Showing posts with label Georgian Wine House. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Georgian Wine House. Show all posts

Monday, July 15, 2019

Natural Wine at the Old Westminster Winery's Summer Solstice Festival

"Natural Wine is farmed organically (biodynamically, using permaculture or the like) and made (or rather transformed) without adding or removing anything in the cellar. No additives or processing aids are used, and ‘intervention’ in the naturally occurring fermentation process is kept to a minimum. As such neither fining nor (tight) filtration are used. The result is a living wine – wholesome and full of naturally occurring microbiology." -- Raw Wine

On June 22nd, Maryland's Old Westminster Winery hosted the inaugural Summer Solstice Festival featuring natural wines from across the globe. The event was held at the winery's Burnt Hill Farm which is their second vineyard but the first farmed using biodynamic practices. Once mature, the harvested grapes will be processed with little or no intervention in the cellar and Old Westminster will produce Maryland's first natural wines.

But what is Natural Wine? When asked, representatives at the festival provided multiple definitions starting with either organically or biodynamically farmed grapes and finishing with various levels of winemaking intervention. Some stressed the importance of using zero sulfites which are used as a preservative and stabilizer. Others believe that a minimal amount of sulfites are allowable right before bottling but not during other stages of the winemaking process. Most representatives stressed the use of native yeast although some were inoculated with yeast cultures. Many of the natural wines were cloudy as a result of non-filtering whereas others were clean which suggest the use of a clarifying agent such as egg whites or isinglass (made from fish bladders).

As a result of these various practices, the wines were quite diverse ranging from cloudy and funky to clean and very traditional. I tended to prefer the latter as I felt the funkier styles provided excuses for traditional winemaking faults such as volatile acidity and reduction. These "faults" are counter-intuitive in the same wine since reduced winemaking is a method to prevent volatile acidity by reducing the amount of oxygen available for bacteria to create acetic acid.  However, in some cases, the reduced notes did not blow off after swirling and remained in tandem with the vinegar notes. In other wines where the effects of reduction did blow off, the funkiness sometimes overwhelmed the fruit flavors. But in the natural wine world, when the fruit and funk mingle more gracefully, the wines are greeted with acclaim.

During a pre-festival #WineStudio Twitter tasting that ran through June, we sampled the contrasting styles with the Old Westminster 2017 Home Vineyard Cabernet Franc and their 2018 Heirloom. Whereas both were bottled unfined and unfiltered the Cab Franc provided a more traditional profile full of fruit flavors with balanced tannins and acidity. I wish more East Coast wineries could replicate this excellent wine. On the other hand, the 77% Chardonnay, 12% Albarino, and 11% Muscat blend in the Heirloom was funkier in style perhaps from fermenting with native yeast and took quite a few sips to comprehend. I am well acclimated with this style in cider and beer - but not so much with wine.

So quite naturally at the Summer Solstice, I drifted towards the more traditional wines starting with Oregon's Brooks Winery. The Estate Vineyard for this Williamette Valley winery was certified by Demeter for Biodynamic farming principles in 2012. And in the cellar, they utilize low intervention winemaking practices but release very clean and traditional wines as evident by the Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Pinot Noir. These wines are delicious and represent the grape profiles perfectly. Brooks also provides an original profile indicator on their website which displays color-coded bar charts representing aroma and flavor.

Nearby, the Georgian Wine House was pouring similarly delicious wines from this ancient country located in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. The Georgian winemaking tradition is known for using qvevri vessels to ferment and age the wine. If a white wine is aged with prolonged skin contact then the resulting wine becomes light orange in color with more depth in flavor. Naotari Winery specializes in this technique and the family operation (Koba Kvatchrelishvili and his two sons, Rezo and Alex) releases the Khikhvi Blend 2016 natural wine. This blend of Rkatsiteli, Kisi, and Khikhvi is fermented with native yeast, is unfiltered, and undergoes zero intervention or added sulfite. Yet it is full of stone fruit aromas and flavors with no traces of volatile acidy or reduction.

Similarly, Chona’s Marani Winery is another family venture producing natural wines like the Rkatsiteli 2017 and Mtsvane-Rkatsiteli Blend 2017. Pure, clean, and delicious wines. Finally, sisters Baia and Gvanca showed two excellent wines in the Baia's Wine and Gvanca's Wine with Baia focusing on white wine and Gvanca red. The Gvanca's Wine Otskhanuri Sapere 2017 exudes sour cherries and not in a funky way. The Baia's Wine Tsolikouri 2018 is also fermented with wild yeast, unfiltered, and uses very low levels of sulfites that provides clean citrus and apple flavors with refreshing acidity.

Traveling towards the Mediterranean there was another brilliant natural wine from Turkey imported by Siema Wines. Mustafa Çamlica founded Chamlija Winery in "2000 in the small Thracian town of Büyükkarıştıran, and planted his vineyards throughout the decomposed granite soils of the Strandja Massif, near where Turkey meets Bulgaria". At the festival, Siema poured this winery's Papaskarasi Rosé - a rare indigenous Turkish grape variety. This delicate wine provides a soft texture to its strawberry profile finishing with refreshing clean acids. And the distinct label was drawn by Çamlica's daughter Irem - a renowned artist in Turkey.


Siema poured another clean and textured wine, this time from the Friuli region of Italy. Borgo San Daniele is operated by the brother and sister team of Mauro and Alessandra who do not use chemical products in their vineyard and minimalistic techniques during vinification. Their Mauri Vignaioli Friulano (formerly called Tocai Friulano) is complex with a soft fruit and almond profile and finishing with elegance.

So cheers to these clean and fresh natural wines and Old Westminster Winery for hosting a fantastic event. 

Friday, January 11, 2013

Discovering Georgian Wines for #winechat

Quick question? What is the oldest known vinifera wine grape? Muscat. Maybe. One from Greece - perhaps Agiorgitiko? Maybe. How about Rkatsiteli - where clay vessels in the Republic of Georgia have been found that contain Rkatsiteli seeds which date back to 6,000 BC (A Short History of Wine). And  Jancis Robinson The Oxford Companion to Wine, 3rd Edition states that the wine tradition finds its roots in the valleys of the South Caucasus - its not far fetched to believe that Rkatsiteli is one of the first vinifera wine grapes. Yet Rkatsiteli is just one of 500 unique Georgian grape varieties; perhaps one is   even older. Moving forward, Georgian wine is mentioned in Greek literature,particularly when Jason finds "fountains of wine" there on his quest for the Golden Fleece. The wine culture is further encouraged in the 4th century AD by the spread of Christianity in Georgia by St. Nino from Cappadocia, who wore a cross made from vine stems. Being pottery experts, the Georgians mastered qvevri, clay vessels used to ferment and age wine.

My first contact with Georgian wine came through the Georgian Wine House who poured at several successive Washington D.C. Food & Wine Festivals.Then I learned that Horton Vineyards grew Rkatsiteli in their Gordonsville Virginia vineyard and that they had gotten the idea from drinking Rkatsiteli from Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars. This ancient grape was one of the first planted to prove that vinifera grapes could survive and prosper in the Finger Lakes. I was hooked. Needing a red partner, I naturally turned to Saperavi, the most popular red Georgian wine grape that is used in popular semi-sweet to dry wines.


When asked to host #winechat, Georgian wine and their American counterparts seemed a perfect topic. Representatives from the Georgian Wine House, Horton Vineyards, Dr. Frank, Standing Stone Vineyards, and Castle Hill Cider agreed to participate.Why the last two? Standing Stone is the only grower of Saperavi in the United States and Castle Hill is the only American user of Kvevri vessels. Before the chat we sampled ten wines and used them as a reference during the conversation.

Teliani Valley Tsinandali 2010 (SRP $10). Georgian wines are usually blends and named for the region or village so Tsinandali is the appellation and the wine is composed of 80% Rkatsiteli & 20% Mtsvane. This wine is made in the Western style so fermented in stainless steel with no skin contact. The Mtsvane provides a more floral bouquet, while the  Rkatsiteli provides structure and acidity. And at the price, a great bargain.

Vinoterra Rkatsiteli 2011 (SRP $13). This wine is produced in the traditional Georgian  method where the wine is fermented and  macerated on skins for 6 months within qvevri vessels. This skin contact produces an orange coloring to the wine which many falsely think as oxidized. Not here. The wine has a somewhat spicy, apricot aroma with a mild tannic finish. Since most Georgians consume white wine this one is made to hold up to red meats - particularly lamb. Did I mention Rkatsiteli translates to Red Horn? Interesting factoid.

Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars 2010 Rkatsiteli (SRP $15). The first Rkatsiteli produced in the United States, this wine is slightly sweeter than the previous two. It has an intriguing  grapefruit\orange aroma with a crisp acidic finish that balances the sugar. 

Horton Vineyards 2011 Rkatsiteli (SRP $15). This wine is made from estate grapes growing right in front of the winery and a full Monticello AVA wine. 2011 was a poor growing year in Virginia so this wine has more skin contact because of the condition of the fruit. It is also semi-dry at 1.8% RS and possesses a similar grapefruit\orange aroma. Very flavorful with the required acids to balance the sugar.



Teliani Valley Unfiltered Saperavi 2007 (SRP $19). Saperavi is translated as dye or black (wine) and in the glass seems as dark as Norton. This wine is from the Tsinandali sub-region of the larger Kakheti region - which is responsible for a large percentage of Georgian wine production. Like the previous Teliani Valley wine, this one is made for the Western market (fermented in stainless steel; aged 6 month in new French oak).  Here we first encountered the standard sour cherry nose representative of Saperaviand the muscular tannins. This is a big wine.

Vinoterra Saperavi 2008 (SRP $22). Moving to an even bigger wine that was decanted an hour before tasting, this wine was produced using a combination of new and traditional methods. The juice was macerated on their skins for 18 days; fermented in qvevri; then sealed for six months. At that point the wine is racked into 75% new French oak and 25% neutral oak. The result is a larger sour cherry profile on the nose and through the palette. The tannins are smoother - but the oak treatment is noticeable throughout.

Vinoterra Saperavi Selection 2009 (SRP $24). Here is a 100% traditional Georgian wine made from 50 year old vines and fermented and aged in qvevri. No oak treatment. The result (also decanted one hour ) is a surprisingly fruity and earthy wine, with lower tannins and more finesse. Seems like the oak in the 2008 may have masked the earthy characteristics of the fruit. This was my favorite Saperavi for the evening.


Standing Stone Vineyards The Dark Red (SRP $30). The only Saperavi produced in the United States, the winery first thought of this grape as a side-kick to Pinot Noir.  When they learned how cold hardy and productive it was, a single varietal wine was in the cards. This wine has the traditional sour cherry nose, but with a less tannic and more fruity profile than the Georgians. This is a party fun - easy drinking.

 Teliani Valley Kindzmarauli 2011 (SRP $15). This is a semi-sweet Saperavi made in the Kindzmarauli micro zone in Kakheti. Grown at a higher elevation this wine has great acidity and all natural sugar - coming in at 2.5% RS and 11.5% alcohol. This is an easy drinking wine and is no surprise its the top seller in their portfolio. Dark chocolate, here we come.


A very nice assortment of wines - both from the Republic of Georgia and the United States. And with affordable SRPs, there's no excuse to start your Georgian wine experience. Cheers.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

#winechat - Rkatsiteli and Saperavi - from Georgia to America

#winechat will reconvene in 2013 on January 9th with a focus on the birthplace of wine-making - the Republic of Georgia - where archeologists have unearthed viticulture artifacts from 5,000 to 8,000 years old. Accompanied by the Georgian Wine House, we will discuss Kvevri terracota vessels, the popular Rkatsiteli and Saperavi grapes, and counterfeit wines. Georgian wines are available through Potomac Wines & Spirits. Rkatsiteli and Saperavi have also migrated to the United States where a handful of wineries cultivate and vinify these grapes. We hope to have representatives from Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars (NY), Standing Stone Vineyards (NY), Horton Vineyards (VA), Tomasello Winery (NJ) and Avanguardia Wines (CA) as well as Castle Hill Cider, who utilize Georgian Kveri terracota fermenting containers in their Keswick Virginia cidery. We are looking forward to seeing everyone online on the 9th - 9PM ET on Twitter.

Update: Facebook event describing the wine is now available #WineChat talking Rkatsiteli & Saperavi