Showing posts with label Saperavi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Saperavi. Show all posts
Saturday, December 10, 2016
#GEORGIANWINE: 212. Folge Wein am Limit - Was ist eine Quevri? (hendrikthoma.de)
(hendrikthoma.de) Heute ist Ronny Schreiber zu Gast bei Wein am Limit. Er fängt gerade im *** Michelin Restaurant von Christian Bau an der Mosel als Jung-Sommelier an zu arbeiten. In seinem Gepäck hat er zwei feine Weine, die er bei einem Ausflug am Prenzlauer Berg in Berlin bei einem Spezialitätenhändler gekauft hat.
Diese beiden Weine stammen aus Georgien und sind in der Amphore, der Quevri, gereift. Die im Schnitt 800-3500 Liter fassenden Tonamphoren sind dort seit Jahrtausenden in Gebrauch. Der Hype, der in einigen Weinkreisen um diese Reifungsgefäße in den letzten Jahren entstanden ist, dürfte auf die Georgier befremdlich wirken. Sie kennen nichts anderes und schwören auf diese Ausbaumethode, weil sie in dieser Region fest in der Tradition verankert ist. Die atmungsaktiven Amphoren werden ganz in der Erde eingegraben, um den Most zu kühlen. Dann vergären die Weine mit Stielen und Stengeln darin, um danach ein paar Monate weiter mit der Maische zu reifen. Somit könnte man diese Weine faktisch „Orange Weine“ (ein weiterer Trend) nennen. Auch hier wird sich meiner Einschätzung nach, die georgische Winzerschaft wenig Gedanken machen.
Der erste Wein ist ein Rkatsiteli Quevri von der Kooperative Kindzmarauli aus der Region Kachetien, dem Zentrum des georgischen Weinbaus. Diese aromatische und meistangebaute Weißweintraube wird in Georgien für ihr fruchtiges Bukett sehr geschätzt. Allerdings wird sie durch den Ausbau zu einem wesentlich komplexeren und gehaltvollen Stoff. Ein frischer Duft begleitet von Aromen von Kräutern, Mandel und Honig weht im Glas. Im Geschmack ist der Stoff trocken, intensiv und mit einer feinen Säure, die ihm zu einem lang anhaltenden Geschmack verhilft, ausgestattet. Der reinste Nektar und ein Augen öffnendes Weinerlebnis.
Der Rotwein aus der Sorte Saperavi ist schlichtweg ein Hammer. Selten habe ich einen so geradling-würzigen Roten getrunken, der so ungeschminkt und pur daherkam. In diesem Preisgefüge kenne ich nur wenig, was soviel Qualität ins Glas bringt. Diese alte Sorte ist bekannt für dunkelfarbende, kraftvolle Rotweine, mit einem großartigen Lagerpotential. Dieser hier bringt es auf den Punkt mit seinem satten Geschmack und der schnörkellos konsequent trockenen Art. Groß!!
Beide Weine sind nach acht Monaten Reifezeit in der Amphore für ungefähr dieselbe Zeit im Holzfass weitergereift. Allerdings ist dies beiden Weinen nicht anzumerken. Sie strotzen nur so vor Vitalität und Leben.
Ich finde es großartig, dass die georgischen Winzer weiterhin diese Ausbauart am Leben erhalten. Wir sollten nicht vergessen was unsere Wurzeln sind und woher wir kommen. Die Quevri sind ein wichtiger Baustein in der DNA des Weinbaus und in Zeiten von geschmacklicher Gleichschaltung wichtiger denn je.
Friday, December 06, 2013
FOOD & WINE: 2011 Shavi Jikhvi Saperavi Qvevri. Saperavi (Kachetien, Georgien). Eine Entdeckung von Arno Steguweit (sommelier-prive.de)
(sommelier-prive.de) Retro-Stil aus der Tonamphore: Das ist der fruchtbetonte Georgier aus 100 % heimischen Trauben.
Am Gaumen wirkt er zunächst fruchtbetont und dicht, entwickelt aber mit der Zeit auch eine belebende Säure, welche die anderen Geschmackskomponenten sehr gut ergänzt. Die feinkörnigen Tannine bilden das Rückgrat des Saperavi. Für Weinliebhaber, die abseits der üblichen Pfade mal etwas Neues entdecken wollen, eine echte Bereicherung! Georgien, der schlafende Weinriese.
"Ein grandioser Tropfen, der jeden Weingenießer überzeugen wird. Klasse!" (Arno Steguweit)
Rebsorte Saperavi
Nase Kirsche, Johannisbeere, dezente Süßholz-Note
Geschmack fruchtbetont, dicht, belebende Säure, feinkörnige Tannine
Alkoholgehalt 13.5 %
Serviertemperatur 10°C bis 13°C
Lagerfähigkeit Jetzt bis 7 Jahre
Speiseempfehlung nicht verfügbar
Spitzenrotwein aus Georgien? Spitzenrotwein aus Georgien!
Von wegen alter Wein in neuen Schläuchen! Aus Georgien, der Heimat des Weinbaus kommt dieser extravagante Rotwein im Retro-Style. Er wird reinsortig aus Saperavi bereitet, dem Topstar der Kaukasusrepublik. Das Besondere daran? Er wird ganz traditionell in großen Tonamphoren ausgebaut – Originalität pur! Heraus kommt ein Rotwein mit sauberen Fruchtaromen, zarter Säure und edlen Tanninen – eben alles, was so dazugehört.
Wer hätte gedacht, dass die Wiege der Weinkultur eben nicht in Griechenland steht? Denn gut vier Jahrtausende bevor die Hellenen beim Dionysos-Kult ekstatisch um die Fässer tanzten, hatte man in Georgien bereits Erfahrung im gezielten Anbau des Rebsaftes gesammelt. Tatsächlich darf ich Euch sagen, dass die Funde von Traubenkernen mit Pressspuren und auch Überreste uralter Keltern von Archäologen ca. 8000 Jahre zurückdatiert wurden. Und der Schwarzmeeranrainer wartet gleich mit einem weiteren Superlativ auf: Etwa 500 der 4000 weltweit bekannten Rebsorten sind dort bis heute anzutreffen. Grund genug, sich einen Vertreter einmal etwas genauer anzuschauen… Speerspitze eines Trends: Der Rotwein aus der Tonamphore
Einer, der die Zeichen der Zeit erkannt hat, und mutig versucht, das Renommee des Weinbaulandes Georgien aufzupolieren, ist Shavi Jikhvi. In der Region Kachetien im äußersten Südosten Georgiens baut er Rotweine an, die ich als außergewöhnlich authentisch empfinde. Der Exot, den ich Euch vorstellen möchte, heißt 2011 Saperavi Qvevri. Saperavi ist der Name der qualitativ hochwertigsten Rebsorte des Landes – sozusagen der Nebbiolo des Kaukasus. Sie zeichnet sich durch eine wunderschöne kirschrote Farbe mit violetten Reflexen aus und bietet eine mittlere Viskosität. Qvevri heißt auf Georgisch „Tonamphore“- unser Wein ist also wie anno dazumal im Tongefäß ausgebaut. Was zunächst unvertraut klingt, liegt zunehmend im Trend: immer mehr Toperzeuger der sogenannten Alten Welt experimentieren mit dem antiken Gebinde. Heraus kommt ein äußerst interessanter Rotwein, der sauber nach Johannisbeere duftet, Anklänge an Kirsche hat und eine dezente Note von Süßholz mitbringt.
“Eine echte Bereicherung für Weinliebhaber, die abseits der üblichen Pfade etwas Neues entdecken wollen.“
Ich gehe davon aus, dass viele von Euch noch keinen Wein aus Georgien probiert haben. Denn trotz der langen Tradition haben sich die autochthonen Gewächse von dort bisher noch kaum Marktanteile sichern können. Man bedenke: Während der Glanzzeit der Sowjetunion standen immerhin 130.000 Hektar unter Reben – so viel, wie in Deutschland und der Schweiz zusammen. Doch dann kam unter Gorbatschow die Prohibition und die etablierte Weinkultur zerfiel. Die Lektion, wie immer: ein leckeres Genussmittel zu verbieten, das derart in der Gesellschaft und der Kultur verankert ist, ist nie eine gute Idee. Umso schöner, dass mutige Visionäre wie Shavi Jikhvi mit seinen Amphoren die Tradition des Weinbaulandes Georgien wiederbeleben.
Shavi Jikhvi
Ein Weingut in Georgien
So, wie wenige die „Wiege der Menschheit“ auf Anhieb in Mesopotamien vermuten würden, gibt es selbst unter Weintrinkern nur wenige, welche die „Wiege des Weins“ in Georgien verorten würden. Doch tatsächlich gibt es starke Hinweise, die nahelegen, dass in dem kleinen Land am Schwarzen Meer schon vor 8000 Jahren Vorformen von Weinbau betrieben wurden. So steht auch ein relativ großer Teil der Weinbaugebiete unter Weltkulturerbe. Es wird geschätzt, dass es weltweit etwa 4000 Rebsorten gibt, von denen 500 allein auf Georgien zurückzuführen sind. Der Schwerpunkt der Weinproduktion liegt in Kachetien, im Westen Georgiens. Experten vergleichen die klimatischen Bedingungen und sonstigen Terroir-Gegebenheiten mit denen des Bordeaux und des Burgund. Ein Weingut aus Kachetien, das in den letzten Jahren mit seinen Weinen für internationales Aufsehen gesorgt hat, ist Shavi Jikhvi. Beispielsweise wurde der 2007er Rotwein bei den Blind-Degustationen zum AWC vienna 2011 international wine challenge mit GOLD ausgezeichnet.
Am Gaumen wirkt er zunächst fruchtbetont und dicht, entwickelt aber mit der Zeit auch eine belebende Säure, welche die anderen Geschmackskomponenten sehr gut ergänzt. Die feinkörnigen Tannine bilden das Rückgrat des Saperavi. Für Weinliebhaber, die abseits der üblichen Pfade mal etwas Neues entdecken wollen, eine echte Bereicherung! Georgien, der schlafende Weinriese.
"Ein grandioser Tropfen, der jeden Weingenießer überzeugen wird. Klasse!" (Arno Steguweit)
Rebsorte SaperaviNase Kirsche, Johannisbeere, dezente Süßholz-Note
Geschmack fruchtbetont, dicht, belebende Säure, feinkörnige Tannine
Alkoholgehalt 13.5 %
Serviertemperatur 10°C bis 13°C
Lagerfähigkeit Jetzt bis 7 Jahre
Speiseempfehlung nicht verfügbar
Spitzenrotwein aus Georgien? Spitzenrotwein aus Georgien!
Von wegen alter Wein in neuen Schläuchen! Aus Georgien, der Heimat des Weinbaus kommt dieser extravagante Rotwein im Retro-Style. Er wird reinsortig aus Saperavi bereitet, dem Topstar der Kaukasusrepublik. Das Besondere daran? Er wird ganz traditionell in großen Tonamphoren ausgebaut – Originalität pur! Heraus kommt ein Rotwein mit sauberen Fruchtaromen, zarter Säure und edlen Tanninen – eben alles, was so dazugehört.
Wer hätte gedacht, dass die Wiege der Weinkultur eben nicht in Griechenland steht? Denn gut vier Jahrtausende bevor die Hellenen beim Dionysos-Kult ekstatisch um die Fässer tanzten, hatte man in Georgien bereits Erfahrung im gezielten Anbau des Rebsaftes gesammelt. Tatsächlich darf ich Euch sagen, dass die Funde von Traubenkernen mit Pressspuren und auch Überreste uralter Keltern von Archäologen ca. 8000 Jahre zurückdatiert wurden. Und der Schwarzmeeranrainer wartet gleich mit einem weiteren Superlativ auf: Etwa 500 der 4000 weltweit bekannten Rebsorten sind dort bis heute anzutreffen. Grund genug, sich einen Vertreter einmal etwas genauer anzuschauen… Speerspitze eines Trends: Der Rotwein aus der Tonamphore
Einer, der die Zeichen der Zeit erkannt hat, und mutig versucht, das Renommee des Weinbaulandes Georgien aufzupolieren, ist Shavi Jikhvi. In der Region Kachetien im äußersten Südosten Georgiens baut er Rotweine an, die ich als außergewöhnlich authentisch empfinde. Der Exot, den ich Euch vorstellen möchte, heißt 2011 Saperavi Qvevri. Saperavi ist der Name der qualitativ hochwertigsten Rebsorte des Landes – sozusagen der Nebbiolo des Kaukasus. Sie zeichnet sich durch eine wunderschöne kirschrote Farbe mit violetten Reflexen aus und bietet eine mittlere Viskosität. Qvevri heißt auf Georgisch „Tonamphore“- unser Wein ist also wie anno dazumal im Tongefäß ausgebaut. Was zunächst unvertraut klingt, liegt zunehmend im Trend: immer mehr Toperzeuger der sogenannten Alten Welt experimentieren mit dem antiken Gebinde. Heraus kommt ein äußerst interessanter Rotwein, der sauber nach Johannisbeere duftet, Anklänge an Kirsche hat und eine dezente Note von Süßholz mitbringt.
“Eine echte Bereicherung für Weinliebhaber, die abseits der üblichen Pfade etwas Neues entdecken wollen.“
Shavi Jikhvi
Ein Weingut in Georgien
So, wie wenige die „Wiege der Menschheit“ auf Anhieb in Mesopotamien vermuten würden, gibt es selbst unter Weintrinkern nur wenige, welche die „Wiege des Weins“ in Georgien verorten würden. Doch tatsächlich gibt es starke Hinweise, die nahelegen, dass in dem kleinen Land am Schwarzen Meer schon vor 8000 Jahren Vorformen von Weinbau betrieben wurden. So steht auch ein relativ großer Teil der Weinbaugebiete unter Weltkulturerbe. Es wird geschätzt, dass es weltweit etwa 4000 Rebsorten gibt, von denen 500 allein auf Georgien zurückzuführen sind. Der Schwerpunkt der Weinproduktion liegt in Kachetien, im Westen Georgiens. Experten vergleichen die klimatischen Bedingungen und sonstigen Terroir-Gegebenheiten mit denen des Bordeaux und des Burgund. Ein Weingut aus Kachetien, das in den letzten Jahren mit seinen Weinen für internationales Aufsehen gesorgt hat, ist Shavi Jikhvi. Beispielsweise wurde der 2007er Rotwein bei den Blind-Degustationen zum AWC vienna 2011 international wine challenge mit GOLD ausgezeichnet.
Friday, May 03, 2013
INTERVIEW: Lagvinari – the new Georgian winery from Isabelle Legeron (hvino.com)
(hvino.com) 28.04.2013. With Georgian wine’s reputation growing all the time, we
were delighted to hear that Isabelle Legeron MW, author of the website
That Crazy French Woman, has set up her own Georgian wine project in
Kakheti, producing the natural, artisan wines that are so close to her
heart. We caught up with her to find out more.
You have set up a new winery called Lagvinari – can you tell us a bit about it? Where did the name come from?
Lagvinari is an old Mengrelian word for kvevri. The vineyards are located in Kakheti at about 400 m above sea level, with chalky/clay/gravelly soil. A bit of a mix. Climate is very cold and snowy in winter (given that we are in the foothills of the Caucasus) and baking hot in summer, which is why it helps to be at a little altitude.
You are currently growing organic rkatsiteli and saperavi grapes for your wines. Why did you choose those two grapes in particular, and what are their characteristics?
Rkatsiteli is a Kakhetian grape, meaning ‘red horn’ as the stem of the grape is pink/redish when it is ripe. Rkatsiteli is very popular in the Alazani Valley in Kakheti, but is can also be found in Kartli and in small quantities in west Georgia too.
Rkatsiteli prefers hot climate conditions but it is a pretty resilient variety that adapts well to its surroundings, which is why it is quite widespread in Georgia. It is also quite a vigorous and high-yielding variety, which I presume is why the Soviets favoured its adoption for mass production, so it does need some restraining. We decided to produce our first wine using rkatsiteli because it is readily available and since I am only interested in working with organic grapes we were also that much more constrained. I was also curious to see whether or not it was possible to create a truly fine wine from such a tough, workhorse grape, and we were delighted with the result. Rkatsiteli is excellent for producing traditional Kakhetian style wine.
Saperavi means “colouring” in Georgian – more specifically, “peri” means “colour” because this is a teinturier variety, which means that it gives off a LOT of colour when you press it. In fact, last autumn I made a tiny test batch of saperavi that I was experimenting with in our friend’s kitchen in Tbilisi and even though I decided to separate the juice from the pips and stems after only 10 mins, the juice was already thick and very dark purple – our arms and feet took days to scrub clean!
Like rkatsiteli, saperavi is widespread in Kakheti, mainly because it is hardy (it can survive in extremely cold weather conditions) and because it is a high-yielding variety. Saperavi shows surprisingly different tones depending on its place of origin and the microclimate of the area. In fact, we founded the vineyards where we did precisely because of an old Georgian Ampeological Research manual from the 1960s that stated that “the best full-bodied, traditional saperavi wine came from Kardanakhi & Bakurtsikhe, where rich forest soils dominated”.
Many people might consider the presence of stems in a wine as a mistake or a fault, but like many other kvevri wines you macerate the wine on the skins and stems for up to 6 months – why is this? What impact does this have on the final product?
The use of stems in white winemaking is a practice that dates back thousands of years. Stems, when ripe, add floral notes and more complex tannins to the wine. Stems are widely used in red wine making so why not do the same with whites?
Do you have plans to increase your number of grape varieties?
Absolutely. Our long term goal is to use indigenous grape varieties from other regions as well, especially from west Georgia and Kartli, which are home to some very interesting grape varieties that have been neglected for far too long.
How would you characterise your wines? Do you have an ethos or a concept behind them?
This is from the back of our bottle:
LAGVINARI is a small, organic winery in Georgia, founded by Eko Glonti in partnership with THAT CRAZY FRENCH WOMAN, Isabelle Legeron MW. We work closely with local, artisan grape growers and use both indigenous grape varieties and ancient winemaking techniques, to promote sustainable Georgian farming and preserve its rich cultural heritage.
Your wines are produced in kvevri – how is it used in your wines? What qualities and characteristics does it bring to the wine, and why?
Kvevri making has a long history in Georgia – it is an ancient winemaking vessel. Thousands and thousands of years old. But what is perhaps more remarkable is that they are still very much in use today. It is not just commercial companies that use them, in fact, it is extremely common for individuals to have their own kvevri in their backyard or basement!
Kvevris are fermenting wine vessels made from clay, which are buried underground – which is great as the earth insulates the vessel and regulates the temperature of the sleeping wine. You basically just harvest your grapes and you stick them, pips, skins, stems and all into the pot, which you then leave to ferment and eventually seal off until spring when you open up your kvevri (always a bit of a gut-wrenching experience as you are never sure how it will have turned out since you don’t have a tasting tap like in modern wineries!).
Because the juice is left to macerate on the skins and stems for such a long time, whites are orange, tannic and show a lot savoury notes like dried herbs, although our Lagvini is also deliciously aromatic with an apricot/orange blossom nose. I love it.
The quality of the clay used in the making of the kvevris is very important and there are particular regions in Georgia that are famous for the quality of their clay – as kvevri.org once explained to me, some of the particularly good clays contain high amounts of silver content, which is of note as silver has pronounced anti-bacterial properties. Kvevri.org is an NGO dedicated to the understanding and use of the kvevri and they work closely with German research institutions for the advancement of ‘kvevri science’ if you like – they are coming to the artisan wine fair that I organize each May called RAW (www.rawfair) and are bringing with them a real, life-size kvevri that you will be able to get up close and personal with!
Kvevri-making is an artisan craft. Each one is handmade and takes a long time to build – they are effectively giant pots and, because of their size, can be very fragile. They vary in size but the biggest ones are generally hold about 2 tonnes of wine, although I have heard rumours that in times past, kvevrimakers used to build kvevris that were the size of houses!
Your winery is in Kakheti, where the vast majority of Georgian wines are produced. Why is Kakheti such a good wine producing region?
The valley floor in Kakheti, where most of the vineyards are located, has a very rich soil and a multitude of different microzones, which I imagine must be a key reason for why winemaking developed in Kakheti. It is also extremely hot and dry in summer in the lead up to harvest, which makes the farming part a lot easier (less likelihood of mildew or disease for instance).
Kakheti has been an ancient viticultural land for centuries. In fact, the oldest winemaking academy in the world (I guess it was probably the UC Davis of its day!) is located in Kakheti – Ikalto Academi. For centuries, during the Dark Ages of Europe, Ikalto was a centre of learning, with a particular emphasis on winemaking and winemaking technologies.
Given that you come from France, the most prestigious wine producing country in the world, what attracted you to Georgia as a country to produce your wines?
Georgia is a wonderful country, where seasonality and simplicity of produce are still paramount. This is quality that has to some extent been lost in western Europe. In Georgia, that is not the case. Everyone eats properly and produce is delicious – coriander smells powerfully of coriander and tomatoes of tomatoes. You only have to step into a food market in Tbilisi to get how true this is. I fell in love with the country the minute I set foot out there a number of years ago. It is an infectious country.
Georgian wine making has been completely transformed since we first started four years ago. How would you characterise the current state of Georgian wine making, and what major developments can we expect over the next few years?
I hope we’ll be seeing lots of delicious, organic, natural, kvevri wines hitting the shelves over the next few years. Georgian wine production is currently dominated by large, volume-driven brands, focused on ‘European’ winemaking techniques. I hope we will see a renaissance in high-quality, traditional, artisan wines – there are only a dozen or so producers who sell this type of wine commercially. I’d love to see more come out of the woodwork as I really believe that there is a market out there for them.
Lagvinari is an old Mengrelian word for kvevri. The vineyards are located in Kakheti at about 400 m above sea level, with chalky/clay/gravelly soil. A bit of a mix. Climate is very cold and snowy in winter (given that we are in the foothills of the Caucasus) and baking hot in summer, which is why it helps to be at a little altitude.
You are currently growing organic rkatsiteli and saperavi grapes for your wines. Why did you choose those two grapes in particular, and what are their characteristics?
Rkatsiteli is a Kakhetian grape, meaning ‘red horn’ as the stem of the grape is pink/redish when it is ripe. Rkatsiteli is very popular in the Alazani Valley in Kakheti, but is can also be found in Kartli and in small quantities in west Georgia too.
Rkatsiteli prefers hot climate conditions but it is a pretty resilient variety that adapts well to its surroundings, which is why it is quite widespread in Georgia. It is also quite a vigorous and high-yielding variety, which I presume is why the Soviets favoured its adoption for mass production, so it does need some restraining. We decided to produce our first wine using rkatsiteli because it is readily available and since I am only interested in working with organic grapes we were also that much more constrained. I was also curious to see whether or not it was possible to create a truly fine wine from such a tough, workhorse grape, and we were delighted with the result. Rkatsiteli is excellent for producing traditional Kakhetian style wine.
Saperavi means “colouring” in Georgian – more specifically, “peri” means “colour” because this is a teinturier variety, which means that it gives off a LOT of colour when you press it. In fact, last autumn I made a tiny test batch of saperavi that I was experimenting with in our friend’s kitchen in Tbilisi and even though I decided to separate the juice from the pips and stems after only 10 mins, the juice was already thick and very dark purple – our arms and feet took days to scrub clean!
Like rkatsiteli, saperavi is widespread in Kakheti, mainly because it is hardy (it can survive in extremely cold weather conditions) and because it is a high-yielding variety. Saperavi shows surprisingly different tones depending on its place of origin and the microclimate of the area. In fact, we founded the vineyards where we did precisely because of an old Georgian Ampeological Research manual from the 1960s that stated that “the best full-bodied, traditional saperavi wine came from Kardanakhi & Bakurtsikhe, where rich forest soils dominated”.
Many people might consider the presence of stems in a wine as a mistake or a fault, but like many other kvevri wines you macerate the wine on the skins and stems for up to 6 months – why is this? What impact does this have on the final product?
The use of stems in white winemaking is a practice that dates back thousands of years. Stems, when ripe, add floral notes and more complex tannins to the wine. Stems are widely used in red wine making so why not do the same with whites?
Do you have plans to increase your number of grape varieties?
Absolutely. Our long term goal is to use indigenous grape varieties from other regions as well, especially from west Georgia and Kartli, which are home to some very interesting grape varieties that have been neglected for far too long.
How would you characterise your wines? Do you have an ethos or a concept behind them?
This is from the back of our bottle:
LAGVINARI is a small, organic winery in Georgia, founded by Eko Glonti in partnership with THAT CRAZY FRENCH WOMAN, Isabelle Legeron MW. We work closely with local, artisan grape growers and use both indigenous grape varieties and ancient winemaking techniques, to promote sustainable Georgian farming and preserve its rich cultural heritage.
Your wines are produced in kvevri – how is it used in your wines? What qualities and characteristics does it bring to the wine, and why?
Kvevri making has a long history in Georgia – it is an ancient winemaking vessel. Thousands and thousands of years old. But what is perhaps more remarkable is that they are still very much in use today. It is not just commercial companies that use them, in fact, it is extremely common for individuals to have their own kvevri in their backyard or basement!
Kvevris are fermenting wine vessels made from clay, which are buried underground – which is great as the earth insulates the vessel and regulates the temperature of the sleeping wine. You basically just harvest your grapes and you stick them, pips, skins, stems and all into the pot, which you then leave to ferment and eventually seal off until spring when you open up your kvevri (always a bit of a gut-wrenching experience as you are never sure how it will have turned out since you don’t have a tasting tap like in modern wineries!).
Because the juice is left to macerate on the skins and stems for such a long time, whites are orange, tannic and show a lot savoury notes like dried herbs, although our Lagvini is also deliciously aromatic with an apricot/orange blossom nose. I love it.
The quality of the clay used in the making of the kvevris is very important and there are particular regions in Georgia that are famous for the quality of their clay – as kvevri.org once explained to me, some of the particularly good clays contain high amounts of silver content, which is of note as silver has pronounced anti-bacterial properties. Kvevri.org is an NGO dedicated to the understanding and use of the kvevri and they work closely with German research institutions for the advancement of ‘kvevri science’ if you like – they are coming to the artisan wine fair that I organize each May called RAW (www.rawfair) and are bringing with them a real, life-size kvevri that you will be able to get up close and personal with!
Kvevri-making is an artisan craft. Each one is handmade and takes a long time to build – they are effectively giant pots and, because of their size, can be very fragile. They vary in size but the biggest ones are generally hold about 2 tonnes of wine, although I have heard rumours that in times past, kvevrimakers used to build kvevris that were the size of houses!
Your winery is in Kakheti, where the vast majority of Georgian wines are produced. Why is Kakheti such a good wine producing region?
The valley floor in Kakheti, where most of the vineyards are located, has a very rich soil and a multitude of different microzones, which I imagine must be a key reason for why winemaking developed in Kakheti. It is also extremely hot and dry in summer in the lead up to harvest, which makes the farming part a lot easier (less likelihood of mildew or disease for instance).
Kakheti has been an ancient viticultural land for centuries. In fact, the oldest winemaking academy in the world (I guess it was probably the UC Davis of its day!) is located in Kakheti – Ikalto Academi. For centuries, during the Dark Ages of Europe, Ikalto was a centre of learning, with a particular emphasis on winemaking and winemaking technologies.
Given that you come from France, the most prestigious wine producing country in the world, what attracted you to Georgia as a country to produce your wines?
Georgia is a wonderful country, where seasonality and simplicity of produce are still paramount. This is quality that has to some extent been lost in western Europe. In Georgia, that is not the case. Everyone eats properly and produce is delicious – coriander smells powerfully of coriander and tomatoes of tomatoes. You only have to step into a food market in Tbilisi to get how true this is. I fell in love with the country the minute I set foot out there a number of years ago. It is an infectious country.
Georgian wine making has been completely transformed since we first started four years ago. How would you characterise the current state of Georgian wine making, and what major developments can we expect over the next few years?
I hope we’ll be seeing lots of delicious, organic, natural, kvevri wines hitting the shelves over the next few years. Georgian wine production is currently dominated by large, volume-driven brands, focused on ‘European’ winemaking techniques. I hope we will see a renaissance in high-quality, traditional, artisan wines – there are only a dozen or so producers who sell this type of wine commercially. I’d love to see more come out of the woodwork as I really believe that there is a market out there for them.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
DEGUSTATION: Vom Holz geküsst_Dr. Rolf Klein stellt vor: "2008 Schuchmann Saperavi aus der Amphore" (youtube.com)
Direkt aus der Weinstyle 2012 in Hamburg:
"Vom Holz geküsst" Dr. Rolf Klein stellt den 2008 Schuchmann Saperavi aus der Amphore vor.
Besondere Rebsorte, besondere Vinifizierungsmethode, ein durch und durch spannender Wein.
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