13 Aug 2024
This week I’m venturing into the less well-known area of Georgian wines, a small country located between Russia and Turkey.
I must give full credit to Penny Edwards at Cellar Door Wines for educating me on the indigenous grape varieties following her recent trip to Georgia.
She said: “The trip was a fascinating insight into Georgia and its long winemaking heritage.“We took a deep dive into their Qvevri winemaking tradition that dates back millennia and is recognised by UNESCO for intangible cultural heritage.
“We also looked at many wines made using modern wine making techniques, visiting several producers of different sizes, age and scale of production.
“Georgian wine, gastronomy and tourism are increasingly worth talking about, but there are many parts undiscovered, and even misunderstood, perhaps the reason why us wine trade folk were invited to come and uncover the hidden gems of this historic wine producing country,” she added.
The wines this week focus on tradition and two of the indigenous grape varieties of Georgia – their flagship red grape variety, Saperavi and the white grape, Kisi.
Iveriuli Saperavi Dry Red 2021 (£14.25 from Cellar Door Wines)
George Margvelashvili is the founder at Tbilvino Wines, known for combining traditional Georgian winemaking methods with modern techniques to create high-quality wines like this one. Established 60 years ago, and over this period they have taken it from being almost dormant to become one of Georgia’s pioneering producers.
Penny tells me: “Saperavi is tipped to be the ‘new Malbec’ by a few well known wine critics.”
The Iveriuli Dry Red 2021 is made from the Saperavi grape, which is known for its deep colour and robust tannin structure. It features notes of ripe red cherry and mulberry, with layers of vanilla from oak aging. With wonderfully rounded tannins and a long finish, there’s a lovely balance of fruit and oak influences, making it a versatile wine suitable for various occasion a and goes well with grilled meats and stews, making it a perfect match for dishes like khinkali (spiced meat dumplings) and mtsvadi (grilled meat skewers).
Tiko Estate Orange Kisi 2021 (£23.95 from Cellar Door Wines)
Tiko Estate stands as a testament to family heritage, steered by the Chychynadze siblings, Levan and Georgi. Esteemed for their devotion to Georgian winemaking traditions, their wines are a celebration of history and taste.
Central to their craft is the Qvevri, an emblematic earthenware vessel, integral to the fermentation, storage, and maturation of their wines. This venerable technique, synonymous with the creation of authentic orange wine, is conducted within these clay jars, honouring a practice so revered that UNESCO has acknowledged it as a significant cultural tradition.
The Orange Kisi 2021 is made from 100% Kisi grapes, a white grape variety indigenous to Georgia. The grapes are partially fermented with whole bunches to maintain freshness and then the wine is aged on skins for six months in Qvevri.
It’s concentrated, complex, and aromatic, with a powerful tannin structure. On the nose you have a mix of Kumquat, sun-dried apricot, and marzipan, and then dried peach, zesty, candied orange peel. Orange wine is not made of oranges, but you definitely get those notes in this wine. Given its richness this wine is perfect for enhancing dishes with herbs and spices.
There’s so much more to explore when it comes to Georgian wines, and you can find out more by visiting Cellar Door Wines, exploring Penny’s blog on her website, or listening back to her recent interview on Mix 92.6 Radio.
