What is Kardenakhi wine?
Amber Rkatsiteli wine from a Gurjaani micro-zone.
Short answer
Kardenakhi is a protected designation of origin for wine from the Kardenakhi micro-zone in the Gurjaani region of Kakheti, mainly dry amber wine made from Rkatsiteli. Registration number 795, date: 10/12/2007. The designation also covers a white fortified wine of at least 18% alcohol.
Why
- The designation is protected: the name may go on a label only if the National Wine Agency specification is followed.
- The grapes come from a micro-zone on the right bank of the Alazani, on the north-eastern slopes of the Tsiv-Gombori Range, at 350–750 m.
- The amber wine ferments in qvevri with the stems and stays on the must until 1 February of the following year.
Details
Under the specification, dry amber Kardenakhi ranges from dark amber to straw in colour, with at least 12% alcohol and no more than 4 g/l sugar. The main variety is Rkatsiteli, and up to 15% Kakhuri Mtsvane and Khikhvi from the same micro-zone is allowed. More on the grape: what is Rkatsiteli, on the method: what is a qvevri, on the style: amber wine in Georgia.
The second type in the specification is a white fortified wine: light golden to dark amber, at least 18% alcohol, no more than 10 g/l sugar, with grape spirit added to the fermenting must or juice. Grapes are processed and the wine is made in Kakheti, and bottling is allowed elsewhere in Georgia.
Tip
Look for KARDENAKHI and the protected designation mark (PDO) on the label: the specification requires it next to the name.
What may differ
The specification sets only limits: varieties, zone, minimum alcohol, maximum sugar. Wines from different producers differ within those limits, and the specification can be updated, so check the current version on wine.gov.ge.
Common misconception
Kardenakhi is the name of a grape.
What actually happens
No, it is the name of a place: the Kardenakhi micro-zone. The main variety in the specification is Rkatsiteli.
People also ask
- What is Kardenakhi wine?
Sources
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Georgian wine: Madloba articlesRelated questions
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What is amber wine in Georgia?
The Georgian Law on Vine and Wine divides wines by colour into white, amber, rosé and red.
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The drinking horn in Georgia is called a kantsi; it is made of animal horn, and the richer ones are decorated with gold and silver.
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How many Georgian wines have a protected designation of origin?
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