The Essence
AI IA Red
A Red wine with aromas of berry & red plum. It has attractive, well-balanced, & soft tannins. A layer of refreshing acidity mingles with spice notes complete this harmonious wine.
“აი ია, “this is violet,” the first lesson of the Georgian language, and our introduction to the wines of the country.”
David Lanchava
Fruity
Cherry
berries and red plum
Medium-Bodied.
This is violet.
The Georgian sentence, "აი ია" (AI IA) translated as "this is violet", is the first lesson when learning the Georgian language, and is our introduction wines of the country. The letter "ა" (pronounced a) and "ი" (pronounced i) creates the words making one sentence, AI (this is) and IA (Violet).
- Style
- Dry red
- Alcohol
- 13%
- Serve at
- 16 to 18°C
- 01Fruity
- 02Cherry
- 03Berries and red plum
- 04Medium-Bodied
Dry red wine made from 100% Saperavi grape variety & harvested in the viticultural region of Kakheti, Georgia.
Georgia's principal red grape, indigenous to the country and grown above all in Kakheti.
Pinot Noir, for the lighter body and the cherry fruit. This is not Pinot Noir. It is Saperavi, Georgia's principal red grape, from younger vineyards that give a lighter and fruitier style than Saperavi usually wears: cherry, berry and red plum with the tannins kept soft.
- Red Meat
- Pork
- Lamb
- Pasta
Everything on the label, and a little more.
Specifications change with each release. These are current.
- Grape variety
- 100% Saperavi
- Style
- Dry
- Alcohol
- 13%
- Serve at
- 16 to 18°C61 to 64°F
- Color
- Deep garnet with ruby highlights
- Region
- Kakheti
Kakheti
Georgia's principal wine region, in the east, holding roughly 60 to 70 percent of the country's vineyard area and most of its appellations. The Likhi Ridge shields it from Black Sea moisture, giving warm, dry summers and cold winters, while the Alazani and Iori valleys temper vineyards planted between about 250 and 800 meters. It is the heartland of the Kakhetian qvevri method, which ferments white grapes on their skins, seeds and stems to produce Georgia's classic amber wines.
Asked often.
“ai ia” (აი ია) is Georgian for “this is violet”, the first lesson when learning to read Georgian. The letters ა and ი form the two words, and the phrase gives the collection's introductory range its name.
Cherry, berry and red plum fruit with attractive, well-balanced soft tannins, a layer of refreshing acidity, and spice notes. Medium-bodied, deep garnet with ruby highlights.
Saperavi, Georgia's principal indigenous red grape, grown in Kakheti. Saperavi is a teinturier variety whose flesh is red as well as its skin, which is why its wines are so deeply colored. AI IA Red is 100% Saperavi, made in a medium-bodied, fruit-forward style as an introduction to the variety.
AI IA is the Lanchava Collection's introduction range: a dry Saperavi red and a dry Rkatsiteli white, chosen to open the door to Georgian wine through approachable expressions of its two signature grapes. The fruit comes from younger vineyards, which is what makes both wines lighter and fruitier than their Family Collection counterparts.
Red meat, pork, lamb, and pasta.
Serve AI IA Red at 16 to 18°C (61 to 64°F). Slightly below room temperature. Saperavi carries real acidity and tannin, and both show best when the wine is not warm.
Closest familiar reference: Pinot Noir, for the lighter body and the cherry fruit. This is not Pinot Noir. It is Saperavi, Georgia's principal red grape, from younger vineyards that give a lighter and fruitier style than Saperavi usually wears: cherry, berry and red plum with the tannins kept soft.
AI IA Red is sold in the United States through Total Wine & More, typically around $13.99 for a 750ml bottle. Retail price varies by state and store.
Continue the Journey
Discover the Tradition Behind the Wine
Every bottle in our collection carries an 8,000-year story. From the ancient Qvevri vessels to the Tamada's table, explore the heritage that shaped this wine.
Reading for Saperavi drinkers
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.
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.
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.
