Hello, Feastlings.
We all know that wine has been made in the Old World far longer than it’s been made in the New World, but while the earliest evidence of viticulture in Europe is in Greece at around 4200 BCE, Georgia boasts 8000 years of continuous viticulture, so another 17 centuries before the earliest wine production in what we’ve chosen to call the Old World.
Georgian wines have a history of their own that predates barrels- wine was aged in qvevri, clay vessels lined with beeswax and buried in the ground, and with such prehistoric methods ingrained in the winemaking culture, the wines have a decidedly different style than we farther west are accustomed to. As such, not a whole lot of Georgian wine makes its way to the states at all, and when it does, it’s as much as a curiosity as a wine with its own merits. We recently got a taste of some newly imported Georgian wines, and we thought them very much gateway wines, that is, wines that make a perfect introduction to the appellation for people who’ve yet to experience them firsthand. And what’s more, we’ve brought in a couple of Georgian varietals produced outside of Georgia- you know, by Western producers whose styles make a little more sense to us Westerners.
The upshot is Georgia 101, a discussion and tasting of Georgian wines and of varietals whose bloodline is Georgian but who’ve made their way into other places. Chris leads a tasting of difficult-to-pronounce varietals and it’s sure to be educational, delicious and eye-opening. The tasting costs $20 plus tax and tip, the people are fun, and the occasion is festive. To make a reservation for the tasting, which takes place on Saturday, July 18th, simply give us a call at (520) 326-9363. We’d love to have you join us.
Georgia on my mind
You can see the pricing and the tasting order here.
2025 Dr Konstantin Frank Rkatsiteli, Finger Lakes AVA
2023 Teliani Vineyards Tsolikouri, Kakheti (Georgia)
2023 Campuget Saperavi, Vin de France
2024 Teliani Vineyards Saperavi, Kakheti (Georgia)