When we talk about Georgian wine, diversity is the word that immediately comes to mind. This small country has an incredible range of wine styles thanks to its diverse natural landscapes and climatic conditions. Here, there is a perfect balance of everything from sub-tropical to continental climates, seaside to semi-desert landscapes, and vineyards planted at the foothills of Caucasus Mountains or on the hills of the Racha region. Georgia has 10 wine regions: Kakheti, Kartli, Imereti, Racha-Lechkhumi, Meskheti, Guria, Kvemo Svaneti, Samegrelo, Adjara, and Abkhazia. Today, we will look at Ge ..read more

As in every part of the world, Christmas is a special celebration in Georgia. It’s a special day when families gather and homes are occupied by delicious Christmas flavours.  Food and wine are a major part of the festivities in Georgia. We don’t have one specific dish related to the Christmas celebration, like the American Thanksgiving Day relates to turkey. Us Georgians are pretty generous when we talk about festivities, as we cook of course for ourselves, but we also expect to share the happiness with our friends, relatives and neighbours. With this, every Georgian family prepares twic ..read more

The Georgian harvest is probably the noisiest and the busiest time for the cellar; when winemakers pray for sunny weather, each workday starts at 6:30 AM, team members become superheroes, and you witness the birth of the new vintage. What could be more exciting than the harvest joy? Follow us to learn more about the Georgian harvest, which we call Rtveli (რთველი).  The Rtveli process starts much earlier in the season than grape picking, and pre-harvest preparations play a crucial role in determining the wine quality. To begin the process, all the Qvevries, the clay pots where fermentatio ..read more

An ancient Georgian traditional winemaking method has made many wine enthusiasts, like you, curious to learn more about the hidden treasures of Georgian wine. Here are some of the main characteristics of Georgian wine to guide you through your discovery.  Traditional Georgian wines are made in Qvevri Qvevri is a clay vessel used for fermenting and aging white and red wines.  Almost all Georgian wines made through traditional winemaking technology include "Qvevri" on the main label. Some winemakers write it with K - "kvevri" on the title, but ultimately, both spellings indicate the s ..read more

For many years, რთველი (Rtveli), a Georgian grape harvest holiday, brought locals and tourists together to pay homage to the ancient tradition of winemaking.  This year,  though without tourists, Georgian farmers have just finished collecting a record number of grapes, over 280,000 tons to be more precise, which does not even include grapes harvested for private use. (Something that should never be underestimated in a country where making wine at home is as familiar as melting cheese fondue in Swiss household.)  Rtveli would usually start in early September and end around the s ..read more

ნიგვზის საკმაზი / Nigvzis Sakmazi Walnut pasta is a cornerstone of much Georgian food. One of our favorites, especially during summer, is the cucumber and tomato salad with walnut sauce.  ნიგვზის საკმაზი / Nigvzis Sakmazi MAKES about 240ml/ 8f oz /1 cup  PREPARATION 10 minutes 150g / 5oz /1½ cups walnut halves  12g /⅓oz / 3 garlic cloves, or more to taste tsp coriander seeds, crushed  ¼ tsp ground fenugreek  1 tsp salt 1 tbsp chopped mint 3 tbsp chopped coriander/ cilantro leaves 1 tsp minced dill fresh chilli, to taste ¼ cup water Combine all the ingredient ..read more

Mtsvane Lobio მწვანე ლობიო  This easy recipe is perfect for a relaxed summer’s lunch when green beans and tomatoes are abundant and full of flavour.  SERVES 4-6 PREPARATION 15 minutes COOK 30 minutes   600g green, string or runner beans 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 30g/2tbsp butter 115 g red onion, chopped 300g tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped 1/2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed 4 eggs, beaten 20g finely chopped coriander/cilantro salt and freshly ground black pepper Steam or boil the beans until they are cooked the way you like them. Remove the beans from the p ..read more

Ajapsandali (a-ZHAP-sahn-DOLL-ee) აჯაფსანდალი  This colorful vegetable stew resembles ratatouille but combines root and summer vegetables (and has no courgettes/zucchini). The vegetables cook together: cut them into good-size chunks, so they retain their flavours and bite. What makes it, so Georgian is the number of fresh herbs that bring it to life. The original recipe calls for a whole head of garlic, but I find that’s too much unless you have fragrant fresh garlic, so use as much as you like. Ajapsandali is as good cold as it is hot or warm.  SERVES 8–10 at a supra PREPA ..read more

A Neolithic jar © Mindia Jalabadze/Georgian National Museum Known as the "cradle of wine," Georgia has been producing organic Qvevri wines almost since the birth of civilization. To understand just how ancient the winemaking tradition in Georgia is, here are some of the most important events that took place between the timeline of the 6th millennium B.C.  and the 4th Century, A.D. The 6th millennium B.C. - Archaeological excavations in the South Caucasus region of Georgia uncovered the evidence of grape pips. Their morphological and ampelographic characteristics were identical to th ..read more

Your complete guide to making the beloved Megrelian Khachapuri: Ingredients:⁣ 200 Gram white flour⁣ 1/2 teaspoon yeast 1/4 teaspoon salt⁣ One egg yolk⁣ 50 grams unsalted butter⁣ Warm water ⁣ An alternative for traditional Georgian cheese:⁣ 200 grams fresh mozzarella ⁣ 100 grams Greek feta ⁣ ⁣ Step 1 To make the dough: Combine flour, yeast, and a bit of salt. Then add warm water and knead the dough until homogeneous. Periodically add some oil as needed to make the dough softer. Cover with plastic wrap and allow rising until doubled in bulk, about an hour. Punch the dough down with your fist ..read more