Region Guide
Georgia (Country)
Reviewed by Morgan Dannels, Head Sommelier · Last updated May 14, 2026
Sip Tip
Georgia has been making wine for around 8,000 years, and the traditional method involves fermenting and aging wine in large egg-shaped clay vessels called qvevri, which are buried underground up to their necks to maintain a stable temperature — a technique now recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage.
Georgia has been making wine longer than anywhere else, with a documented history stretching back over eight thousand years. That heritage lives on in the grapes: over five hundred native varieties, the largest collection of any wine-producing nation. Only a small number see significant commercial use, with Saperavi leading the reds and Rkatsiteli the whites. The defining feature is the qvevri, an egg-shaped earthenware jar set into the earth for fermentation and ageing.
Saperavi is a teinturier grape, meaning both the pulp and the skins carry pigment. It produces intensely coloured, full-bodied wines with notable acid, grippy tannins, and flavours of dark berries. Rkatsiteli is aromatic and high in acid, made both as a fresh dry white and as the base for skin-fermented amber wines. Extended skin contact in qvevri gives these whites a tannic grip and savoury depth unlike anything else in the wine world. In 2013, UNESCO added qvevri winemaking to its register of intangible cultural heritage.
What grapes is Georgia (Country) known for?
Saperavi leads Georgia's red production. As a teinturier, both the pulp and the skins carry pigment, resulting in wines with saturated colour, sturdy tannins, and brooding dark-berry flavours. Rkatsiteli is Georgia's flagship white, offering high acidity and versatility: fresh stainless-steel versions on one end, skin-contact qvevri wines with amber colour and tannic texture on the other. Mtsvane appears in qvevri bottlings and blends; Kisi is another key white worth knowing. On the red side, Tavkveri and Aladasturi are notable varieties. Kakheti, on the eastern side, accounts for around two-thirds of national production. The continental growing conditions bring hot, arid summers and frigid winters, shaping wines with pronounced acidity and firm tannins.
What wine should you buy from Georgia (Country)?
Saperavi sits in the fifteen-to-twenty-five-dollar tier for quality bottles, rivalling Malbec and Syrah in power while undercutting them on price and offering a narrative few guests have encountered. Top-tier qvevri whites, whether Rkatsiteli, Mtsvane, or blends, typically fall between twenty-five and forty dollars and offer tannic grip and complexity rarely found in conventional whites. Seek out bottles labelled as qvevri-fermented with extended skin contact; those capture what makes Georgian wine distinct. Stainless-steel versions exist and drink like conventional European whites, but the qvevri bottlings are what set Georgia apart.
What food pairs with Georgia (Country) wine?
Amber wines thrive alongside heat and umami, holding their ground where standard whites fall flat and reds fight the food. Think curries, kimchi stews, miso-glazed dishes, and mezze spreads. Anywhere a typical white or red would struggle, a qvevri Rkatsiteli steps in. Saperavi stands up to grilled meats and lamb. The firm tannins and bright acidity make it a natural match for rich, fatty cuts.
- •Qvevri Rkatsiteli with Indian curry or Korean kimchi stew
- •Saperavi with grilled lamb or rich braises
- •Amber wines with Middle Eastern mezze or Japanese grilled dishes
Sommelier's Take
This is the bottle your most adventurous wine friend keeps pushing on everyone. The names look foreign, but the styles translate easily: reds with more heft than Cabernet and livelier acidity, or amber wines suggesting dried stone fruit and brewed tea that handle dishes that leave conventional whites behind.