Encyclopedia: Georgia
Georgia's winemaking tradition, dating back 8000 years, remains shrouded in mystery, mainly due to its remote location—Georgia is bordered by Russia to the north, Turkey and Armenia to the south, and to the east, Azerbaijan and the Republic of Dagestan (Russia). Although the region, geography, and varietals are largely unfamiliar to us, the winemaking process has become ingrained in our DNA: we pick grapes, put their juice in pottery, seal it, store it in a cool place (e.g., bury it in the ground), and wait. Of course, there's more to it than that, but the local process has not changed much since the people of the South Caucasus Mountains started making wine in clay jars some time around 6000 BC.
Modern Georgians produce surprisingly accessible yet traditional amphora wines in the regions of Kakheti (including sub-regions Telavi and Kvareli), Kartli, Imereti, Racha-Lechkhumi & Kvemo Svaneti, and Adjara, using approximately 40 grape varieties out of hundreds still unknown in the West. The most common varieties in the United States are Rkatsiteli (ir-kah-tsee-telee) for white and skin-contact wines and Saperavi for red wines at various sugar levels. Whenever you get a chance, go ahead and try some Georgian wine/ghvino/ღვინო. It is the blueprint for everything we know about vino.
