Sip History: Georgian Wines Now Available at the Food Co-op
by James Robinson, Your Co-op Sommelier
Qvevri photo courtesy of Georgia Travel
Mention Georgia to any wine lover and the word immediately conjures up images of egg-shaped qvevri, high mountains, wild vineyards and wild wines – wines rich with flavor, authenticity and history – and stories of wines that are notoriously difficult to find and grapes nearly impossible to pronounce.
For the uninitiated, this is not the Georgia of our deep south. This is Georgia, the former Soviet Republic of Georgia, tucked deep in the Caucasus and nestled at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe. With more than 500 indigenous grape varieties and unique wine making techniques, this is the Georgia that researchers and wine geeks alike consider the ‘cradle of wine.’
Archaeologists working in the Caucasus have traced the first known wine creation back to 6,000BC. Research has shown that these ancient Georgians discovered grape juice could be turned into wine by burying it underground in terracotta qvevris for the winter – some for as long as 50 years. The mind-blowing thing about contemporary Georgian wine is that many of these ancient methods remain largely unchanged today.
Photos courtesy of Verity Wines
With underground storage in beeswax-lined, egg-shaped vessels, extended macerations, wild varietals, wild native yeasts and tiny, family-run vineyards, Georgia is also the seminal home of the natural wine movement, and the wine world has taken notice.
Nevertheless, and despite the authenticity and overall quality of the wines, the Soviet era nearly crushed Georgian wine production. Initially, Russians enjoyed Georgian wines. They recognized the quality, and understood Georgian wines were far superior to most wines available to them at the time. Grape cultivation and wine production increased under the national enthusiasm. But then came Gorbachev. In the 1980s, Gorbachev launched his anti-alcohol campaign and Georgian viticulture withered – literally – and Georgian wine all but vanished from the market.
But since then, much has changed. With the fall of the Soviet Union and consumers seeking authentic gastronomic experiences and paying ever more attention to ingredient sourcing, Georgian wines are enjoying a deserved, and much needed, renaissance. While still excruciatingly difficult to obtain, the wines – for the dogged buyer – can be found. Enter the Port Townsend Food Co-op.
After more than a year of searching, the Co-op is pleased to offer four Georgian wines sourced from recognized leaders in the natural wine movement – Owen Kotler Selections working in concert with Roni Selects. These are rare wines, historic wines and mark key mileposts on the spectrum of viticultural history. The wines are pure, accessible, distinctly Georgian, made by women and delicious. In short, these wines represent an opportunity that should not be missed
At $32.99 each, these aren’t bargain bottles, but I would encourage would-be buyers to consider purchasing all four selections. Why? Because the four, drunk in succession, represent a trajectory, a progression in style, weight, expression and technique. The wines -- two orange wines and two reds – range from a bone dry, lightly macerated white, to a rich, layered field blend of 6 unidentified red grapes. To drink one bottle in isolation would be akin to reading the middle 100 pages of East of Eden and then saying you didn’t think John Steinbeck was much of a storyteller. In short, you’d miss the point, hence my suggestion.
There’s about 12 bottles of each wine available. If you’d like me to set aside a four-bottle pack, send me an email at: jamesr@foodcoop.coop
You can learn more about the wines here: