Georgia on my mind
The Artizani crew at the New Wine Festival in 2019, an annual wine festival held in Tbilisi.
The Republic of Georgia is a tiny country surrounded by the Black Sea to the West, Russia to the North, and Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan to the South. Throughout the centuries, everyone from the Assyrians, Romans, Byzantines, to most recently, the Soviet Union until 1991, had their hold on Georgia and its infrastructure, which included its celebrated wine business. Georgians are still making wine like their ancestors did over 8,000 years ago, and aging wine in qvevri, which are clay vessels buried underground. Today Georgia, the ‘teddy bear of Europe,’ is beginning to get the attention that the country and culture deserves; Georgian ‘amber wine’ (‘orange wine’) is all the rage, as is Georgian Saperavi red wine.
The newest Saperavi to hit our shelves is made by three friends (pictured) in the region of Kakheti. Artizani translates to 'a master' who works with his own hands without using technology, which is precisely the philosophy of natural winemaking. Georgian wine is frequently made with natural winemaking techniques which include no addition of sulfur, wild yeast fermentation, and no fining or filtration. This 100% organic Artizani Saperavi is full of notes of ripe plums, red raspberry and black olives. It’s the ultimate BBQ or picnic wine. Indulge in the Georgian Collection as well, a trio of two amber wines and a red Saperavi all aged in qvevri, sip your wine out of a kansi (Georgian drinking horn), and (all together now) toast and say Gaumarjos! გაუმარჯოს!
