The wonders of Georgian wine

With evidence of the technique reaching back 8000 years, it's easy to see why winemaking is a part of Georgia's national identity. Georgians take great pride in continuing to produce their wines the old-fashioned way. Here, the grapes are crushed, and the entire mixture—including seeds, peel, and stems—is transported to sizable clay pots called qvevri and buried for many months to ferment. The procedure produces wines with a significantly deeper color and a more "natural" flavor. There are numerous locations where wine drinkers can try a few different types. The country's long-standing custom of fermenting grape juice in kvevris—clay containers—has been added to UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Georgian grape types are used to create both European-style and qvevri wines at the winery Khareba in the eastern Kakheti area. Wines are aged and stored in the ideal circumstances provided by an underground tunnel dug into the mountain during the Soviet era, which is located within the expansive hillside winery's gorgeously planted grounds. A considerably more modest, family-run business, Iago's Winery in Mtskheta creates a small quantity of wines from Chinuri grapes cultivated in Iago's own vineyard. Intimate wine tastings and wonderful Georgian cuisine are given in a cozy atmosphere throughout these visits.

And if you're up for it, try some chacha, a vibrant spirit made from the pulp left over from the fermentation of grapes. But be careful—homemade versions can contain up to 65% alcohol. Greetings and cheers!