The 3 Most Common Questions About Georgian Wine Answered
You have questions about Georgian Wines and we have the answers
While wine from every corner of the world has its’ talking points and positive qualities, Georgian wines are unique for a variety of reasons. Boasting both red and white wines, the ten major growing regions in Georgia, while each unique, feature a long-standing tradition of fascinating wine-making processes. This long history of growing in the “Cradle of Wine” begins some 8,000 years ago.
What is a Qvevri?
Dating back to 6,000BCE, archaeologists have discovered evidence of wine-making in sites left by peoples of the South Caucasus. The evidence left behind by these peoples included tools which birthed wine making as we know it today; qvevris. A Qvevri is a specialized earthenware cask designed to ferment, store, and age wine which is still used by many modern Georgian wineries today. Qvevris vary in size and shape, but are typically egg-shaped and lack handles and hold volumes of up to 10,000 liters, but 800 liters of storage volume is typical.
Utilizing a qvevri for making wine can have similar effects on the final product much like that of the oak barrels used to age many western wines: Qvevris are generally lined with beeswax and are crafted using only the highest quality clays which introduce a unique minerality to the wines aged in the devices. Many wineries which use qvevris in their process elect to bury the casks underground in order to better control the temperature of the product as it ages and ferments, helping result in more uniform batches of wine.
By using a qvevri to house a fermenting wine, Georgian wines develop signature tannin presences as well. The unique clay housings provide not only an interesting story for each wine created within them, but provide many Georgian wines with their most signature minerality, tannin presence, and truly fantastic palate.
What Grapes are Used in Wines from Georgia?
Despite, or perhaps because of, a tumultuous past in maintaining native vinifera due to both natural and political factors, native Georgian grapes still put on a world-class showing. Boasting over 500 indigenous grape varieties, Georgian wine-makers have nearly limitless options when it comes to crafting the highest quality wines. The most well-known Georgian grape varieties include:
Reds:
- Saperavi
- Chkhaveri
- Ojaleshi
- Shavkapito
- Usakhelauri
Whites:
- Mtsvane Kakhuri
- Rkatsiteli
- Kisi
- Brola
- Tsolikouri
With the plethora of grape varieties available across the country, every vineyard has an opportunity to venture into a diverse range of wines. While Georgian reds are typically thought of as being on the fuller side of “medium-plus” in body with high tannins, some red varieties such as the above mentioned Ojaleshi produce a more sweet and less tannic wine. Similarly, Georgian whites are often described as bright, crisp, and fruity, but varieties such as the Tsolikouri are incredibly versatile and can produce both dry and semi-sweet wines. Further illustrating the range of flavor profiles available from Georgian vineyards, the Saperavi grape is known for being crafted into wines that are full-bodied and bold. Its deep red pigmentation and robust flavor profile create a unique and compelling character that wine connoisseurs around the globe appreciate.
One particularly unique grape grown throughout Georgia is the Mtsvane Kakhuri, sometimes referred to as just “Mtsvane”. This crisp, white wine-producing grape whose namesake is the Georgian word for “green”, yields generous amounts of fruit and, when aged with pips (grape seeds) in a qvevri, produces a fantastically green-hued wine with a strong fruit-forward nose and gentle but equally fruity palate.
Are There Any Unique Fermentation Styles in the Region?
The story behind both the qvevri and the wide array of grape varieties come together in Georgian winemaking. While red wines are always fermented with skin contact in order to yield their rich rust-to-garnet colors, most of the white wines crafted around the world are aged with virtually zero skin contact. This limits not only the color development of white wines, but also takes away from the potential for the development of new and exciting flavors.
Uniquely, when Georgian white wines are made traditionally the white wine grapes are pressed and fermented with their skins while in the qvevri. The time the grape juice spends in contact with the skins and pips introduces unique aging compounds into the wines. These truly distinctive white wines are referred to as “amber” wines thanks to their warm orange color. Amber wines can vary in flavor and complexity just like all other wines, but typically speaking, qvevri-aged amber wines tend to feature a higher degree of complexity, as well as increased minerality and tannins when compared to their non-skin-contact counterparts.
The wine-making history in Georgia runs deeper than anywhere else in the world. Eons of unique tradition have led to a culture of care for wine unlike any other region and the difference remains clear to all those who venture into Georgian wines. As some techniques translate into modern practices, wine will continue to grow more consistent from producers of all scales, but the confluence of experience, undeniably distinct varieties of vinifera, and the legendary qvevri will continue to set Georgian wines apart.
Silk Road Wines imports directly from Georgian winemakers allowing you the opportunity to experience wines like you never have before. For more information about us, our wines, and those who make them, please take a look at Our Story. With any questions for our team please contact us here.