When it comes to wine, I love discovering new frontiers. And when it comes to going ‘off-road’ in the world of wine, few places offer so many exciting new adventures as Georgia.
In what seems like a very short period of time, this country has gone from being on the fringe of the wine world (known only to a few intrepid insiders) to attracting international interest. Georgian wines are now winning trophies at prestigious international wine competitions and feature on some of the best wine lists in Australia and the world. Buoyed by a resurgent interest in ancient winemaking techniques and heralded by many of the most influential champions in the natural wine movement, Georgian wine is now taking its rightful place on the global stage.
A land at the crossroads of two continents
Not to be confused with the US state of Georgia, Georgia the country is located in the Caucasus region at the intersection of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. Bordered by the Black Sea to the west and Russia to the north and east, it also shares a border with Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. This unique location on the Silk Road has shaped Georgia’s long history, with wine at the heart of its culture and civilisation from the very beginning.
The birthplace of wine
Winemaking tradition in Georgia has been continuous for an astounding 8,000 years, making the country a vinous treasure-trove for historians and archaeologists. Pruning knives, stone presses, and clay pottery dating as far back as 8,000 years ago have been excavated, helping to confirm Georgia as the oldest wine-producing region on Earth.
Indigenous varieties for new taste adventures
One of the most exciting aspects of Georgian wine is its sheer number of unique indigenous varieties. Current estimates account for at least 430, although only approximately 38 are currently in commercial production. If you’re trying to get your head around the key grape varieties, a quick overview of three of the most famous follows.
WHITE GRAPES
Rkatsiteli: This is Georgia’s most commercially important white grape variety, offering crisp acidity and notes of green apple, white peach, and quince. It’s very versatile and used for making sparkling, still, sweet, and even fortified wines.
Mtsvane: Also known as Mtsvani, this light-skinned grape means ‘green’ in the Georgian language. Winemakers often use the grape to make amber wines (full-skin-contact white wines) that can offer notes of ripe peach and dried apricot.
RED GRAPES
Saperavi: This high-acid, deeply coloured grape has high levels of tannins and can make both fruity and oak-aged styles with plenty of ageing potential. Saperavi is also a teinturier, a rare type of wine grape with red flesh.
Key regions to discover
If you’re just starting to discover Georgian wine, it’s helpful to have an overview of the key wine regions of this ancient land. Vines are grown across the country, but three-quarters of all Georgian wine is produced in the principal south-eastern region of Kakheti. An area littered with steep valleys, Kakheti has a semicontinental climate with some subtropical influences, producing grapes with high levels of ripeness. Other regions in Georgia include Imereti, Meskheti, Racha, Guria, Samegrelo, Leckhumi, Racha, and Kartli.
Diverse styles
One of the most exciting aspects of Georgian wine is the sheer diversity of styles Georgian winemakers are producing. The largest share of production is devoted to red wine, but approximately a quarter of all production is made into white. Orange wines – white wines made with significant skin contact – are also a big proportion of production, and rosé, sparkling, and sweet red styles are also produced.
Qvevri (what’s old is new again)
Qvevri wines are Georgia’s unique calling card. Part of an ancient winemaking practice that winemakers have resurrected in modern times, quevri are large clay vessels that look like giant amphorae that are buried in the ground in cellars called marani. Whole bunches and whole grapes are placed in the qvevri and left to ferment and clarify for weeks or even months. They are popular with organic and biodynamic producers who wish to make wines with minimal intervention. White grapes fermented in qvervi become ‘orange’ or amber wine, developing complex aromas and flavours of walnut skin, dried herbs, and orange peel. These wines in particular have captivated the wine world and helped put Georgia on the map.
Since its independence from the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, Georgia and its wine scene have been on a phenomenal journey of rebirth and renewal. If, like me, you have a taste for adventure, why not go ‘off-road’ and discover some of these wonderful wines for yourself? You will be richly rewarded.
- Andrea Pritzker
Master of Wine & Esteemed Critic
