Georgian homemade wine: try and fall in love

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Sunny Georgia… A country where juicy bunches of grapes ripen under the gentle rustle of sea waves. It seems that winemaking in this country has been practiced since the time of Adam, so everything here is saturated with love and respect for this noble drink.

It's no wonder that in every village hospitable highlanders will offer guests homemade Georgian wine made using technology that is many hundreds of years old.

Wine regions of Georgia

On the territory of Kakheti, in the fertile Alazani Valley and on the slopes of the majestic Caucasus Mountains, most of the country's vineyards are concentrated. Locals claim that wine has been made here for more than 8,000 years. And, if you listen to reviews about Georgian homemade wine, it’s easy to believe this date: the wine here is really amazing!

The unique climate allows Saperavi, Mtsvane Kakhuri and Rkatsiteli grapes to ripen. The best vineyards are planted on high400-700 meters above sea level. It is here, on carbonate soils with an abundance of humus, that surprisingly juicy, sunny grapes ripen.

In the special wine-growing region of Kartli, on the banks of the Kura River and its tributaries, craftsmen grow unique grape varieties. As a result, the native wines of this region have their complex character and surprisingly rich taste.

The Racha-Lechkhumi region is also famous for its rare varieties, characterized by high sugar content and unusual fruit acidity. The production of natural semi-sweet wine, known far beyond the borders of Georgia, is developed here.

Technology Features

The process of producing homemade Georgian wine is quite different from the recognized European technology. The differences begin already with the grape harvest: in Georgia, for a juicy drink, grapes are crushed together with seeds and twigs, while in world winemaking only berries are used.

Each region of Georgia has its own wine production technologies:

• In Kakheti, the wine mass with twigs and leaves is left to ferment for 3-4 months, and only then the resulting juice is filtered. This gives Kakhetian wines a more tart, rich taste.
• In Imereti, grapes are crushed together with branches, then the branches are removed, and the resulting raw material is left for fermentation. Drinks from this region are famous for their smooth, fruity taste with a special acidity.
• Many winemakers practice a unique way of obtaining natural red homemade Georgian wines. The fermentation process of raw materialsfrom grapes with high sugar content are not brought to the end, this allows you to save natural sugar in the drink. Moreover, fermentation is stopped not by the addition of alcohol, but by strong cooling of the raw material, to 0 degrees and sometimes lower. The result is a he althy and incredibly tasty homemade wine.

Wine aging

In small local wineries, an old custom has been preserved when huge ceramic jugs are used to age wine. The aging of wine in them occurs with the natural maintenance of the required temperature. Of course, in modern productions, steel containers or wooden barrels are used (for expensive varieties of wine), but this affects the taste.

To make homemade Georgian wine, you need molded jugs about the height of a person. They are dug into the ground, leaving only the neck outside, through which the grapes are poured. Then it is crushed and left to ferment, closing the neck with a lid. Fermentation lasts about a month, at which time the raw materials need to be mixed occasionally.

Then the winemakers remove all the pulp that has floated to the top and tightly seal the jug. Throughout the winter, the process of passive fermentation of grapes will go on in it, and already in early spring you can taste real homemade Georgian wine: open the lid, scoop up a jug and enjoy the tart taste and fruity aroma!

White wines

Georgian wines made from white grapes are known far beyond the borders of the country. They are richamber color, complex bouquet and delicate fruity aftertaste.

Many small wineries make homemade wine from local grapes, but the taste of the drink is different for each master. Probably, this is precisely the pleasure of the taste of Georgian homemade wine, because it is never the same.

For most residents who make wine at home, their product is a matter of sincere pride, the master literally puts a piece of his soul into his drink. Of course, such wines are far from the uniform standards accepted in the world, but young wine from local grape varieties is not inferior to drinks made in factories.

Red wines

A juicy rich drink made from Saperavi and Alexandrouli grapes, with hints of dogwood and ripe blackberries, this wine goes well with spicy meats and ripe fruits. And from the famous Kindzmarauli grape variety, they make the homemade red semi-sweet wine of the same name. Georgian recipes for drinks made from grapes are striking in their simplicity, however, in many villages, masters create wines with an amazing bouquet and aroma with their own hands.

Georgia's red grape varieties do not have a high sugar content, so dry red wine prevails here, although some winemakers successfully make semi-sweet varieties as well.

Where to look for Georgian wines?

To get real pleasure, it is better to taste wine in Georgia, and not to stop for tasting in one region, butspend some time traveling and tasting amazing local wines. Here in each region you can find a unique wine, which will be served with meat in a small restaurant.

And if it is not possible to visit Georgia, you can try wines from the "Georgian Home Wine" line in an antique-styled brown bottle.

Such tart and rich wines, after tasting which, traces of pigment remain on the lips and tongue for a long time! It seems that the wines of Georgia are saturated with the sun and created to give joy and pleasure. Maybe wine is one of the reasons why there are so many centenarians in Georgia.