“Georgia’s winemakers are the guardians of wine’s oldest traditions…”

-Andrew Jefford, Financial Times

Please join us in celebrating over 8,000 years of winemaking history, 530 varieties of grapes, and the continuing traditions of skin contact winemaking which are unique to Georgia.

Drawn to these headwaters of viticulture, The Wine Company long yearned to represent Georgian wines -those which combine the traditional varieties with age old methods. Such wines would have to reflect the quality and value we insist upon among our direct imports so we set to work. After much research and extensive tasting, Larry and Wil traveled across Georgia to explore in situ and meet with the very winegrowers themselves. There they encountered methods and passions unlike any in all their years in the wine trade.

In this ancient vineland, grapes are crushed, then fermented on their skins for several months in qvevri, ancient earthenware vessels buried beneath the ground. Such a duration on the skins foster wines unique to this corner of the world with textural tannins and a depth and dryness all their own. This also ensures a sound stability and appetizing structure unique to qvevri wines. The people of Georgia are the latest in a long line of vintners stretching back 8,000 vintages with ancient archaeology suggesting this heritage might be the deepest in the world. As it is now their birthright, they embrace these traditions as an integral part of who they are and what they offer wine lovers throughout the world.

Returning to Minnesota with a limited set of sterling wines, we could not be more excited about what we have in store. After combing the Caucasus Mountains, we are thrilled to offer such local varieties as the fragrant and mineral Mtsvane; the fulsome, restrained and refreshing Rkatsiteli; and the savory, dark and gutsy Saperavi.

Stay tuned as we highlight each producer in turn … and follow along online as we share our enthusiasm and ongoing education on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter with hashtag #WineCoGeorgia…

Print Friendly, PDF & Email