We just got in a huge shipment of Georgian wines, so I thought I’d give a brief overview of this small country and talk about one of my favorite producers.

The Republic of Georgia has a rich history of resilience that has seeped into its culture. Located in the Fertile Crescent, it has been caught between eleven wars since declaring its independence from Russia in 1993, by whom it’s still being occupied.

Georgia is known for its diversity in both food and wine, boasting a plethora of delicious dishes as well as over 400 grape varieties for wine. However, behind the iron curtain of the Soviet Union, its rich culture was replaced by homogeny as mass production demands forced Georgians to destroy their vineyards and replant Saperavi and Rkatsiteli grapes in excess. To this day, most of the wine produced in Georgia comes from these varieties.

Most winemakers complied with the demands of their new governance and quickly Georgia became a land of generic wines. However, the country’s quiet and determined resurgence has shed light on a minority of winemakers who did not destroy their vineyards but hid them from the Soviets instead. Iago is one of these people.

An owner of two hectares of 60-year-old Chinuri vines, Georgian winemaker Iago Bitarishvili is ecstatic to share his family’s wine with the world. Iago produces all of his wine in Qvevri (buried handmade amphora), is completely zero/zero in both the gardening and vinification, and owns the first organically certified vineyard in Georgia. Chinuri is named after its ripe, oily green color and Iago firmly believes Chinuri to be among the best in the world. Besides its delicious taste and pairing capabilities, it is versatile and able to be vinified as both a white and orange wine. Iago claims the skin maceration is a natural filtration which is why his wines come out so clean. The final product is elegant and expressive, with a texture that is so unique that it can only be described as his own. If you’ve ever wondered what effect skin maceration has on wines, these wines will help answer that question. Iago uses the same grape, vineyard, and cellar to produce exactly two different wines: one white and one skin macerated orange. He only produces 5,000 bottles a year, so experience them while they are here! We also have a couple bottles of a rare wine from his wife Marina, a white/red blend of Chinuri and Takveri that drinks as a savory, old school rosé.

Georgia is still being occupied by Russia to this day, but people like Iago are fighting back by bringing Georgia’s rich culture to the forefront of the world. The best part is that there are many more to come.

Jean-Paul

If you’d like to order any bottles, give us a call at (773.360.8365), email us, or see what's currently in stock on the online store . Here’s what is available:

Iago Chinuri 2019 ($23) (out)

Iago/Marina Mtsvane 2019 ($23) (out)

Iago/Marina Takveri Chinuri 2019 ($23) (out)

P.S. I made a short 8 minute documentary about Georgia in college a while ago if anyone is interested in learning more about their culture and winemaking!

Iago's Wine