WHAT YOU MISSED AT OUR GEORGIAN TASTING
Earlier this month I hosted a tasting featuring wines made in the country of Georgia. It had modest attendance numbers but something I heard from a majority of those who came to the event was how much they enjoyed trying wines they had never heard of or wouldn’t have tried on their own. And that was exactly what I was looking to hear from people! To me our tastings allow our customers the experience of trying wines out of their comfort zone without dedicating themselves to a full bottle, it’s an allowance to be adventurous without the risk. And customers also get to learn a little something.
The main facts I wanted to give to our customers the night of the tasting was how grape growing and wine making started in the region that is now Georgia. How for thousands of years the people of this region have been making their own wine, how almost every house has a clay pot (amphora/qvevri) buried outside in the yard or in the center of their house where they make and age their wine. And how most Georgian wine producers (and all the ones we poured that night) never stopped making their wine in the natural way. Minus a time where mass production was forced on the country during Russian control, Georgian wine makers have always been natural producers. How Georgians aren’t just saying “Wine is life” to be cute, it is a fact. For those of you who came to the tasting, thanks for spending the night with us. For those who did not, here were the highlight wines of the evening.
2021 Shavi K’Ravi Tsolikouri, Rokhi, Georgia. $25.99 per bottle
This wine is grown, harvested, vinified and bottled by the Kvirikashvili Family and is made with both Tsolikouri green and yellow. While this wine is soft, it has all the characteristics of a skin-contact white wine. Notes of yellow pear and white flowers with light hints of VA. The wine has a touch of tannins bringing texture.
2021 Gaioz Sopromadze Wine Cellar 6X Types, Georgia. $30.99 per bottle
A blend of 6 grapes (Tsolikouri Mtsvane, Tsolikouri Melqo, Tsiska Yellow, Tsiska Green, Krakhuna Green and Krakhuna Yellow). Green pear and peaches give an interesting contrast in flavor, the pear is crisp and dry, the peaches rich and fruity. Mid-palate tannins dry up the profile and lead to orange blossom and hints of lemon peel.
2021 Sahvi K’Ravi Saperavi Budeshuri, Akhmeta, Georgia. $23.99 per bottle
Budeshuri is a clone grape of Saperavi, all the grapes for this wine come from a single vineyard. Rich black fruit, figs, plums and raisins coat the palate. There is a light dry vegetal note that leads into the tannins the wine has. Just a touch of coco on the finish as well.
2020 Papari Valley Qvevri 11, Kakheti, Georgia. $25.99 per bottle
Made with 100% Saperavi, this wine was fermented with skins and stems for 1 month and then aged 8 months in Qvevri #11. The first thing you notice about this wine is its mouthfeel. Big and rich, ripe strawberries, bold blackberries with notes of black tea. While there is bold rich fruit that makes the wine juicy, it also stays dry on the palate.