Georgia

Georgia wine carries more than 8,000 years of unbroken tradition — grape seeds, stone presses, and wine vessels unearthed at Neolithic sites date back to 6000–5000 BCE. What makes it truly distinct is the ancient clay qvevri, buried underground for fermentation and ageing, a method inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2013. Start with Kakheti and you are already in the heart of the country's finest winemaking.

What is Georgia wine known for?

Georgia wine is defined by its ancient qvevri tradition, where wines ferment on their skins for up to six months, producing deeply flavoured, structured whites and reds unlike anything made elsewhere. Around 95% of Georgian wine is made from indigenous varieties, and the country has over 500 identifiable indigenous grape varieties and clones. This is genuinely one of the most distinctive wine cultures in the world.

What grapes grow in Georgia?

Rkatsiteli is Georgia's most widely planted white grape, delivering crisp acidity and apple-skin character, while Saperavi leads for reds with deep colour and structure. Kakheti also grows Mtsvane Kakhuri, Khikhvi, and Kisi for whites, and Kartli is home to Chinuri, Goruli Mtsvane, and the recently rediscovered Shavkapito. In the west, Tsolikouri and Krakhuna drive Imereti's whites, while Ojaleshi produces sweet ruby reds in Samegrelo.

Where do the best Georgia wines come from?

Kakheti, in the south-east, is the powerhouse — it holds almost 70% of Georgia's vineyards and produces around 80% of its wine, with appellations including Tsinandali, Mukuzani, Kindzmarauli, and Napareuli. Imereti is the second largest region, producing distinctive whites from Tsitska, Tsolikouri, and Krakhuna with its own skin-contact tradition using clay churi jars. Racha and Lechkhumi, though small, are celebrated for naturally semi-sweet reds from Aleksandrouli and Mujuretuli, including the prized Khvanchkara appellation.

Who is Georgia wine for?

The adventurous drinker will find no shortage of discovery here — rare indigenous varieties, amber-coloured qvevri whites, and semi-sweet reds that exist nowhere else. Value seekers get genuine character at accessible prices across Kakheti's broad range, while prestige buyers can seek out the limited-production Usakhelouri and Khvanchkara wines, where demand drives some of the highest grape prices in the country. Gift buyers will find the story alone sells the bottle.

Is Georgian amber wine the same as orange wine?

Georgian amber wine is the original — white grapes fermented on their skins in buried clay qvevri for up to six months, producing deeply coloured, tannic, structured wines long before the modern orange wine movement existed. In 2020 the OIV General Assembly formally adopted a definition for white wine with maceration, a category created specifically to recognise this style. So while amber and orange wine share a method, Georgian amber wine has an 8,000-year head start.