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There’s More to Georgia Than Rkatsiteli

 

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In Georgian white wine, Rkatsiteli reigns supreme. If you’ve had Georgian white (or amber) wine you’ve likely had this grape. Or maybe a Mtsvane. But, while the most common, these are not the only white grapes in Georgia’s winemaking arsenal.

While I do like Mtsvane wines, Rkatsiteli has never been my favorite. I tend to seek out wines from some of the less well-known grapes when I’m in Georgia. In particular I’ve long been a fan of Kisi. Because I do hunt them down, my last trip netted me wines made from not only the Kisi I like so well but also Tsitska, Tsolikouri, and Krakhuna.

Lagvinari Tsitska, 2015

After a life lived in multiple countries and professions, Dr. Eko Glonti found his way to winemaking and founded Lagvinari. From 2010 through 2015 he rented vineyards and bought grapes until he was able to purchase four hectares of his own in 2016. Now his winery in Kakheti overlooks the Alazani Valley. He farms organically and has dozens of qvevri for wine vinification and ageing. While he has his own Kakhetian vineyards now in Eastern Georgia, Tsitska is a western grape. It hails from Imareti and is becoming more popular for sparkling wine production thanks to its naturally high acidity.

The Lagvinari Tsitska fermented and aged in qvevri and was bottled both unfined and unfiltered.

Alcohol: 11% abv

Appearance: cloudy sunset orange

Nose: Medium intense orchard fruits of pear and quince with fresh, lemon zest nuances

Palate: Very dry with flavors of crunchy pear, red apple, quince, and dill. Medium-bodied with bright acidity and medium tannins.

Winery Khareba Tsitska, 2014

Another Tsitska, this one from Khareba. Located in the Kakheti region, Khareba opened its doors in 2004 and quickly became one of Georgia’s largest wineries producing 6 million bottles a year from 25 Georgian grapes and six international grapes.  The majority of the winery’s production is made in an international style (i.e. no skin contact for whites and aged in stainless steel or oak). And so was this Tsitska made. Khareba has a second wine facility in the country’s west near the Sviri village in Imareti.

Alcohol: 12% abv

Appearance: medium straw

Nose: Rich and fruity with pear, ripe citrus, and hints of banana along with floral and cream notes

Palate: Dry with bright acidity falling just short of mouthwatering. Palate flavors were more delicate and fresh than I would have expected from the nose showing crisp apple and pear blossom.

Khareba Monastery Qvevri Tsolikouri, 2014

For many of its more traditional Georgian wines, Khareba cooperates with the St. George nunnery which produced qvevri wines. Tbilisi’s airport has one of the largest wine shops I’ve ever seen in an airport. Unfortunately, if not surprisingly, most of the wines come from the larger wineries like Khareba, Badagoni, Tsinandali, etc. That’s where I found these.

In what seems to be a theme with all these non Rkatsiteli grapes, Tsolikouri hails from Imereti. The grape develops a high amount of sugar and can largely be found in a semi-sweet wine called Tvishi. This particular wine though was fermented dry.

Alcohol: 12% abv

Appearance: somewhat terrifying and intense orange

Nose: Apricot skins, flowers, orange peel, walnuts, and nutmeg pods

Palate: The palate displayed some of the floral and fruit detected on the nose but sadly lacked the same exuberance. Medium-bodied with soft tannins and acidity and a streak of orange bitters on the finish.

Khareba Monastery Qvevri Krakhuna, 2017

Like Tsolikouri above, Krakhuna is a sugar accumulating machine from Imereti. Unlike Tsolikouri though, Krakhuna manages to hang onto its acidity. The berries are think-skinned and when eaten (Krakhuna is also grown as a table grape) give that satisfying crunch some grapes do. In fact, “krakhuna” means “crispy” in the Imeritian dialect.

Alcohol: 12% abv

Appearance: bright amber

Nose: Delicate aromas of apricot, pear, and fruit blossom

Palate: Apple peel, crunchy apple, and flowers on the palate. Medium-bodied with medium low tannins and acidity and a perfumed finished.

Winiveria Kisi, 2016

Winiveria opened in 2005 in cooperation with the Chateau Mere hotel near Telavi, the capital of Kakheti. The winery makes a qvevri Kisi but I was able to find one from them not fermented/aged in qvevri or on the grape skins. Unlike the above grapes, Kisi comes from Kakheti in eastern Georgia. A late-budding variety, Kisi is relatively resistant to frost, drought and downy mildew and naturally produces a relatively small number of grapes per bunch.

Alcohol: 12.5%

Appearance: clean despite being unfiltered, straw

Nose: White flowers and fruit blossoms along with pear and citrus-both delicate and yet rich like a curd

Palate: No surprises or anything different on the palate than sensed on the nose but still really quite lovely. Medium-bodied, round,  and slightly oily but with lively acidity.