We are all familiar with the impressive images of the Greater Caucasus Range, where snow-capped peaks reach high into the heavens. Following their course eastward, one arrives in Kakheti, the largest and most famous of the nation’s four winegrowing regions, which some even call the Napa Valley of (formerly Soviet) Georgia. Here, mountains protect the region from cold northerly air masses, while warm and moist atmospheric currents flow out of the west from the Black Sea. In Kakheti, one also encounters the so-called ‘cinnamon-like’ soils – sandy-calcareous loam with a prominent iron content. Overall, 80 per cent of Georgia is mountainous; climate conditions range widely from high alpine to subtropical to desert-like. Of their approximately 525 indigenous grape varieties, some 45 are of major importance. Best-known are the white Rkatsiteli, Kakhuri Mtsvane and Kisi, as well as the red Saperavi.
Qvevri and Orange Wine
As early as eight thousand years ago, wine was being made in clay vessels in Georgia. The traditional aging process in these amphorae, known as qvevri, has survived throughout the millennia. It has inspired winemakers around the globe and triggered the orange- and natural wine boom of our time. Georgian winegrowers also benefited from this and began to further establish their wines – in a sense, the original version – on the international stage. As a crowning achievement, the ‘Qvevri method’ was declared an ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’ by UNESCO in 2013.
During VieVinum, the wineries of our special guest country, Georgia, can be found in the Rittersaal.
