Wednesday, May 30, 2018

All About Georgian Wines


"We drink wine to share emotion."
--Giorgi Samanisvili, head of the National Wine Agency of Georgia

The country of Georgia may be the birthplace of wine, with archaeological evidence of wine making stretching back about 8,000 years. Georgia is located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, in the Southern Caucasus mountain range, which forms the northern border of the country. It is bordered on the west coast by the Black Sea, by Russia to the north and Turkey & Armenia to the south, with Azerbaijan to the south and east.

Wine is integral to the culture of Georgia and though it has a lengthy history of wine, its modern wine industry is relatively young, still recovering from when Stalin controlled the country and its wine industry. I'm enamored with Georgian wines, loving their ancient history, the diversity of their 500+ indigenous grapes, and their traditional wine making methods such as the use of the qvevri. My first review of a Georgian wine was ten years ago, back in 2008, when there was little press about their wines.

I've currently written 20 articles on Georgian wines and food, having reviewed about 100 of their wines. I guess that is indicative of my passion for these wines. I've also referenced Georgian wines, generally as a category, in numerous other articles on my blog. At the wine shop where I work, I've often recommended Georgian wines to the customers. In addition, I've presided at two presentations on Georgian wine, in New York City and Chicago.

To help bring more visibility to Georgian wines, I've compiled all of the links to my Georgian wine posts into this single article. This post will be a repository of those articles and I will update it when I write a new article about Georgian wines.

Khachapuri, Georgian Cheese Bread: From Flaming Pit To Jana Grill
2004 Shavnabada Mtsvane: Black Cloak, Amber Wine & Savoriness
Georgian Chacha: The Devil's Brandy
Rant: Boston Needs A Georgian Restaurant
Georgian Wine: All About Context (Part 2)
Georgian Wine: All About Context (Part 1)
Georgian Wine, Lefroy Brooks, Taps & Showerheads
Ten Reasons To Drink Georgian Wine
Ikalto Academy in Georgia: The Oldest Winemaking School
Boston Wine Expo: Wines of Georgia (Part 3)
Boston Wine Expo: Wines of Georgia (Part 2)
Boston Wine Expo: Wines of Georgia (Part 1)
Boston Wine Expo: Giorgi Samanisvili & Wines of Georgia
Drink More Georgian Wine! Some Recommendations
Georgian Toast: A Taste Of History
Boston Wine Expo: Georgian Toast
Boston Wine Expo: Khareba Winery From Georgia
Bagrationi 1882: Two Georgian Sparkling Wines
Boston Wine Expo: Wines of Georgia
2004 Pirosmani Kakkuri

"Wine is the Georgians’ poetry and their folklore, their religion and their daily bread."
--For the Love of Wine: My Odyssey through the World's Most Ancient Wine Culture by Alice Feiring

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