Kakheti

**Kakheti** in eastern Georgia is the country's most important wine region, at the centre of a winemaking culture that reaches back thousands of years. **Wines & grapes** — The dark-skinned Saperavi makes deep, robust reds, while Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane give the whites; many are made in the traditional amber (or "orange") style with extended skin contact. **Character** — What sets Kakheti apart is the ancient *qvevri* method, in which grapes ferment and age in large clay vessels buried in the ground, giving whites a tannic grip and savoury, nutty character unlike almost anywhere else. **Good to know** — Georgia is often described as one of the birthplaces of wine, and the qvevri tradition is recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.

Wines

• Classic Method Brut Reserve — Mildiani Family Winery
• GRW Saperavi — Georgian Royal Wine
• Khikhvi — SIMI
• Khikhvi — Winiveria
• Mtsvane Qvevri — Tsinandali Estate
• Orange — Bedoba
• Poliphonia — Pheasant's Tears
• Rkatsiteli Dry Amber Wine from Old Vineyards — Orgo
• Rkatsiteli Qvevri — Kakhuri Gvinis Marani
• Saperavi — Bedoba
• Saperavi Qvevri Old Vineyards — Rustaveli Shilda Winery
• Saperavi Taoba — Ilia Estate
• Tsinandali — Tsinandali Estate