The wave of natural and orange wines that has swept the wine scene around the globe has an advantage for Georgian winemakers: the country is considered the inventor of this style, which is now in vogue worldwide, especially among a younger audience. To this day, the tradition of vinification in large clay vessels (qvevri) dug into the ground continues, even though a modern, high-performance wine industry has long since established itself in Georgia, which is strongly export-oriented. The fertile Caucasus region is considered the cradle of viticulture, with vines said to have been cultivated here for 8000 years.

As part of the USSR, the area under vines reached 125,000 hectares after World War II, with around three quarters of the production exported to Russia. After the declaration of independence and a Russian embargo, the area under cultivation fell to 55,000 hectares, yielding about two million hectolitres of wine. About 350 of today’s 1,600 registered wineries export about 100 million bottles of wine to 53 countries. The number of grape varieties in Georgia is unmanageable, with officials speaking of more than 525 autochthonous varieties. White wines are produced in the dominant wine-growing region of Kakheti mainly from the varieties Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane Kakhuri, with the top red variety called Saperavi. In Kakheti, viticulture is practised on a grand scale on both sides of the Alazani River; around 80% of Georgian wine is produced here on about 70% of the total vineyard area, and Kakheti is only one of ten wine-growing regions. Of the 24 Protected Denominations of Origin (PDO), no less than 18 are located in Kakheti.

The white grape variety Kisi originates in Kakheti, where it is widespread in the districts of Akhmeta, Kvareli and Telavi. Stone fruit and citrus fruits mark the bouquet and when matured in qvevris, yellow tropical fruit, apricot, pear and nutty notes are added. The character is rather restrained, the acidity discreet, the finish mineral, Kisi a versatile food wine with a number of similarities to the Austrian Neuburger. Khikhvi is mainly widespread in Kakheti, but can also be found in Kartlia, around the capital Tbilisi, and is characterised by yellow fruits and floral notes in the bouquet, and produces juicy qvevri wines with aromas of dried fruits. It also has an accentuated minerality and materiality.

But it is not only wine and viticulture that have centuries of tradition here; toasts and table culture also have deep roots. Conviviality and joie de vivre are almost taken for granted among Georgians, and this is demonstrated at every celebration. The supra, for example, the traditional Georgian feast, is accompanied by many different toasts and ancient rituals: the tamada presides as toast leader and opens the feast by solemnly announcing the theme of the evening. During many supras, a drinking horn, the khantsi, is passed around and its contents consumed, with personal toasts following on from the tamada; these toasts can be poetic, funny, or even cheeky, with the imagination given complete free rein. What counts is the togetherness, the laughter, and the exchange of thoughts. Drinking wine at the festive table is thus a tradition, culture and pleasure in equal measure, as well as a means of getting to the bottom of life's deep questions together. In this sense: Gaumarjos! (Georgian for cheers, for the good).