The FINANCIAL – Khvanchkara is possibly one of the most renowned and best-quality wines in Georgia. Khvanchkara wine draws its name from the village in which it is produced, situated in the Ambrolauri region of Racha, on the right bank of the river Rioni, and protected by high cliffs. This ancient winery can show any…

Known as the “cradle of wine,” Georgia’s winemaking heritage traces as far back as 6,000 B.C.E. Indigenous varietals like Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane are making waves in natural wine bars stateside, but it’s the nation’s skin-contact orange wines, made using traditional Qvevri, that will really appeal to wine geeks. The country’s best oenotourism takes place in…

Tucked between the Black and Caspian Seas and in the shadow of Europe’s highest mountains you’ll find Georgia—a tiny country with an astounding culinary heritage and a winemaking tradition tracing back eight millennia. We’ll be delving into this appetizing wonderland as spring bursts on the scene in all its seasonal glory—perhaps the most inspiring time…

“Orange wine has been around for centuries — it’s been produced in the republic of Georgia for thousands of years, and more recently made in Italy, Slovenia, and even Long Island, NY. It’s been sneaking its way into the menus of trendy restaurants and wine bars for the past couple years but never really had…

A fifth wine engaged me in a tug of war for three days, but the importer has apparently gone out of business, so I don’t include it here. But I’ll remind you of two of my favorite wines from Georgia: Baia’s Wine Tsolikouri 2017 and Dila-O Rkatsiteli-Mtsvane Dry Amber Wine 2017 (I raved about the…

WHEN AND WHERE were the first grapes cultivated, pressed, fermented and imbibed? Of the many contenders for that distinction, the following six places are consistently among the most frequently cited. Whether any of these is the true birthplace of winemaking—newly unearthed evidence perpetually upends our understanding of vinous history—we must judge the wines made there…

Georgian bakers typically achieve this cheese-filled flatbread’s light and airy texture using a simple, unleavened dough that is stretched paper-thin, then layered with melted butter like strudel or phyllo. But according to Carla Capalbo, from whose book, Tasting Georgia: A Food and Wine Journey in the Caucasus, this recipe was adapted, a ready-made, all-butter puff…

Zurab Chkadua was acting as the tamada, the toastmaster, for a traditional Georgian supra at his house in Lakhamula village in the Svaneti region of northwestern Georgia. The job is sort of like being both a pastor and a quarterback for a dinner party. He had just instructed us to raise our glasses and give…

Today, though large pots for fermenting wine are made in Italy, the Republic of Georgia, and even Oregon, the art has been lost in Portugal. “You go sleuthing [for talhas] down in the local villages, literally knocking on people’s doors, because they are a vestige of the past,” says Evan Goldstein, a Master Sommelier and…

About a decade ago, Noel Brockett got an education in a subject he never thought he’d study: How to give a toast. It turns out, there’s a lot more to it than raising a glass and calling out “cheers” — especially for a tamada, or toastmaster responsible for leading traditional Georgian feasts, also known as…