Georgia’s territorial and climate conditions are optimal for wine-making. Extreme weather conditions are quite rare and unusual – summers tend to be warm and sunny, while winters are mild and frost-free. Natural springs abound, and the Caucasian Mountain streams drain mineral-rich water into the valleys. Georgia’s moderate climate and moist air, influenced by the Black Sea, provides the best conditions for vine cultivating. The soil in vineyards is usually so intensively cultivated that the grape vines grow up to the trunks of fruit trees, eventually hanging down along the fruit as they ripen. There are five main regions of viniculture in Georgia, the principal region being Kakheti, producing seventy percent of Georgian grapes. The other four regions include Imereti, Racha-Lechkhumi, Guria-Samegrelo and Adjara. Traditionally, Georgian wines carry the name of the source region, district or village, such as Tsinandali, Mukuzani or Kindzmarauli, but they can also be named after the grape varieties, such as Saperavi, Rkatsiteli or Kisi. Georgian wines are classified as sweet, semi-sweet, semi-dry, dry, fortified and sparkling. And, of course, there is also Qvevri wine that is totally different from anything you’ve ever tasted before
