Georgian wine: tastings, varieties, producers

Since 2010, a Festival of young wine has been held in the Georgian capital.

This happens in early May. Large and small wine producers, home wineries participate in the festival. Only the best drinks are offered for tasting.

Wine is produced in many wineries, factories, and home wineries.

Among the largest manufacturers are:

• Kindzmarauli Corporation;
• Khareba Winery;
• joint-stock company "Telavsky Wine Cellar";
• "Tiflis Wine Cellar";
• GWS Company ("Georgian Wines & Spirits Company")
• JSC Tbilvino (Tvilbino, Tbilisi);
• wine company "House of Georgian Wine" (GWH).

Georgian wines differ from European ones, first of all, by fermentation conditions. European producers leave the juice in oak or metal barrels for fermentation. Remove the peel and seeds from the berries. Alcohol is sometimes added to the wort.

Georgian winemakers put the juice together with the pulp in kvevri — clay vessels that are buried in the ground. Yeast is not added, as there are necessary bacteria in the skin of grapes.

In Georgia, Kakhetian, Racha-Lechkhum and Imeretian methods of wine production are used. They differ in some nuances, which are told by sommeliers during the tasting.

No sugar is added to Georgian wine, only grapes. During fermentation, natural candying occurs.

There are 4 categories:

• canteens — slightly sour, without sugar;
• varietal — from berries of only one variety;
• vintage — aged from 2 years;
• collectible — from 3 to 20 years of exposure. Accordingly, collectibles are the most expensive.

Many gastronomic tours have been developed in Georgia, for one or several days. Mostly group tours depart from Tbilisi, Batumi and some major cities. But an excursion for a mini-group or for 1-2 people can be ordered in any city.

First of all, you need to choose the region where you would like to go.

Once you decide on the region, you need to pick up experienced guides. In the Madloba catalog we have collected information about all guides of the country, with rating distribution and customer reviews. Be sure to study the comments about their work before paying for the tour.

This way you will protect yourself from boring tours and will be able to fully enjoy Georgian wine at various tastings.

The most wine region of Georgia is Kakheti. From Tbilisi, you can go here for one or several days. There are a lot of group tours, they offer acquaintance with wineries and small wineries.

The best wines of Kakheti

The starting point of the wine tour is the Tbilisi Wine Museum. Here you will be told about the origin and development of Georgian winemaking.

From the museum you will go to get acquainted with the wine cellars of Kakheti.

Acquaintance with Sighnaghi — the city of love, in which the registry office works around the clock and there is no need to submit documents for marriage registration in advance. Lovers from different cities and even countries come here.

The tour program includes:

Getting to know the sights of the city and the surrounding area:

- house-museum of A. Chavchavadze;

- Bodbe Monastery, where the relics of the enlightener of Georgia — Saint Nino - rest;

- Niko Pirosmani Museum and others.

1. Visit wineries and wine tasting in Georgia.

Group tour to the most beautiful places where vineyards reign. You will learn all about local berry varieties and drinks made from them.

An excursion to the Kindzmarauli Corporation will introduce you to the Kakheti wine production technology. Of course, you will taste 4-5 varieties of the drink from the largest Georgian factory here.

A visit to a small farm will allow you to compare factory products with homemade wine. In addition, here you will be treated to traditional dishes of Georgian national cuisine.

Khareba Winery, Kvareli city

A wine cellar (tunnel) 7 km long is cut into the rocks. There are ideal natural conditions for storing and aging wine — the temperature is 12-14 all year round. European and Kakhetian technologies are in use.

Only 300 meters of the tunnel are open to guests. Tasting of 2 European varieties — 12 lari (285 rubles). Wine from kvevri — 15 lari (360 rubles)

"Telavi wine cellar", the city of Telavi

"Cellar" has been operating since 1915, has a rich history and traditions. Ancient Kakhetian technologies are used in combination with modern ones.

It is famous for its line of wines from the Talisman collection. According to an ancient legend, when going on a long journey, a Georgian took a jug of homemade wine with him. This kind of talisman brought good luck and protected from trouble. Now it is made from the best grapes harvested by hand.

They also produce dry and sweet: "Tsinandali", "Kindzmarauli" and others.

The wine tour of Imereti is surrounded by natural beauty: rivers, canyons, mountain valleys. The purpose of the trip is the Khvanchkara plant. 3 drinks are offered for tasting: white "Twishi", red "Khvanchkara" and "Usakhelauri".

Green Bazaar and wine cellars of Kutaisi

This is a walk in good company around the city and the Green Bazaar, a sample of delicious local products, a master class on making khachapuri.

In the wine cellar, the sommelier will tell you about the traditions of winemaking and offer to taste the wine.

Kutaisi, Satsnakhele wine bar

Here you can have a good time and taste the products of small wineries in Western Georgia.

Rose wine is produced in Adjara and Guria. You can try it by going on an excursion from Batumi.

Mountains and waterfalls of Adjara

The road along the mountain river will give amazing views. Tourists will see the waterfalls of Mercy and Mahuntseti, the bridge of Queen Tamar, the confluence of the Chorokhi and Adjaristskali rivers. And then — tasting at the Adjara wine house and a Georgian feast with traditional toasts.

Cheeses and wines of Georgia, excursion from Batumi

Another gastronomic highlight of Georgia, besides wine, is cheese. In one tour you will taste both.

The cheese sommelier will tell you about the cheeses aged in kvevri. Guests will taste 5 types of drinks — white, red and sparkling wine of natural carbonation.

Adjara Wine House winery, Khelvachauri, Adjaristskali village

In the tasting room, you can taste real Adjarian wine from the local Chhaveri grape variety — pink "Porto Franco". A bottle costs 50 lari (1,190 rubles).

The region produces wine from berry varieties Aladasturi, Goruli Mtsvane, Asuretuli Shavi, Chinuri. There are few vineyards here, but some rare varieties are grown. They make good sparkling drinks.

You can taste it in Mtskheta and the surrounding area.

In the ancient Georgian capital, not far from the Svetitskhoveli Temple, there is a wine cellar of Giorgi Grigolashvili. You will be offered to taste "Rkatsiteli" and "Saperavi". All drinks are aged in oak barrels for at least 10 years.

10 km from the city, in the village of Chardakhi, there is the farm of Yago Bitarashvili. They make organic white here — without preservatives and yeast.

In the city of Kaspi, it is worth visiting the Merebashvili family winery. Here guests are treated to a wonderful homemade drink.

Racha-Lechkhumi

Rare grape varieties Mujuretuli and Alexandrouli are cultivated in the region.

They form the basis of Khvanchkara red wine, which is produced at the Royal Khvanchkara factory (Ambrolauri, M. Kostava Street). It is also prepared at other factories, but the local is the best in Georgia.

Here they also make a rare white semi-sweet "Twishi".

In the village of Khvanchkara, you can look at the Didgori Winemaking winery. The Kipiani family produces Cabistoni wine.

In the Georgian capital, you can combine a city tour with a visit to wine places.

Getting to know the wine cellars of Tbilisi

Walk through the streets of the Old Town with tasting from major producers and private wineries. Sommeliers will introduce you to the history of viticulture and winemaking in Georgia. It will tell you how to find the "right" wine for you personally.

Wine, cheese and churchkhela

Walking tour and tasting at the bar. The hospitable host offers to try 7 types of wine drink, treats with cheese and churchkhela. The meeting place is Rustaveli metro station. The exact coordinates are reported after booking and partial payment.

Sirajkhana Wine Restaurant

Tastings of products from different regions of Georgia, master classes on cooking national cuisine are held here. Georgian cheese and bread are served with wine. There is a small gift shop.

A few more places for wine tasting in Tbilisi:

• Vino Underground bar. Address: G. Tabidze str., 15;
• Poliphonia restaurant, 23 Amagleba str.;
• Dadi Bar, 4 Shalva Dadiani Street;
• shop "800 vintages", Sulkhan Tsintsadze Street, 26;
• Wine Station Wine Station, 9 David Agmashenebeli Avenue.

The most famous tasting event in Batumi is the Marani Show.

It is held in the wine cellar "Marani" on Georgi Brtskinvale Street, house 24, which ranks first in Georgia for chacha.

The host and sommelier in one person will show the main processes of making a wine drink, teach you to distinguish the shades of taste of different varieties. The cost of tasting is 10-15 lari (≈ 240-360 rubles).

Bar and wine shop Wine Room Batumi on Ahmed Melashvili Street, 17/19.

Here they offer chacha, sparkling and organic wines. In addition, you can buy honey, cheese, churchkhela and other specialties.

Wine bar BQ on Zurab Gorgiladze Street, house 18.

The owner of the bar offers a choice of 6-7 varieties of the drink for tasting, tells about its production and cultivation of grapes.

In Georgia, I drink white wine more often, especially men. It's easier, you can drink a lot. This is important for Georgia, because traditional feasts last a long time, there are a lot of toasts. But women prefer red. It is believed that red wine increases blood pressure and hemoglobin levels. Both of them give preference to the home.

It is not necessary to choose a gastronomic souvenir based on its popularity or the number of awards. The most important thing is the taste. Tastings will help you decide.

But it is impossible to try all brands of the drink. The main thing is to know the grape varieties and branded producers.

But do not neglect the products of small private wineries and cellars.