What is Tsinandali wine?
Dry white Kakheti wine with a protected place name.
Short answer
Tsinandali is a dry white wine from Rkatsiteli and Kakhuri Mtsvane with a protected appellation of origin from a micro-zone in Telavi Municipality, Kakheti. The name was registered in Georgia on 30 August 2005. The appellation rules also cover a dry red wine from Saperavi.
Why
- The white is made from Rkatsiteli (at least 85%) and Kakhuri Mtsvane (at most 15%), with no other varieties.
- The red under the appellation rules is made only from Saperavi.
- Grapes must grow in the Tsinandali micro-zone on the right bank of the Alazani.
Details
Grapes come from the Tsinandali micro-zone, while processing and winemaking may take place there or elsewhere in the Kakheti viticulture area. Minimum sugar at harvest is 19%, actual alcohol is at least 11%, total alcohol at most 15% and residual sugar at most 4 g/l. Ageing is optional, and if the wine is aged, it spends at least 6 months in wooden barrels. It is sold only in bottles. The white is light straw in colour, with notes of meadow flowers, fruit and citrus.
For the region see where Kakheti is and what to see there, and for gift ideas see the best Georgian wines to bring home.
Tip
If you want the red, check the variety on the label: under the Tsinandali name the appellation rules allow both white and red.
What may differ
Individual producers make wine in their own style within the appellation rules. The rules themselves can be updated, so check the current version with the National Wine Agency of Georgia.
Common misconception
Tsinandali is only ever white.
What actually happens
The appellation includes two wines: a dry white and a dry red from Saperavi.
People also ask
- What is Tsinandali wine?
Sources
This answer is for reference: it describes the appellation rules, not the taste of a particular bottle. Rules can be updated, so check official websites.
Georgian wine: Madloba articlesRelated questions
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