Press and Media Information for Silk Road Wines Importers of Traditional Georgian Wines

Georgia is a small country, about the size of West Virginia, which is nestled between the Black Sea and the Caucasus Mountain Range. It is bordered by Russia, Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

In 2015, scientists studying the history of agriculture uncovered ancient clay vessels dating back 8,000 years at an archeological dig in southeastern Georgia. The Neolithic-era site is a joint project of the Georgian National Museum and the University of Toronto.

Researchers analyzing the residue contained within the vessels—the remains of grapes and grape seeds—dated the material to 6000 BCE. This establishes ancient Georgia as the first known location of grape winemaking.

Georgian winemaking practices existed 3,000 years before the invention of writing and 5,000 years before the start of the Iron Age.

AlaZani // If you prefer a semi sweet red wine that is refreshing and light.

KindzMarauli // If you prefer a semi sweet wine that is deep and mysterious.

MaNavi // If you prefer a white wine that is crisp and complex.

SapeRavi // If you prefer a lively and textured red.

MukuZani // If you prefer the texture and heft of a bold and structured oaked red wine.

Our red wines are made using Saperavi grapes which are a unique Georgian varietal. Grapes have been cultivated in Georgia for over 8,000 years. While other red varieties only have pigment on the skin, the Saperavi berry has dark pink flesh inside the grape. This is a distinctive feature of the Saperavi grape.

Qvevri are Georgian egg-shaped clay vessels designed to be buried underground. The qvevri is Georgia’s most important and best-known winemaking vessel, and it remains the centerpiece of traditional winemaking in Georgia.

In the early 2000s, winemakers inspired by Georgian wine culture began to spread qvevri winemaking techniques along with a taste for Georgian-style amber wines. In 2013, UNESCO added the qvevri winemaking process to its List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Amber wine, also known as orange wine, is a color of wine produced by leaving the skins of white wine grapes to ferment with the juice instead of removing them. This style of winemaking produces a unique flavor as well as its striking color.

In general, amber wines are fuller-bodied than white wines. Amber wine tends to have a lot of tannins, which make the wine more bitter. Common tasting notes for amber wines include dried flowers or hay, stone fruits like apricot, and dried fruit.