I may be going on a business trip to Tbilisi in Georgia (part of old USSR on the Black Sea) later this year.
I was wondering if anybody had any information on their wines, wine culture, methods, etc. - What region is their grape growing area? - What varietals do they have that are acceptable? - Do they have taste rooms and tours as in Napa, California? - Any recommendations as to the best wines to try/buy? - Anything to avoid?
Thanks Bryan
There are five wine regions: Kakheti - the biggie in the East Kartli - near Tblisi Imereti - in the West, known for fortified wines Racha-Lechkumi - in the North, makes sweet wines Black Sea - sweet wines
Saperavi and Rkatsiteli are probably the best known, the former making off-dry red wines (Pirosmani) and the latter crisp, floral white wines.
Don't bet on it. Maybe the ones with serious investment from out of the country, but any traditional winemakers probably operate out of their home and employ little or no help.
My very limited experience suggests that Rkatsiteli can make a decent wine. More knowledgeable posters can probably tell you more.
Yup. Anything from the Soviet era, or anything too sweet.
HTH, Mark Lipton
The best Russian wines before the Soviet era came from Georgia. Several from this era were auctioned in London in the early 1990s, and some also appeared in secondary auctions in the US. These were all dessert wines from the estates of the Tsar and other great families. Muscats from the Imperial Massandra Estate were reported to be outstanding, and several wines of the sherry, port, and madeira types were reported to be very good. You are likely to find such relics only at special auctions, mainly in the UK, if you can find them at all.
The Russians make a lot of sparkling wines, many sweetish, but some dry. It might be worth tasting a few of these if you can find someone in Russia to help you sort through the many so-so sparkling wines to find a few decent ones at a reasonable price.
Salut/Hi Spyderwebb50,
Sorry if this sounds a cavalier answer.
le/on Thu, 15 Jun 2006 15:47:19 -0400, tu disais/you said:-
Everything.
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