A glass of Georgian red wine and an unlabelled bottle on a worn table in a stone cellar

The Journal

Notes on Georgian Wine

Articles on the grapes, regions and traditions of Georgian wine — from Saperavi and Rkatsiteli to qvevri fermentation and the world's oldest winemaking.

13 ArticlesGrapes · Regions · Tradition

Winemaking & Tradition

Qvevri vs Amphora: What Sets Georgian Winemaking Apart

Qvevri get called 'Georgian amphorae' all the time, but the comparison misses the point. Here's what actually separates the two, and why it matters for orange wine.

October 12, 2026Read Entry

Wine & Varieties

Is Georgian Wine Sweet or Dry? The Full Range Explained

Georgian wine is not one style. It spans dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet, sweet, sparkling, and fortified wines, often from the same grape.

September 29, 2026Read Entry

Wine & Varieties

Kisi Grape Profile: Origin, Character, and Wine Styles

Kisi is Georgia's revived native white grape, likely a natural hybrid of Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane, made as crisp dry white, tropical semi-sweet, and full-bodied qvevri amber wine.

September 27, 2026Read Entry

Wine & Varieties

Krakhuna: The Rare Imeretian White That Almost Disappeared

Krakhuna nearly vanished from Imereti's vineyards by the 1980s. Here's what the grape is, why it faded, and why winemakers brought it back.

September 21, 2026Read Entry

Wine & Varieties

Which Wine Is Georgia Actually Famous For?

Ask ten sources and you'll get overlapping answers: Saperavi, Rkatsiteli, and the amber wines made from it. Here's how that consensus actually forms.

September 18, 2026Read Entry

Wine & Varieties

Mtsvane: Georgia's Green Grape and Its Uncertain Origins

Mtsvane's name means green, its lineage is genuinely unclear, and its wines range from crisp whites to deep qvevri amber. Here's what's actually known.

September 14, 2026Read Entry

Wine & Varieties

Kindzmarauli vs Khvanchkara: Choosing a Georgian Semi-Sweet Red

Two PDO semi-sweet reds, two ends of Georgia. Here's how Kindzmarauli and Khvanchkara differ in grape, terroir, taste, and what to put on the table with each.

September 6, 2026Read Entry

Winemaking & Tradition

Amber Wine vs Orange Wine: Why the Name Matters

Both terms describe skin-contact white wine, but amber wine and orange wine are not the same thing. The difference is thousands of years deep.

September 4, 2026Read Entry

Culture & Rituals

How to Host a Georgian Supra: The Tamada's Role

A supra is not a dinner party. It's a structured feast led by a toastmaster, with its own order of toasts, expectations, and rhythm.

September 2, 2026Read Entry

Wine & Varieties

Rkatsiteli: Georgia's Leading White Grape, Fresh or Amber

Rkatsiteli is Georgia's leading white grape, native to Kakheti. Made fresh it is crisp and citrusy; fermented on its skins in qvevri it becomes amber wine.

September 2, 2026Read Entry

Winemaking & Tradition

The Oldest Wine in the World Was Found in Georgia

In 2017, a study confirmed grape winemaking in Georgia as early as 6,000 BC, making it the oldest known site of wine production on Earth.

April 20, 2026Read Entry

Wine & Varieties

What Makes Georgian Wine Taste the Way It Does

Georgian wine is not one flavor profile. It is a spectrum shaped by ancient grape varieties, fermentation vessels, and regional climates that have no real parallel elsewhere.

April 16, 2026Read Entry

Wine & Varieties

Saperavi: Georgia's Ancient Red and Its Global Reach

Saperavi is one of the oldest cultivated red grape varieties on record, and one of the most distinctive. Here is what sets it apart, from its biology to its place in Georgian wine culture.

April 15, 2026Read Entry