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.
Native to Georgia, it has been known for a long time, especially in the Kartli(e) region in the central part of the country, where it is still grown. It has long been appreciated as a table grape. Chinuri can also be found in Germany, Azerbaijan, Russia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Romania, sometimes in China, and in France, where it is virtually unknown.
white wines from the region of Georgia go well with generally quite well with dishes of pork, rich fish (salmon, tuna etc) or spicy food such as recipes of sauerkraut of the sea in casserole, bacalhau com natas or chicken curry and onions.
