Georgian Wines Have Finally Arrived — amphora wine

Georgia has been deprived of developing its wine industry for the most of the 20th Century due to being part of the Soviet Union. After the collapse of the USSR it has revived and advanced its wine industry showcasing its ancient traditions and native grape varietals to the world. Today its a fast developing industry leading the country's economic growth and showcasing its millennial techniques on the international wine market.

Read more

Millions of people around the world love wines. It does feel good to pop open the cork after a long day at work. The good news is, when consumed in moderation, Saperavi wine can reward you with awesome health benefits. So, if you need a reason to raise your glass, here are seven!

Red Wine is Good for Your Heart:

With an ingredient list that includes flavonoids and other antioxidants, it's no wonder researchers have found that drinking red wine in moderation can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease by as much as 40%. From reducing inflammation to thinning blood, studies show that there are plenty of reasons to toast with this healthy libation.

Helps prevent Cancer:

As if we needed another reason to drink up! A recent study published have found a link between moderate consumption of alcohol like red wine and decreased mortality rates from breast cancer (and other types) in women. The research suggests that resveratrol, a compound found in red wine, may inhibit growth of cancer cells and their primary blood supply.

Keeps Your Kidneys Healthy:

A University of Michigan study found that the compounds in Saperavi wine can help keep kidneys healthy and slow down kidney failure that is caused by diabetes. Remember though, binge drinking won’t do any good.

Slows Down Memory Loss:

Another reason to raise your glass? A new study suggests that the chemicals present in red wine may have an effect on molecules that cause neurofibrillary tangles, or tau. Researchers also say it could reduce memory loss and protect against other types of dementia.

Keeps Your Teeth Healthy:

A study published by the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry suggests that the red wine and grape seed extracts will reduce the growth of bacteria in your mouth. This furthers helps minimise tooth cavities. However, after consuming your Saperavi wine, make sure to brush your teeth and get rid of those stains.

Stronger Bones & Tighter Skin:

Resveratrol has antioxidant properties, which may help fight off disease-causing free radicals that can damage cells, proteins and DNA - all mechanisms thought to be responsible for aging. This same substance may also protect against sun damage, which brings us to the next point.

Protects Your Skin from UV Damage:

Researchers have also found that resveratrol works to protect against sun damage, upping production of enzymes that fight harmful free radicals and regenerating cell structures damaged by them. Of course, you can't get these benefits unless you drink red wine in moderation. The key is to keep your daily intake at or below one glass, which provides about 200 milligrams of resveratrol. This is because the amount varies depending on the wine type and where it was grown.

So, do your research and purchase a premium quality, delicious Georgian Saperavi from a reputable supplier today!

Drinks are a lot of people’s way of socialising. Whether it be over beer or champagne, people love to talk over alcohol. What is important to check is whether or not you are drinking the best organic wine or the non-organic one.

Wines are commonly chosen as the drink for intimate occasions; friends meeting to talk about life, or lovers enjoying a date for the third time. What is not common is the knowledge that there are organic and non-organic wines.

What is a natural organic wine?

Organic produce is any produce that doesn't involve anything chemical during production. These chemicals include fertilisers, pesticides, and other artificial mixed agents. The best organic wine is essentially a wine product that is produced using organic ingredients. This doesn’t mean that the wine itself doesn’t have additives. There are a few additives that are essential in the production of wine such as animal enzymes and yeast. Natural organic wine can be vegan, but this is not always the case.

Pictured: Qvevri filled with crushed grape juice and skins, just before being sealed of for fermentation.

What are non-organic wines?

The polar opposite of the best organic wine or natural organic wine are non-organic wines. This means that non-organic wines are made using inorganic ingredients. Non-organic wines are more common than organic wines because vineyards usually utilise pesticides to keep their grapes healthy and without pests. Fungicides are also frequently used to ward off and kill invasive species.

Organic wines is a trend that is exponentially growing since the rise of the movement which pushes for an organic type of living. There are people who strongly believe in the effectiveness of organic ingredients. As a matter of fact, there has been a noted 34% increase in the exports of organic wine just in Australia. This means that more and more people buy organic wine for its believed benefits.

What are the benefits if we buy organic wine?

1. Has fewer sulphites

Additives are usually added to commercialised beverages to keep them fresh for as long as possible. That’s what sulphites do. Sulphites or sulphur dioxide are additives commonly found in wine drinks which keeps them fresh for very long. A limited amount of sulphites is harmless. However, people with asthma or someone who lacks the type of enzymes which break down sulphites will be gravely affected by the presence of sulfur oxide in the drink.

2. Contains less sugar

When you buy organic wine, your sugar intake will be less as most of the sweetness that you can taste from non-organic wines are from sugar. Sugar is an essential part of wine creation because the amount of sugar added will determine the alcohol content of the wine. A sweet wine is the result of excessive adding of sugar on top of naturally occurring sugar in grapes. This is a mistake that most novice winemakers make.

Nothing tells you more about the spirit and culture of a country than its native food and wine. And Georgia’s food and wine is amongst the best in the world. It may surprise you to know that Georgia has the oldest continuous unbroken tradition of wine making in the world, stretching back over 8,000 years and today, there are more than 500 indigenous grape varieties still cultivated here.

A quick look at its geographical position and its landscape shows you why it is the perfect place to grow grapes. Georgian cuisine offers a variety of dishes, with liberal use of various tasty herbs and spices. Each historical province of Georgia has its own distinct culinary tradition, such as Megrelian, Kakhetian, and Imeretian cuisines. And while meat plays an important part in Georgian cuisine, very close attention is also paid to the locally produced salads, vegetables, fruit and greens. Many people come to Georgia and marvel at the sweet tasting produce and wonder how such flavour can be grown here. Again, the secret is in our history, location and soil type.

Georgia is the Cradle of Wine – Many discoveries have left historians inno doubt that Georgia is the birthplace of wine. Ancient wine vessels made of clay, bronze and silver; gold cups for drinking wine; wine barrels dated to the 2nd or even 3rd millennium BC; and vine seeds found in the ancient tombs of the Bronze age all leave a continuous story of the history of Georgian wine. White grape varieties Today, over 500 varieties of grape grow in this small country and Georgian wines are well known for their unique properties and characteristics. The warm climate and moist air from the Black Sea provides perfect conditions to produce superb wine. The diverse landscape and numerous climate zones enable the production of far more varieties of grapes than virtually any other country in the world.

The main grape types include: White grapes: Rkatsiteli, Mtsvane Kakhuri, Khikhvi, Kisi, Kakhuri Mtsvane, Chinuri, Goruli Mtsvane, Tsolikouri, Tsitska, Krakhuna, Rachuli Tetra, Sakmiela, Avasirkhva. Red grapes: Saperavi, Tavkveri, Otskhanuri Sapere, Shavkapito, Alekhandrouli, Mujuretuli, Dzelshavi, Usakhelouri, Orbeluri Ojaleshi, Ojaleshi, Chkhaveri. The Rkatsiteli grape creates a robust white wine full of character, with many varieties and brands. The increasingly famous red Saperavi grapes provide powerful and fiery wines with an aroma of plums, spices and almonds. In the Kakheti region you will also discover the delicious naturally formed semi-sweet wines of Kindzmarauli and Akhasheni.

Wine Regions of Georgia – The history of  wine in the Kakheti region can be traced back to the sixth millennium BC. Wine has been produced using the unique and traditional style of Qvevri – clay pots submerged into the ground which are used to ferment and create delicious, unfiltered, organic wines. Driving through the region you cannot fail to be impressed with the number of vines and vineyards, but wine production is not only restricted to the Kakheti region. The famous semi-sweet wine of Khvanchkara is found up in the foothills of the high Caucasus in the beautiful Racha region. And you can add Shida Kartli, Kvemo Kartli, Imereti, Samegrelo, Guria, Samtskhe-Javakheti and Adjara; every region can surprise you with different tastes of their wines, colours and aromas.

Georgian Traditional Winemaking – Among red wines the barrique method of barrel fermentation and storage is now virtually standard practice. However the old Caucasian method of wine production is still widely practiced in Georgia, mostly in the eastern part of Georgia, particularly Kakheti in which grapes are placed in large, earthenware vessels called Qvevri, buried in the ground, sealed and left for several months to reach a natural and delicious maturity. An early type of Qvevri was found on Mount Khrami and is believed to date back to the 6th millennia BC and many qvevri from this and later periods have been found in both Eastern and Western Georgia. Despite similarities in their use, however, Western and Eastern Georgian i.e Colchian and Iberian Qvevri – called Churi in Western Georgia – differed from one another in terms of shape, manufacture, colour and decoration.

RTVELI – Wines from Georgia Tasting at The important and magical time of Rtveli or grape harvesting, is held in autumn, once the grain crops are gathered in and in every home there are baskets full of locally produced pomegranates, pears, apples and peaches. In the fine early mornings during Rtveli, the vineyards fill up with cheerful calls, the Rtveli merry songs. The grapes are harvested using a Godori – a large basket made of branches from a cherry tree. This is the time of year to prepare the famous and delicious Churchkhelas. You start to prepare it far in advance by stringing together as many walnuts as possible and placing them into Tatara, a mixture of grape juice and flour which is cooked in a pot. The walnuts are removed from the Tatara and dried, placed into the Tatara again and dried once more. The Churchkhelas are then ready.

Georgian Cuisine and the “Supra” – Original and very specific to the country, Georgian cuisine is the natural extension of a fertile, mineral-rich landscape fed by the pure waters of the Caucasus Mountains. The cuisine offers a variety of dishes, high in herbs and spices, and a mix of vegetarian and meat dishes: organic fresh meats like pork or lamb, chicken or fish, hazelnuts and walnuts,various sorts of cheese, pickles and pungent seasonings; eggplants, plums, corn, pomegranates, kidney beans, wild herbs, coriander, scallions, hot peppers, mint, basil, garlic and much, much more fill homes and restaurants all around the country every day. Sounds great, doesn’t it? We look forward to welcoming you to Georgia!