Wines from Georgia

Among the Oldest Wine Countries of the World

Georgia is among the oldest wine countries of the world. Yes, I am speaking about the Eurasian nation, not the U.S. state.

The history of winemaking in Georgia can be dated back to more than 8000 years ago.

Chateau Mukhrani – Goruli Mtsvan 2009 75cl Bottle
€12.09 Find merchant

Due to this long winemaking history and its role in the country’s economy, the wines have become almost inseparable from Georgia.

A special thing that I can note about Georgia’s wine industry is that the early winemaking traditions are still prevalent in the country, although some winds of political changes have disrupted them.

Let’s see more about the viticulture in Georgia here…

Past and Present of Viticulture in Georgia

It is widely believed that viticulture and winemaking first began in the Caucasian region (now Georgia) some 8000 years ago.

As per the archaeological evidence, the inhabitants of the Caucasian region have been cultivating, as well as fermenting the grapes into primordial forms of wines.

Orovela Saperavi
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These winemaking practices were followed for thousands of years. When the country officially declared its independence from the Soviet Union, there were some political tensions, which affected the wine production too.

During the year 2006, a Russia embargo was placed on Georgian wines, which was lifted only in the year 2013.

It’s to be noted that before the independence, a significant portion of the Soviet Union’s wines was produced in Georgia and hence, Russia turned out to be a key export market post-independence.

Today, Georgia represents the second-largest wine producer in the ex-Soviet Union only followed by Moldova.

Currently, the wine production in the country is exceeding 15.8 million wine bottles per year.
The major export markets of Georgian wines are:

Ukraine
Kazakhstan
Belarus
Poland
Latvia

Wine Growing Conditions in Georgia

In general, we can see that the territorial, as well as climatic conditions in Georgia, are ideal for winemaking. It’s to be noted that extreme weathers are uncommon here.

The summers will be short-sleeved sunny and winters will be mild and frost-free.

Chateau Mukhrani – Goruli Mtsvan 2009 75cl Bottle
€12.09 Find merchant

There are some excellent sources of irrigation from natural springs and mountain streams. These water resources are supplying the vineyards of Georgia with mineral-rich water.

The moderate climatic conditions and the moist air from the Black Sea are providing the ideal conditions for vine cultivation.

The method of vine cultivation that is being followed in Georgia is called Maglari.