Kakheti

Eastern Georgia, the country's principal wine region, between the Greater Caucasus mountains and the Alazani river.

Continental: hot, dry summers and moderately cold winters; the Caucasus moderates the climate.

Kakheti is where winemaking began, some 8,000 years ago. This fertile valley in eastern Georgia - near the Caucasus mountains - preserves the ancient tradition of making wine in qvevri, or large clay amphorae.

Today Georgia's qvevri wines are a global sensation, and Kakheti's Saperavi reds have earned renown.

For the buyer, Kakheti is a window into wine's earliest origins - and a source of fascinating, robust reds and amber whites.

Terroir & Soil

Diverse, from clay to the region's red-brown earth; the traditional qvevri vessels are buried underground.

What to Expect from the Wines

· Kakheti is Georgia's cradle of wine - the birthplace of winemaking, with 8,000 years of tradition.
· It is famous for its amber wines made in qvevri (clay amphorae) using the ancestral method.
· Saperavi is the great Georgian red; Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane the classic whites.

Remarkable Bottles from Kakheti

Shalvino Qvevri Amber Rkatsiteli

Kakheti · 2024 (representative vintage)

Shalvino Qvevri Amber Rkatsiteli is an white wine from Georgia, in the Kakheti region (Eastern Georgia, the country's principal wine region, between the Greater Caucasus mountains and the Alazani river.), made principally from Rkatsiteli. An 8,000-year-tradition amber wine fermented in clay qvevri — the ancestral skin-contact white.

$20–$30 est. retail

Kakheti Saperavi

Kakheti · 2024 (representative vintage)

Kakheti Saperavi is an red wine from Georgia, in the Kakheti region (Eastern Georgia, the country's principal wine region, between the Greater Caucasus mountains and the Alazani river.), made principally from Saperavi. a house-style Kakheti saperavi that showcases the grape in this region.

$14–$34 est. retail

Kakheti Rkatsiteli

Kakheti · 2024 (representative vintage)

Kakheti Rkatsiteli is an white wine from Georgia, in the Kakheti region (Eastern Georgia, the country's principal wine region, between the Greater Caucasus mountains and the Alazani river.), made principally from Rkatsiteli. a house-style Kakheti rkatsiteli that showcases the grape in this region.

$12–$28 est. retail

Kakheti Kisi

Kakheti · 2024 (representative vintage)

Kakheti Kisi is an white wine from Georgia, in the Kakheti region (Eastern Georgia, the country's principal wine region, between the Greater Caucasus mountains and the Alazani river.), made principally from Kisi. a house-style Kakheti kisi that showcases the grape in this region.

$12–$28 est. retail

Kakheti Mtsvane

Kakheti · 2024 (representative vintage)

Kakheti Mtsvane is an white wine from Georgia, in the Kakheti region (Eastern Georgia, the country's principal wine region, between the Greater Caucasus mountains and the Alazani river.), made principally from Mtsvane. a house-style Kakheti mtsvane that showcases the grape in this region.

$12–$28 est. retail

Kakheti Saperavi Riserva

Kakheti · 2024 (representative vintage)

Kakheti Saperavi Riserva is an red wine from Georgia, in the Kakheti region (Eastern Georgia, the country's principal wine region, between the Greater Caucasus mountains and the Alazani river.), made principally from Saperavi. a reserve-tier Kakheti saperavi that represents the region's premium bottled expression.

$45–$90 est. retail

Food Pairing

· Saperavi pairs with grilled lamb, Georgian khachapuri and smoky stews.
· Amber qvevri whites are superb with spicy, aromatic cuisine.
· Rkatsiteli white suits the region's hearty dishes.

Buying from Kakheti

› Look for the qvevri-method wines from the family cellars of the region.
› Saperavi is the signature red - powerful, tannic and distinctive.
› Kisi and Mtsvane are the region's blooming whites.