kvevri — Food Stories

They get these massive clay pots called qvevri, and they bury them in the ground. Then they whack everything juice, skins, stems in there, seal it up with clay and let it all separate out. The wine is then drawn off the top very carefully using a special jug on a stick. They use a really old grape variety called Rkatsiteli which comes out freakin’ orange! Then there’s another one, which is red and called Saperavi. They’re both native to Georgia. The first time I tasted the orange wine, I was quite taken aback; that stuff is just totally unlike any wine I’ve ever tasted; kinda funky but, you know what? I got into it. By the end of that trip I think we were all a bit Georgian.

via kvevri — Food Stories.

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Georgia – where “natural” is a way of life

Georgia – where “natural” is a way of life13 April, 2012 EricaA country bursting with tradition. One foot in another time and the other firmly in the present – it was hardly worth raising an eyebrow when a spanking new Mercedes passed a donkey-drawn cart on the way to the same farmers market. Bordering on Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey, this small country is rebuilding itself after years under Soviet rule.

via – Two Sisters: Wine Tripping.

Natural wines | Wine Articles | People & Places | decanter.com

There are natural wine producers as far afield as the uS and New Zealand, as well as in lesser-known regions such as Slovenia, Georgia and Serbia. Paris, New York, San Francisco and Tokyo are mad about the movement and London is now close on their heels.Given current media hype, natural wine might seem like the new kid on the block and, in the sense of a movement gathering momentum, that’s true.Natural wines themselves, however, have existed since time immemorial. When wine was first made 8,000 years ago, it was not made using packets of yeasts, vitamins, enzymes, Mega Purple, reverse osmosis, cryoextraction or powdered tannins – some of the many additives and processes used in winemaking worldwide.The wines of these bygone days were natural: they were made from crushed grapes that fermented into wine.

via Natural wines | Wine Articles | People & Places | decanter.com.

2008 Pheasant’s Tears Rkatsiteli, Republic of Georgia – Vinography: A Wine Blog

For anyone who has yet to try an orange wine, this is as good a place to start as any, and the price is right. While not as complex as some of the efforts produced by Gravner and others, it is delicious and possesses all the wonderful qualities that led me to fall in love with orange wines the moment I had my first — exotic aromas, mysterious tannins, and wonderful abilities to complement food.You’ll have to be the judge as to whether it lives up to the winery’s namesake — the wine that was so good it could make a pheasant cry.Tasting Notes:Earning its local nickname as “fire wine” this bright, nearly neon orange glass smells of exotic flowers, candle wax, candied apricots and just a hint of tomato. In the mouth the wine has a wonderful creaminess that is offset by somewhat stiff tannins and bright acidity. That creaminess leans towards a waxiness as flavors of orange peel, fresh ripe apricots, and exotic spices swirl in a beautifully textured concerto. The finish is long and features that waxy quality along with floral notes and the grip of tannins. Excellent, and exotic. Will benefit from decanting. 12.5% alcohol.

via 2008 Pheasant's Tears Rkatsiteli, Republic of Georgia – Vinography: A Wine Blog.