GEORGIAN WINE - DEEP DIVE into 8,000-Year-Old QVEVRI WINEMAKING
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- čas přidán 11. 11. 2023
- This video was supported by Wines of Georgia.
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The 100 Point Scoring System (from www.robertparker.com):
96-100: An extraordinary wine of profound and complex character displaying all the attributes expected of a classic wine of its variety. Wines of this caliber are worth a special effort to find, purchase and consume.
90 - 95: An outstanding wine of exceptional complexity and character. In short, these are terrific wines.
80 - 89: A barely above average to very good wine displaying various degrees of finesse and flavor as well as character with no noticeable flaws.
70 - 79: An average wine with little distinction except that it is soundly made. In essence, a straightforward, innocuous wine.
60 - 69: A below-average wine containing noticeable deficiencies, such as excessive acidity and/or tannin, an absence of flavor or possibly dirty aromas or flavors.
50 - 59: A wine deemed to be unacceptable.
8000 years ago, people harvested grapes where the country Georgia is located now. They brought them to their home and dropped them into a clay vessel to turn them into wine.
This happened for the first time long before the wheel was invented and today there are still winemakers who pick grapes and drop them into clay vessels to make wine in Georgia.
This is one of the things that I find fascinating about Georgia and that Is why I had to go back and take you with me - so let's go.
The country of Georgia is considered the cradle of wine - the oldest winemaking country in the world as archeologists have found winemaking artifacts there that date back to 6,000 BC.
Because of this long history, winemaking practices are in many places archaic with winemakers using amphoras - the so-called Qvevris to ferment and age their wines.
Traditionally white wines are fermented and aged on the skins which results in amber or orange wines - a wine style that has become popular again all around the world
Georgia therefore has become a destination for wine lovers but lets back up a little and talk about what makes the county special:
Georgia is part of the Caucasus region with the Black Sea to the west, and Russia and Turkey to the north and south.
In many ways, the country is a border country being on the border between Europe and Asia, the west and the east, between moderate and subtropic climate zones and this is a mix that really excites me. Georgians have managed to protect their rich culture and during my last visits traditional dances and singing were an important part of all events.
You know, as a stiff German it is surprising, to say the least, to see teenage boys and manly men dance proudly but in the Georgian culture this does not seem to be a contradiction - no, it seems to be considered cool, which is great…. As long as I don’t have to dance along.
Georgia is a developing country where most things we from the Western world are used to are available but at the same time it has a certain roughness that makes traveling there exciting. There are damaged roads, run-down areas, highway police chases, and a weirdly high number of missing car bumpers.
Talking about cars: I was surprised when I was picked up by a car at a hotel that I was staying at and found myself in the left front seat. They have right-hand traffic there, but I was told that sometimes they buy left-hand drive cars as they are cheaper.
One thing that I did not expect when I came to Georgia was the delicious food. Eastern European countries aren’t always well known for their cuisine but Georgian food is simple, diverse, and delicious. It is based on high-quality fresh ingredients and there is always a lot of it.
Georgian love to eat and I never left a table not feeling completely stuffed.
But now let's get to the wine. Due to the long history with fermented grape juice in the region, some linguists believe that the root of the word “wine, vino, Wein, vin” is the Kartvelian GHVINO - the Georgian word for wine.
You represented our country so well, thank you for that. I would also like to add that we Georgians have different technologies for making wine in Kvevri. We make wine with full skin, as well as partially on the skin and without skin, depending on which variety we are using. Also, by controlling the fermentation temperature, the amount of grapes in the qvevri, and the duration of contact with the skin, we can make a very light and fresh amber wine.
I would say different technologies in Georgian skin contact winemaking, will it be western Georgian, Kartli or Kakhetian have very little influence on intensity of color and tannins. if you take Tsolikouri from Zestaponi area and macerate on full skins for 3 years, you will still get a light, delightful wine and it will not resemble Kakhetian. none of those technics are deciding factor how intense wine is. intensity of color and tannins are decided in the vineyard. sure. just like in red wines, you can reduce extraction and make wine lighter than it suppose to be but opposite can not be done. you cant make Cabernet Sauvignon out of Pinot Noir but for sure you can make rose out of Cabernet Sauvignon.
My wife is Georgian, I am French, we have tasted a lot of these wines! :) Very unique experience I must say... Keep up the good work Konstantin!
I just came back from Georgia, loved it at 8000 Vintages! I found myself in love with european style wines, but made of local grape varieties, especially Saperavi. Interesting to see how Georgian and Moldovian wines are taking their place on the market :)
We do Georgian claypot/qvevri winemaking (many amber wines both with Georgian grapes as well as California grapes) in combination with Western European techniques (usually neutral oak) here in the oldest vineyards in California (some of our vines dating back to 1894). We also have a state of the art winery in Kakheti, Georgia and we love to introduce these age-old traditions to the world 💜 come visit Story Winery in Amador California!
I was in Georgia about 3 months ago, and the missing carbumper bit killed me, because it's so true😂
Really fell in love with the culture, its wines, and the people. In Tbilisi I've had some of my all time favorite food&wine pairings.
Really interesting! I myself would welcome more content like this, featuring the production of wine around the world, contextualised with a bit of local history etc.. I look forward to trying some Georgian wines. Nice one Konstantin! 🍷⭐👍
Georgian wines are quite unique. I enjoy the once I’ve tasted already, and I am really looking forward to taste some more.
Some of the grape varieties can’t compare to any other I’ve tasted, so it is quite funny to taste the diversity of wines from all around the world
Such a coincidence! I’ve been following the channel for over a year now and at the moment I’m in Georgia for 6 days and you upload a video about Georgian wine at the same time!!
Just for you!
I’ve been drinking wine weekly with my buddies to try and teach them about wine, and our favorites have always been Georgian! 🇬🇪
Excellent video, Konstantin. Georgia is such a fascinating wine making country.
It's really great that you did a video on Georgia! Saperavi is one of my favorite varieties and I loved their stuff since one of my work colleagues first introduced me to them after a trip there.
Btw, the 2006 embargo also applied to Moldova(who in Soviet times actually produced more than half of the Soviet wine) and while traumatic it definitely increased the quality a lot as other export markets cared much more about quality.
I think it would be nice if at some point you also do a video on wine from the Balkans. Bulgaria, Romania(+Moldova), Croatia(Primitivo's real homeland) all have 6000+ years of history making wine(so less than Georgia but more than Western Europe) but aren't very well known outside of their own markets. Romania for example is just under Germany among EU countries in total production but barely anything is exported.
Amazing video! Konstantin, please keep making videos like this, the ones that highlight your trips and experiences, from wine making regions or from wine expos! The quality is great and you covered the region very well yet to the point. Amazing job as always, thank you!
I haven’t tried Georgian wines, but this video is working some magic, will do…as soon as I can lay my hands on one
A bit funny that I just quite recently bought a few different qvevri wines to explore the Georgian wine tradition. They are currently awaiting the occasion when I will try them out with a few friends.
Had some nice and interesting saperavis from Georgia which I really liked. A very intersting country about which wines we don't know enough.
You should try Frederic Cossards Burgundy Qvevris wine - well made french wine in georgian style. Might be something for you :)
I love Georgian wines, though I have to import them via Sydney which makes them a bit expensive; in the last box were a couple of ambers and a rosé which was very interesting.
When I've been to Georgia I tried 7 different amber wines from the same producer - from 7 major local white grapes. Kisi is my favourite one.
Really thank you thank you thank many times and madloba for speaking about my country ❤ Georgia 🇬🇪❤️🍷😊
I have been DYING for this!!!! Keep up this amazing content.
Thank you for deepdiving into georgian wine making. Simply great!!! The oldest winemaking in the world and you bring it to us. Thank you so much. Hope for recommondations next. Hope there exists high level wine, or wine which is worthy to taste!
I have never tried Georgian wine (or food) however this makes me want to find out more. Great video 👍🏼
Great video and a fascinating deep dive into Georgia and Georgian wine. I tried 3 different Georgian wines at a wine expo and drank a Rkatsiteli/Mtsvane blend from Kakheti.
It wasn't an amber wine, but nonetheless a cool wine, with a blend of fruit, textural elements, herbal nuances, etc. My wife also enjoyed it and she isn't a full-on wine geek, so I think the more mainstream style Georgian wines have a wider appeal to a cross section of consumers.
Thanks for this amazing video! I spent over a month traveling in Georgia last year. Kakheti is stunningly beautiful. Their winemaking and enjoyment of wine in traditional meals are just lovely. Tbilvino! 8000 vintages! Dakishvili and Papari Valley were my favorite producers. Love Saperavi and Kisi
Thank you for sharing Konstantin! I`m myself kind of exploring the Georgian wines too. And yes they can be interesting in good meanings.
Georgian wines are consistently my favorites, I haven't found any country that does wine the way the Georgian do.
I was given a bottle by a friend from Siberia when I visited Russia. Love it! Wish they were more widely available in Asia (in Indonesia in particular)
Of course, we all heard of Georgia as the cradle of wine making. There must be still the biggest wine cellar in the world with an humangous amount of really old wines. How is the wine culture there? Is it deeply rooted in the community or is it just a means to make money? Do people drink daily wine with their meals? Your video really whetted my appetite to go there!
People were always into wine but my impression is that things are changing and the scene is becoming more modern
You should definitely come. The biggest cellar of old bottled wines that I know of is at the Tsinandali estate in Kakheti. They have bottles well over 100 years old, but they are more museum than active cellar. They now produce and store their wines elsewhere. And as for Georgian wine culture, there is a big difference between the capital Tbilisi and the provinces, which are more traditional. Wine in the provinces is really only served with a lot of good food, and most of it is homemade or bought from a friend, probably transported in a 5-10 liter plastic jug. You don’t sip wine at will, but you wait for the toastmaster (tamada) to make a toast, and then you drink deeply. My Georgian husband says that you should drink an odd number of toasts, so at least three, but more often 5, 7, 9... 😅
@@AmandainGeorgia Thanks Amanda for the information.
Absolutely beautiful country and delicious wines
I am writing from Telavi in Kakheti and appreciate your very accurate and enthusiastic review of Georgian wines! This is an exciting and cool country with so much to offer over and above the wine and food. The landscape and the culture are fascinating in this place on the edge of Europe in the Caucasus.
Thank you 🙏
I enjoy Georgian wines but maybe now I know a bit more about why that may be! Thank you.
Herr Baum, thank you very much for the education of Georgian wines. Per usual, your presentation was superb and unpretentious. Danke schön!
Long story short, my first batch of Georgian wines, which I bought in Berlin, in order to taste with my group of wine lovers in my country (there are no Georgian wines in Albania) were "confiscated" by the security control at Berlin Airport.
One dry white i have tasted was not good, so I can't wait for the next chance to try some rkatsiteli kvevri.
I loved my trip to Tbilisi! But almost all the wine we drank was home made. Every family has someone who makes their own wine. And you did not mention that every meal has many toasts and many glasses of wine. You did not spit it all out I hope!
Just attended a wine tasting event centered around georgian wines, and this video was great to have some foothold while diving in.
Personally I found it a bit difficult to get a good grasp some of the qvevri whites as some were either super muted on the nose or extremely floral.
It was really cool to see these different styles in winemaking.
Great video thank you! Andrew Beckham of Beckham Estate Vineyard here in the Willamette Valley (Oregon), produces amphora vessels which he makes excellent estate grown wines. In addition to Pinot Noir, he works with Jura varietals, Gamay and a dozen aromatic whites. Not Qvieri, but a cool project that might interest you and your subscribers
🥂
Hey Konstantin! I loved the video, it was very interesting. I have not tasted Georgian wine before, but I would certainly love to. I did taste some orange wines back home in Hungary. Btw, I would love a video like this about Hungarian wines. I hope you visit our country soon!
Saperavi is a Teinturier grape, like Alicante Bouchet. So the colour is not just from the skins.
I haven't tasted them but I want to. I'm really interested in getting my hands on one of those clay vessels to ferment with at home. If I could figure out exactly what kind of clay that is I could try and get a big block of it at pottery supply place my mum and sister go to all the time.
We got to visit a small family winery just north of Tbilisi in August. The warmth of hospitality and quality of wine made it a very memorable experience! We love Qvevri ambers especially. so unique!
Probably my favorite video so far! Thanks for taking us on this journey with you!
Thank you 🙏
I have had some of this Georgian Wine. I had it at a wine tasting in London many years ago.
Probably the closest to Roman wine we have today.
Super! I was born in Georgia, my motherland! Thanks for video
Super interesting video! I would love to go to Georgia someday. I have only tried a couple of Georgian wines so far (both Amber) but I found them complex and really interesting, and am looking forward to trying more now that they are becoming more accessible in the States!
Several years ago I randomly picked a bottle of Kakheti region Saperavi to try something new .... and it became my favorite wine. So now I'm always on the lookout for more Georgian wines whenever I go shopping for wine; I don't find many but I do find a few every so often!
I ordered some on the internet because i couldnt find it anywhere
Just had my first Georgian Qvevri vine (Kisi).
It was really enjoyable with a spicy poultry dish, with some richly flavoured vegetables.
And now I'm wondering if Hendrik Thoma is watching your channel for inspiration... 😉 Thanks to him, I have two more bottles to go.
I’m writing from Sighnaghi in Kakheti. I’ve been here for about 15 years. This is one of the best introduction videos to Georgian wine that I’ve seen, and I think I may have seen most of them if not all of them. But now I want your top 10 list for what you liked while you were here! 😊 Thanks for shining a light on some very ancient wine traditions.
I just bought a few bottles of georgian wine for christmas presents for my gf and step mom, i cant wait to try it
Thank you, Kote !
Have been watching your videos and was delightfully surprised to see this one.
A still so much underrated wine country which excites us every day we either have their wines in our glass or - even better- send some days there. Well done short format❤🎉
Great video!
Awesome video as always! Thank you Konstantin!
I lived in Russia for a while (in the before times) and had a primer on the spectacular world of Georgian wines. Although i wasn't much into the semi-sweet reds like Kindzmarauli, locals drank Georgian wines in all price ranges even after relations between the two countries... turned into vinegar.
Very interesting - thank you very much!!
Thank you so much for this video. It was really interesting!
Tolles Video, super interessant! Danke!
Great video. There is actually 8000 Vintages restaurant in Berlin that just opened not long ago, and they have around 200 different wine varieties from Georgia.
I've only tasted Saperavit and it was very delicious. It is very difficult to find those wines In Puerto Rico. Some bodegas and cellars have them but in limited quantities reserved for the wine elite. Non for the wine plebs like me.
I'll find one in the future.
Great video, well done getting there and then giving an informative and unbiased account!
Very interesting video! I tasted a few Georgian wines and I really liked most of them! I've even fallen in love with some of them like Pheasant's Tears' Khikhvi and Vellino's Saperavi!
Interesting and educational. Thank you!
talkin bout zaza, 10:41 looks like Konstantin packed the biggest bowl ever😂
So cool 😎 thank you for this 🍷
I really like when you do this kind of remote, when you kind of make a chronicle about the place . Cheers !
Its nice Mr Konstantin that you interested in Georgian wine culture ❤
But if you wanna chase and find more unique wine varieties you must visit west Georgia
Guria
Imereti
Adjara and Samegrelo
Very nice video and a good intro to the taste my first Georgian wine that I recently bought: Ethno Saperavi. The shop recommends the try the wine with food.
Great episode - it put Georgia on the to visit list😊
Thanks konstantin
Very nice video! Great you went there and have a lot of local footage. Seeing the buried qvevri is super cool! I have had amazing Georgian wines and a few I liked less, that were a bit too funky for me. As you mentioned they are sometimes pure magic with those heavy cream sauces. The fatness of the sauce mellowing the wines, especially the amber wines I find quite pungent sometimes, but they really come to life with those dishes. Now I'm really looking forward to get some new Georgian wines. cheers!
Technically its not Georgians who make wine differently but the rest of the world 😀Qvevri wine is addictive btw
Glad you finally show us the famous Leon! 😊
Wonderful video, I’ve never tasted Georgian wines but you certainly instilled a new curiosity in me; will definitely give them a try.
I have tried other orange wines, but wasn’t impressed to be honest - maybe I’ll need to revisit this as well.
Also, some very experienced producers in both Greece and Portugal have turned to amphoras for wine making, and I can’t wait to see what you’ll have to say about Santorini’s new wines from Paris Sigalas, probably the best winemaker on the island!
Awesome ❤!!!
Bravo for going off the beaten path!
Georgian wines and food are under appreciated gems for sure.
8000 Vintages has recently opened a restaurant in Berlin too.
Great video! I discovered Georgian wine through a Georgian restaurant in London. I had never seen orange wine, but it was delicious!
In returning to Toronto I found we didn’t have a vast selection, but the adjacent province of Quebec proved to to be more of a goldmine.
I have had some great orange wines and really enjoy the semi sweet red wines. Great value for money. And the history… !!
Man this looks fun
Awesome!!
It’s Beaujolais nouveau day! 🇫🇷 I bought 4 bottles, mixed case.
😊They invented the wheel to help transport the wine!😅
Very interesting. I plan on trying some Amber wines. Not many Georgians in Canada but looks like a great place to travel too.
Look up Abkhazi Garden in Victoria
I really LOVE qvevri wines! I by them, I drink them, I enjoy them 😋😋😋
I was allowed to drink Georgian white wine in a wine bar in Hamburg! It was delicious 👋
Have limited experience with Georgian wines. Many are off dry. The dry red ones have a raisiny, slight port like flavour. Want to try some of their elegant version is like and some of their dry whites.
I'd really like to travel to Georgia!
Hello and thx for a very interesting video. So, I suppose they focus on their orange wines or did you find nice red ones as well? I know very little about georgian vines.
Wow your pronunciation of ღვინო was perfect
We love Georgian wines! :) Great review but you didn't show us how you taste it
Yeah great wines in all of its varieties. I hosted a wine tasting with friends a couple of years ago with 14 Georgian wines, all qvevri. All of them were at least good and all of them are interesting. If you like wine you should try these.
Not just wine, but the bottle as well. It’s comes from Georgian ward “bote” 🤞🏼🇬🇪
Tolles Video! Welche Rebsorte aus der Pfalz wäre geeignet für diesen Herstellungsprozess?
I’d love to see you review some Georgian wines and give your honest opinions on them, just like you do for others. I drink Georgian wine regularly, but not sure how it compares to others.
Love Georgian amber wine! Would love to find more resources to help me better understand Georgian varietals the way I understand French ones.
My grandparents sent me a clay bottle of Georgian wine when for my high school graduation. With an explanation that it was Stalin's favorite wine. I think it was more of a gimmick bottle than a good product and since then I've had better iterations.
Can you do a video about how to enjoy wine without getting drunk? Like what's the limit for you to able to enjoy wine without having too much? Or in the course of a meal how to pair wine with food and quantity so you don't end up plastered by desert
I want to visit!
Love your channel. I have a bit of a request. My partner likes sweet wines and this is something I know very little about. They aren't really popular these days. I'd like to know more about sweet wines so I can find wines for us to drink together that both of us would like. Is it possible to have a video on sweet wines?
I made that video 6 months ago. It was titled ROTTEN SWEET Wine - Tasting BOTRYTIS WINES and there are some more sweet / fortified wines in other tastings I did.
Thank you Konstantin for covering Georgian wines, I have loved my visits to Tbilisi over the years, I have been fortunate enough to also visit Yerevan in Armenia a number of times, Turkish wines are also on the march. Perhaps you could visit the wine scene in Yerevan which is very exciting 👍
FYI - just published is great article on Armenia wine scene meiningers-international.xxm/wine/insights/armenia-viticulture-bulletproof-vest change xx to co
When wine can circulate in qvevri because of the circular interior, I wonder if it can do the same in barriques if they are stored vertically instead of horizontally?
It has something to do with the shape of the Qvevri - it being wide in the middle and very narrow at the ends. There is also movement in Barriques but not as much as far as I understand.