What is Tsarapi wine?
Amber qvevri wine on a slope of the Tsiv-Gombori.
Short answer
Tsarapi is a protected designation of origin for dry amber wine from Rkatsiteli, from the Tsarapi micro-zone inside the Kardenakhi micro-zone in the Gurjaani region of Kakheti. Registration number 978, date in the file: 11/05/2020. The specification sets at least 12% alcohol and extract of at least 24 g/l.
Why
- The base is Rkatsiteli, with up to 15% Kakhuri Mtsvane and/or Khikhvi together, and all other varieties are prohibited.
- The micro-zone is on a gentle slope (3–4 degrees) on the north-eastern side of the Tsiv-Gombori Range, on the right bank of the Alazani, at 350–550 m.
- It is made only in qvevri on whole clusters with the chacha, and the wine stays on the must until no earlier than 1 February after the vintage.
Details
The colour ranges from dark amber to tea-coloured, and the wine is full-bodied, energetic, extracted and velvety, with an intense aroma and fruit notes that develop with ageing. Apart from the 1 February rule, the specification sets no separate ageing period. More: Rkatsiteli, qvevri, amber wine in Georgia.
The applicant named in the document is Kardenakhi Wine, from the village of Kardenakhi. Processing and winemaking take place in Kakheti, and bottling is allowed elsewhere in Georgia.
Tip
Look for TSARAPI in Latin script and PDO on the label.
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
Tsarapi and Kardenakhi are the same wine.
What actually happens
No, they are separate designations: Tsarapi is a smaller micro-zone inside Kardenakhi with its own specification.
People also ask
- What is Tsarapi 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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What is the horn Georgians drink wine from called?
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?
On 11 November 2026 Georgia has 33 protected designations of origin (PDO) for wine.
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What is Bolnisi wine?
Bolnisi is a protected designation of origin for dry white, amber, red and rosé wines from the Bolnisi micro-zone in the south of Kvemo Kartli.