Top 100 red wines of Georgia - Page 9
Discover the top 100 best red wines of Georgia as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the red wines that are popular of Georgia and the best vintages to taste in this region.
Georgia (the Eurasian nation, not the American state) is one of the oldest wine-producing countries in the world. The main wine varieties favored in Georgia are the red Saperavi and the white Rkatsiteli.
These are the classic varieties of the former Soviet republics, from Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan to Moldova">Moldova and Ukraine. A number of other long-established varieties are widely grown in the country.
Of these, red wine grapes are by far the most common, including Alexandrouli, Aladasturi, Keduretuli, Ojaleshi and Usakhelauri. Their white counterparts are led by Chinuri and Mtsvani, in the Goruli and Kakhuri variants.
The country is also strongly associated with the continuation of ancient winemaking techniques. This includes the use of clay vessels called qvevri (or kvevri) for Fermentation and storage.
Similar to ancient amphorae, they are buried in the ground outside, or built into the floor of a Cellar to ensure temperature Consistency. Winemakers in the United States, Australia and elsewhere have also begun importing and using them.
Archaeological evidence suggests that early wine production began 6,000 to 8,000 years ago in the Russia/kavkaz">Caucasus region. This region includes Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and eastern Turkey.
Cabernet Franc is one of the oldest red grape varieties in Bordeaux. The Libourne region is its terroir where it develops best. The terroirs of Saint-Emilion and Fronsac allow it to mature and develop its best range of aromas. It is also the majority in many blends. The very famous Château Cheval Blanc, for example, uses 60% Cabernet Franc. The wines produced with Cabernet Franc are medium in colour with fine tannins and subtle aromas of small red fruits and spices. When blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, it brings complexity and a bouquet of aromas to the wine. It produces fruity wines that can be drunk quite quickly, but whose great vintages can be kept for a long time. It is an earlier grape variety than Cabernet Sauvignon, which means that it is planted as far north as the Loire Valley. In Anjou, it is also used to make sweet rosé wines. Cabernet Franc is now used in some twenty countries in Europe and throughout the world.
red wines from the region of Georgia go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or pork such as recipes of simple baked roast beef, blanquette of lamb or veal saltimbocca.