EXPLORE THE WORLD OF GEORGIAN WINE
Join us on September 8th as we try wines from the Country of Georgia, widely considered “The Cradle of Wine Civilization”. While many proud citizens of countries like France and Italy will say things like “Wine is part of our life”, people in Georgia say, “Wine is our blood”. I recently went to a Georgian wine event and heard two very interesting factoids from Owner and Winemaker Iago Bitarishuili. First, he said that every person who owns property in Georgia has their own vines and their own amphora vat to make wine in. It is actually an insult to bring wine to a person’s house as a gift. It implies that their wine isn’t good enough to be enjoyed. The second thing Iago said that really stuck with me was that during the centuries of wars that Georgia has been part of or in the middle of, soldiers going to battle would take a cutting from their family’s vines and wear them. That way, if they were to sadly meet their end, their bodies could be used to give life to the vine. So yea, Georgians saying “Wine is our blood” isn’t just a cute phrase.
Besides the vast history of Georgia and their winemaking, there is also an amazing contrast in the climates inside the country. In an area just bigger than West Virginia, there are 3 micro-climates inside of Georgia. You have the cool coastal, subtropical climate of the West, the moderate continental climate of the East and the warm dry, desert like climate of the South. And grapes are grown in all three regions, White wine, Orange wine, Red wine and Sparkling wine, you get a little bit of everything in Georgia. Can you imagine how different the same grape can taste if it is grown in the subtropical climate compared to a desert climate? Well you can find out for yourself on September 8th. Some wines we’ll be pouring the night of the event are listed below.
Ori Marani "Definitely Maybe" Sparkling White Wine $28.99 per bottle
Baia's Wine 2021 Tsitska-Tsolikouri Dry White Wine $27.99 per bottle
Gaioz Sopromadze "6 x Type" 2021 Orange Wine $30.99 per bottle
Gaioz Sopromadze 2021 Tsolikouri Melqo-Bazaleti Dry White Wine $30.99 per bottle