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Description to Kachetien

The region with the capital Telavi is located in the east of Georgia. It covers 12,300 square kilometres on the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus. It is the most important and largest wine-growing region with the largest number of Georgian PDO areas with protected designation of origin. These are Akhasheni, Akhmeta, Akhoebi, Gurjaani, Kakheti, Kardenakhi, Khashmi Saperavi, Kindzmarauli, Kotekhi, Kvareli, Maghraani Kisi, Manavi, Mukuzani, Napareuli, Teliani, Tibaani, Tsarapi, Tsinandali, Vazisubani and Zegaani.

Climate & Soils

The climate is temperate to subtropical with warm summers and moderately cold winters. The annual rainfall is between 400 and 800 mm. Calcareous soils, alluvial soils and black slate prevail. Most of the vineyards are located on the slopes of the Alazani and Iori rivers between 250 and 800 metres above sea level.

Kachetisches Verfahren - Reisigbesen zum Reinigen und Kvevri

Winemaking

The traditional winemaking technique, which has been practised for thousands of years, is practised here in the Alazani and Iori river valleys. The centre is the town of Gurdshaani in the south-east of the country. It is based primarily on fully ripe grapes of the white Rkatsiteli grape variety with a high sugar content. The grape mash is filled without prior destemming (i.e. with stems and skins) into amphorae made of clay with a volume of up to 3,000 litres. These vessels, known as kvevri (kwewri), are similar to Spanish tinajas. They are buried up to their necks in earth for fermentation in concrete/stone chambers. The very cool mash fermentation lasts several months until the following spring. The wine is then transferred to another kvevri, previously cleaned with spruce bushes, covered with wooden lids and sealed with clay. The rough, highly tannic wine (up to 3 g/litre) has a very long shelf life. There are some families with products that are more than fifty years old.

Kvevri - Öffnung im Boden einer Kellerei

In the similar process in the wine-growing region of Imeretia (Imeretian process), the must is clarified and then placed in the clay jugs of grape skins (similar to the Italian Governo). This is followed by six to eight weeks of maceration. The Orange Wines, which have become fashionable, are produced in a very similar way.

Drinking culture

The opening of the clay jugs is a ceremonial act and usually takes place at family celebrations such as birthdays and weddings. The wine is often drunk from the khantsi (drinking horns) at these traditional Georgian banquets (supra). The Russian poet Alexander S. Pushkin (1799-1837) even favoured these wines over Burgundy. The traditional dessert Churchkhela is made from nuts dipped in boiled grape must and dried in the sun.

Brushwood broom: By Gerd Eichmann - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link
Kvevri: By Bauer Karl - Own work, CC BY 3.0 at, Link

Opening in the ground: By Gerd Eichmann - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

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