Luka

Saperavi is Georgia's principal indigenous red grape, deep in fruit yet brisk with acidity. Luka is full-bodied and very smooth, carrying cherries and wild berries alongside spice and oaky, smoky, toasty notes, and pours deep ruby with violet hues.

Yes. Luka is a dry red made from 100% Saperavi grapes harvested in Kakheti, Georgia, at 13.5% alcohol.

Saperavi is Georgia's principal red grape, indigenous to the country and grown above all in Kakheti. It is a teinturier variety, meaning its flesh is red as well as its skin, and one of the very few such grapes anywhere made as a single-varietal wine. That is why Saperavi wines are so deeply colored. It appears in three Lanchava Collection wines: Luka, AI IA Red and Anastasia.

Both are dry Saperavi wines from Kakheti. The difference starts in the vineyard: AI IA Red comes from younger vines, which gives a lighter and fruitier wine, led by cherry, berry and red plum over soft tannins. Luka is the fuller-bodied expression, with oak, smoke and spice over cherry and berry.

Red meat, pasta, bold cheeses, and roasted vegetables.

Serve Luka 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: Cabernet Sauvignon, for the structure, the dark fruit and the full body. Saperavi is not Cabernet. It is a teinturier grape, red in the flesh as well as the skin, which is why the color runs so deep, and it carries higher acidity and a more savory, spiced finish.

Luka is sold in the United States through Total Wine & More, typically around $20.99 for a 750ml bottle. Retail price varies by state and store.