02.03.2015 (Hvino News). Food Republic - an American "site for people who want to eat and drink well, and to live smart" - has recently published a list entitled "16 Important Names To Know In Natural Wine (Plus An Entire Country)", authored by Richard Martin and Chad Walsh.
The "entire country" mentioned in the title is Georgia, which occupies position #5 in the list. The paragraph on Georgia reads:
5. The Entire Country of Georgia
Although recent discoveries indicate that the oldest known winery was actually in Azerbaijan, Georgia has perhaps the world's longest continuous history of winemaking (much of which would be considered "natural" now, as there is no other option when the stuff is made by individual families with small plots of grapes). Producers in this ex-Soviet Union state are not only reviving old traditions but also incorporating Western European and New World expertise.
The most natural wines are those made in the Kvevri (also Qvevri), very large amphorae often buried into the ground. The grapes, red and white, go in with their skins and all, and fermentation occurs naturally. The results can be varied, and drinkers who turn their nose up at oxidized styles of wine like sherry may not enjoy the strangely colored whites, but the beguiling wildness of the reds doesn’t require any particular palate to appreciate. I might, though, prefer the cleaner expressions of local varieties like Mtsvani and Rkatsiteli, but because of the still-limited access we have to the wines, it’s tough to recommend a specific wine or producer. Keep your eye out and try one if you seen it on a wine list written by someone you like or on the shelf of a store you trust.The complete list of natural wine-makers may be found here.
Richard Martin is editorial director of Food Republic, a website which "explores the culture of food through stories, interviews, global conversations, and experiences".
This coverage is yet another case of boosting Georgian wines' popularity in the U.S. mass medias, which we are observing since beginning of 2015.
Last month a Georgian wine from the same winemaker (who is a U.S. citizen residing in Georgia) was mentioned in The New York Times' list of wines. Also last January Hvino News reported that Forbes Magazine included the Georgian wines in its top wines list, see "Forbes" includes Georgian wines in its "9 Best Wines and Spirits to Start Drinking in 2015". In addition to coverage by NYT and Forbes, Voice of America published a video clip entitled "Georgian Wines Make Forbes List of 'Best to Drink in 2015', see here.
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