The Kakheti region has so far attracted most attention to modern Georgian wine, but could the distinctive wines made in around the capital Tbilisi in Kartli be the country’s next big thing?
Visitors to the Caucasian country of Georgia—and especially those who are wine devotees—typically spend a few days in its bustling capital, Tbilisi, and then head eastward over the mountains for Kakheti. This powerhouse region is home to the amber (or orange) wines of extended skin contact, and it is where 70% of the country’s wine is produced. Most visitors have no clue that Tbilisi itself is in the center of a distinctive wine region: Kartli.
Known to classical authors as “Iberia,” Kartli was a separate kingdom from antiquity through to the 18th century, and it is now poised to rival its neighbor to the east in quality and accessibility. Yes, there are vines growing in the capital city, and plenty of people have little wine cellars (known as maranis) in their apartments, but it’s a short drive outside the city that the real action is taking place. Whether one heads north or south from Tbilisi, vineyards and serious wineries are less than an hour away. To the north, one finds the Ateni Gorge, Kartli’s first appellation (and Georgia’s only appellation for sparkling wine). To the south, the Stone Age settlement of Gadachrili Gora is testament to Georgia’s claim of being the birthplace of wine; it is there that archeologists unearthed clay shards and pottery with the
This Article was originally published on World of Fine Wine
