Georgia (Qvevri Wine)

Widely considered the oldest continuous wine-producing culture, with archaeological evidence of winemaking stretching back roughly 8,000 years. Its signature technique is fermenting and aging wine in qvevri — large egg-shaped clay vessels buried in the ground — often with extended skin contact even for white grapes, which is the historical origin of what's now marketed globally as "orange wine." Key native grapes include Saperavi (a deeply colored, high-acid red) and Rkatsiteli (a food-friendly white).

Profile

Saperavi: deeply colored, high-acid red. Rkatsiteli: food-friendly white, often skin-contact.

Notable Examples

Saperavi, Rkatsiteli.

One of the most distinctive, widely available entry points into this region's wine — Saperavi tastes like nothing from Bordeaux.