The Wines of Georgia

Book excerpt: The Republic of Georgia (Sakartvelo) is home to over 500 indigenous Vitis viniferavarieties and has an unparalleled and unbroken history for over 8000 vintages. Rising from the rubble of the former Soviet Union, Georgia is unique in resurrecting its unique winemaking tradition while at the same time rediscovering the distinctiveness of its native varieties. Wine is arguably more important to Georgia than to any other country. Virtually every family farm grows grapes and produces wine and these households represent nearly half of the country's households and employment. Wine accounted for a full 5 per cent of all Georgian exports in 2013, and Georgian wines have always been regarded as among the world's finest even while they were unknown in the West. Granik's book is the first substantive, definitive book on Georgian wine. It is divided into topical chapters, with the introductory chapters on wine history also providing a general overview of Georgian wine culture. The heart of the book resides in a detailed examination of Georgian grape varieties, key vineyard areas, and wine styles, followed by profiles of contemporary Georgian producers. Granik analyses the most important 40 grape varieties in current production. The country has 18 regions that have been accorded a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), but although Georgia now has more than 250 wine producers, only a limited number of these have a focus on quality on top of a mission for Georgia to be recognized as a 'classic' wine region in the minds of the world's oenophiles. It is on these producers that Granik focuses in her profiles of the country's winemakers.