri 2017. The maceration on the skins, in a way, united two wines made from different grapes.
While Mtsvane Qvevri had a dark orange color and orange cream and nutty notes like the previous wine, it had a distinct dry mango flavor. Yet, we felt that tannin was getting in the way of fruit. Possibly, because Mtsvane is a lighter and more neutral grape than Rkatsiteli.
Three Shades of Saperavi
All three red Georgian wines we tasted were made from the Saperavi grape. In a way, we tasted three different reincarnations of Saperavi wine.
Saperavi Dila-O 2018
Dila-O Saperavi 2018 is a dry red wine produced by a boutique producer following the modern winemaking technique. While previous wines had a mixed reaction from the wine club member, Dila-O was unanimously liked. When we tasted it, we recalled childhood and the taste of fresh Morello cherry and red currant. At the same, time we tasted jammy plum and prune compote. A rare occasion when red and dark berries come together that we primarily encountered tasting Italian wines.
Otshanuri Sapere Qvervi Amiran’s Cellars 2016
The following expression of the Saperavi grape was Otskhanuri Sapere 2016 – red Qvervi wine by Amiran’s Cellars of the Imereti region of Georgia.
Qvervi Saperavi was quite different from modern red. Otskhanuri Sapere comes across almost like Carmenere or Cabernet Sauvignon. It had marionberry and black plum aromas with grilled poblano peppers, sage, and eucalyptus notes. The black currant, black plum, and cured are followed by the assertive tannins on the palate.
The aftertaste is like rye bread and smoked plum. Like with Mtsvane Qvervi, we felt that tannins were overshadowing fruit a bit.
Still, we thought of it like some Italian wines that need food to shine. This one can benefit from pairing it with beef or lamb kebab.
Kindzmarauli Marani 2019
Kindzamarauli is the most famous Georgian wine. Like Tsinandali, it takes its name after the valley where the grapes come from than from the varietal.
The conditions in Kindzmarauli Valley are so unique that it’s listed heritage site by UNESCO. The wine is made from the same Saperavi grape as two previous wines, but it’s made in semi-sweet style. Like in some European wine regions, fermentation is stopped before the sugars in wine converted into alcohol, thus making it a low-alcohol semi-sweet wine.
The aromas reminded us a bit of Beaujolais Noveau with its bubble gum, dried bananas and mangos, cherry compote, and rose. On the palate, it’s off-dry with flavors of plum and Maraschino cherry complemented by licorice and fragrant tobacco.
It was another all-around favorite by club members. Despite being off-dry, it was a medium-bodied wine with enough acid to balance the sweetness.
Georgian Wine Aftertaste
Georgian wines are hard to find because the production is small, and most wine is consumed locally, sold to Russia and other former Soviet republics. The selection of producers in the United States is minimal.
Still, if you want to try something different and wine that is not made anywhere else, Georgia is a great choice.
The response from our club members was mixed with white wines that we tasted. 2019 Kubli Bench Amber by Troon (Oregon) was preferred over both white Qvervi wines, and 2019 Cortese Nostru Carricante (Sicily) won many over Tsinandali and Rkatsiteli.
On the other hand, red wines Dila-O Saperavi and Kindzmarauli Marani were loved by everyone.
It’s hard to say whether we tasted the best Georgia has to offer. We liked some wines, but we weren’t blown away by them. We think it’s best to travel to Georgia*, and we look forward to doing it in the future.
Buying Advice
Still, if you come across Georgian wine, it’s worth tasting. We would suggest buying from the respected wine store rather than International Food stores. The vast majority of wine we came across in those stores was a knock-off or “bottom-of-the-barrel” wine with rare exceptions.
What is your impression of Georgian wine if you tasted it? Can you recommend wines from other lesser-known countries and regions?
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