Georgia has one of the world’s oldest and most vibrant wine cultures. She can and frequently does lay claim to being the birthplace of viticulture and attributes the longevity of many Georgians to their enthusiastic wine consumption.

As well as having some distinctive winemaking traditions, Georgia is the birthplace of two fine grape varieties which have been appropriated by her neighbours: Rkatsiteli for crisp whites and Saperavi for fiery, potentially long-lived reds.

Like Moldova, Georgia has had to concentrate harder on finding new export markets since its imports to Russia were blocked in 2006. See also Joachim Binz’s 2008 report. If you look hard, you may come across the occasional top-notch Saperavi.

See Georgia Wine Country for more information on this region.