The flavor of exotic spice in wine of Kakheti
Discover the of Kakheti wines revealing the of exotic spice flavor during the olphactive analysis (nose) and during the gustative analysis (mouth).
Kakheti is the most important wine region in Georgia in quantitative, qualitative and even historic terms. Almost three-quarters of the country's wine Grapes are grown here, on land that has been used for viticulture for thousands of years.
Kakheti is home to some of the oldest human habitations in the entire Caucasus region, and archaeological findings have suggested that wine has been produced here for several thousand years. The region's strong relationship with wine and Vine was captured in Georgia's famous hymn 'Thou Art a Vineyard', written in the 12th Century by King Demetrius I.
A historical Georgian province, Kakheti is not an official administrative province in the modern day. Viniculturally speaking, the area is unofficially divided into several sub-regions, and even a number of microregions. This creates a huge variety of mesoClimates for viticulture with an equally large variety of grape varieties found throughout. The most significant of these Center around the villages of Tsinandali, Telavi, Gurajaani, Kvareli, Sagarejo and Sighnahi, which dot the banks of the Alazani River as it flows from the Caucasus Mountains to the Mingecevir reservoir in western Azerbaijan.
Kakheti has a transient continental climate with mild to subtropical temperatures as well as arid conditionds to Ample rainfall for viticulture. Predominately, viticultural areas have an arid climate with rainfall conserved to the winter months. Interestingly, in the particularly humid areas of Shida Kakheti, irrigation is required due to the high level of evapotranspiration. The nutrient-poor soils here are something of a trademark for viticulture as their discovery saw the early Georgian vignerons (as far back as 6000 BC) stumble across near-perfect Terroir millennia before the concept of terroir was formalized and given a name.
Last year, Cláudio Martins and Pedro Antunes caused a stir in the Portuguese wine trade when they unveiled a €1,000 talha wine from Alentejo. It was the most expensive non-fortified wine to emerge from Portugal’s shores, retailing at almost double the price of Douro icon Casa Ferreirinha Barca Velha. That wine was named Jupiter. Now Martins and Antunes have followed it up with Uranus, a red produced in Moreira del Montsant in the Catalan region of Priorat. It comprises 85% Garnacha Negra Peluda, ...
While some people prefer to avoid restaurants altogether on Valentine’s Day, for others it’s the perfect excuse to enjoy a romantic evening out. For wine lovers, finding venues with a great selection of bottles is an added bonus. Whether you’re after prestige Bordeaux and classic vintages or interesting and quirky bottles from less well-known producers, the selection below gives you plenty of options. We also tell you what to expect from the wine list in each venue. From Michel ...
I first contributed to Decanter back in November 1988; the hundreds of columns and articles I’ve written since constitute a journey of discovery. I squirm, though, if I’m described as a ‘wine expert’. Whatever wine knowledge we acquire quickly cools, congeals and crusts over, like custard or gravy, as the years pass. The wine world expands at a clip. Every vintage rewrites history. It’s the chance to share discoveries – not just about wines, but about people, places and the act of drinking itsel ...