Wine Masterclasses

Who this is for

For those who love wine and want to understand its Georgian roots, and for those hearing about qvevri wine for the first time.

A lesson can be at beginner level, or a deep, professional conversation for winemakers and sommeliers.

Our involvement

We choose a winemaker, sommelier or wine bar by your level and language, and plan the timing and transport.

The host sets the price of the lesson and the wine, and you pay them directly. We add nothing to it, and our fee for helping is separate.

A lesson or a wine tour

A wine tour visits cellars and vineyards, tasting a little at each.

A masterclass is a deep conversation in one place with one teacher, comparing samples.

The two complement each other well, and we often combine them in one day.

History

In Kvemo Kartli, at the Gadachrili Gora settlement, remains of qvevri-like vessels with traces of wine have been found, dating to around the sixth millennium BC.

This discovery is considered one of the oldest known pieces of evidence of winemaking.

The teacher often adds to this story with an old qvevri or the tale of the grapevine cross.

The steps of tasting

The first step is the eye: you tilt the glass against a white background and look at the colour.

The second is the nose: you swirl the wine so the aroma opens, and breathe in twice.

The third is the mouth: you hold a small sip, draw in air and notice the length of the finish.

Colour

Qvevri white wine can range from golden to deep amber.

The colour tells of the length of skin contact and the wine's age.

Saperavi is so dark that you often cannot see the bottom of the glass, which is how it got its name.

Aroma

Georgian whites often show dried fruit, tea, honey and walnut.

Reds show sour cherry, black plum, forest berries and sometimes earthy notes.

An aroma wheel helps you find words for what your nose already senses.

Tannin and acidity

Tannin is the dryness you feel on your cheeks and gums.

Qvevri whites often have tannin, which European whites rarely do.

Acidity gives wine its life, and you feel it as your mouth waters.

The pace of tasting

With eight samples, swallowing every sip quickly tires the palate.

So a spittoon always stands on the table, and using it is perfectly normal.

Water and plain bread between samples cleanse the palate.

How a qvevri is made

Craftsmen shape a qvevri from clay by hand, and one large qvevri takes months to make.

Qvevri makers are few, and the craft is often passed down within the family.

A visit to a master's workshop is sometimes possible, which we check in advance.

Beeswax and cleaning

After firing, the qvevri is coated inside with hot beeswax.

After each season the qvevri is cleaned with water and, traditionally, a brush of cherry bark.

Cleanliness is everything here, as a qvevri serves a family for decades.

From harvest to press

Traditionally the picked grapes are trodden by foot in a satsnakheli, a large wooden trough.

The juice goes into the qvevri together with the skins, seeds and sometimes the stems.

This mixture is called chacha, and it gives the wine its colour and tannin.

Fermentation

Fermentation in a qvevri often begins with the grapes' natural yeast.

During fermentation the pomace rises to the surface and is stirred in several times a day.

Buried in the ground, the qvevri naturally keeps a stable temperature.

Sealing and ageing

After fermentation the qvevri is closed and sealed with earth or clay.

Kakhetian wine often stays on the pomace for several months, sometimes until spring.

During this time the wine clarifies on its own and gains character.

Racking and bottling

After ageing, the wine is separated from the pomace and moved to a clean qvevri or tank.

In a family cellar wine is often drunk straight from the qvevri, drawn with a ladle.

For bottling, the winemaker explains their choices on filtration and additions.

The Kakhetian method

The Kakhetian method means the longest contact with the pomace, sometimes including stems.

The result is a powerful, tannic, amber white wine.

This style astonishes some people at first, while others love it immediately.

The Imeretian method

In Imereti only part of the pomace is used, and the wine spends less time on the skins.

The Imeretian qvevri is often called a churi.

Imeretian wine is lighter, fresher and fruitier.

The European method

Much Georgian wine is also made the European way, in steel tanks, without skins.

Such white wine is pale, clean and fruity.

In a comparative tasting you try two styles of the same grape side by side.

Amber wine

Around the world, white wine macerated on its skins is called amber or orange wine.

Georgian qvevri wine is considered one of the sources of this style.

Amber wine works especially well with food, thanks to its tannin.

Natural wine

Many small winemakers work with minimal intervention: native yeast and little sulphite.

Natural wine is lively and sometimes surprising, and varies from bottle to bottle.

The term is not officially defined in the same way everywhere, so we ask the winemaker what they mean by it.

So many varieties

More than five hundred native grape varieties are recorded in Georgia.

A few dozen are grown commercially; the rest survive in collections and family vineyards.

At a lesson you often taste a variety that barely exists outside Georgia.

Rkatsiteli

Rkatsiteli is the most widespread white grape, especially in Kakheti.

In the European style it is light and fruity; in qvevri it is powerful and amber.

Comparing the two styles shows best what the qvevri does.

Mtsvane, Kisi and Khikhvi

Kakhetian Mtsvane is aromatic and floral, and often blended with Rkatsiteli.

Kisi and Khikhvi were once almost forgotten varieties, but today they are popular again.

In qvevri they give rich wine with fruit and honey tones.

Imereti's white grapes

Tsitska, Tsolikouri and Krakhuna are Imereti's main white grapes.

They make fresh, clean, fruity wine, and Tsitska is also used for sparkling wine.

These varieties show a different, more delicate face from the Kakhetian ones.

Saperavi

Saperavi is Georgia's main red grape, whose flesh itself is coloured.

It makes dry, semi-sweet, rosé and age-worthy wines.

Good Saperavi develops in the bottle over years.

Aleksandrouli and Mujuretuli

Racha's two red grapes, Aleksandrouli and Mujuretuli, are the basis of the famous Khvanchkara.

They are grown in small mountain vineyards, and the harvest is limited.

This wine is elegant and fruity, far lighter than Saperavi.

Western red grapes

Ojaleshi is a grape of Samegrelo, Chkhaveri of Guria and Adjara, and Otskhanuri Sapere of Imereti.

Chkhaveri is often made into rosé, while Ojaleshi gives a deep, velvety red.

These varieties are rare and often found only locally.

Appellations of origin

More than twenty wine appellations of origin are protected in Georgia.

Tsinandali is a dry white from Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane, while Mukuzani is a dry red from Saperavi.

An appellation means the wine comes from a specific place and specific grapes.

Semi-sweet wines

Kindzmarauli is a semi-sweet Kakhetian Saperavi, and Khvanchkara comes from Racha.

The sweetness of both is natural: fermentation is stopped before all the grape sugar is used up.

Many guests love these wines, and we always put them at the end of a tasting.

Kakheti

Kakheti is the country's largest wine region, with the Alazani Valley and the Gombori range.

Here are the most cellars and wine houses, from family-run to large.

In one day in Kakheti you see cellars of several styles and sizes.

Kartli

Kartli is close to Tbilisi and known for sparkling and light wines.

Learning about Kartli's wines is convenient on a half-day trip.

Some cellars here are close to historic fortresses.

Imereti

Imereti is known for lively, fresh white wine and small family cellars.

Winemakers here often work closely with qvevri makers.

An Imeretian masterclass is easy to reach from Kutaisi.

Racha-Lechkhumi

The mountain vineyards of Racha-Lechkhumi are small and steep.

Besides Khvanchkara, Lechkhumi wines are made here too, such as Tvishi from Tsolikouri.

A Racha wine day is often combined with a mountain tour.

The western coast

In Guria, Samegrelo and Adjara the wine tradition is often on a family scale.

The climate is humid, and vines sometimes climb trees, as in the old days.

You rarely taste these regions' wines on the tourist trail, which makes them especially interesting.

Wine and food

Amber wine suits walnut dishes, khachapuri and chicken chakapuli.

Saperavi goes with mtsvadi and meat khinkali, and a lighter red with lobio and mushrooms.

Semi-sweet wine goes with churchkhela and fruit, or a spicy Megrelian dish.

Chacha

Chacha is distilled from the pomace left over after winemaking.

Homemade chacha is strong, and its strength varies from bottle to bottle.

At the lesson you taste chacha in small measures and learn its place in the ritual of the table.

A lesson in Tbilisi

In Tbilisi's wine bars a ninety-minute lesson shows wines from different regions.

This is good when you have no time to leave the city.

The sommelier often pairs the wine with small bites.

A full day at a cellar

A full day starts in the vineyard, continues in the cellar and at the qvevri, and ends with a tasting and lunch.

In harvest season you can also take part in picking and pressing.

Such a day needs a transfer, and the driver waits until the very end.

Family cellar and wine house

At a family cellar the winemaker tells you everything personally, and the wine is often not even bottled.

A large wine house has technology, a collection of old bottles and a professional tasting room.

Seeing both gives the full picture of Georgian wine.

Professional courses

For wine professionals, in-depth multi-day courses on Georgian wine are held in Georgia.

Some organisations also offer international certification programmes.

We check the course's status and the recognition of its certificate in advance.

Language

Most sommeliers and winemakers teach in English or Russian.

At a family cellar in a village we often need an interpreter.

Learning the Georgian wine words - marani, qvevri, chacha, satsnakheli - is part of the lesson.

Group

A tasting is most comfortable for two to twelve people.

We split a large group into several tables, each with its own teacher.

A private lesson is best for professionals and deep interest.

Moderation and driving

Driving after a wine lesson is out of the question, so we always arrange a transfer.

The samples are small, but they add up over several cellars in a day.

A good breakfast before the lesson and water during it make everything easier.

Those who do not drink

For pregnant guests, those on medication and non-drinkers we prepare a grape juice or tea tasting.

You can explore a wine's aroma without drinking, and much of the lesson belongs to the nose.

Minors do not take part in wine tastings.

Buying wine

After the lesson you often buy the wine you liked directly from the winemaker.

We explain the rules for taking wine in your luggage and shipping it in the shopping section.

The winemaker gives you advice on storing qvevri wine.

A wine vocabulary

Marani is the wine cellar, satsnakheli the press, and churi the Imeretian qvevri.

Some researchers believe the word ghvino is related to the words for wine in European languages.

Knowing a few words warms your conversation with the winemaker considerably.

Online tasting

After you leave, an online tasting can be arranged with bottles bought in advance.

The sommelier guides you from the screen and answers your questions.

It is a good format for introducing Georgian wine to friends or colleagues.

For people living here

For residents, wine bars hold regular tastings and wine clubs.

It is a good way to learn Georgian wine systematically and meet new people.

Joining the harvest is a new experience every autumn.

Corporate tasting

For a company, a wine tasting rounds off the evening of a conference or team day.

Sometimes a blind tasting is held, in which teams identify the grape and region.

We always plan this format with an alcohol-free alternative.

Common mistakes

A wine lesson on an empty stomach, or at the end of a day tour when you are tired.

Drinking every sample to the bottom at an eight-wine tasting.

Judging Kakhetian qvevri wine by the yardstick of European white wine.

Timelines

We often book a wine bar lesson a day or two ahead.

We ask a family cellar or well-known winemaker a week ahead.

Harvest places fill from the summer.

What we need from you

Your level of wine knowledge and what interests you most.

The number of participants, language and who does not drink.

Dates and preferred setting: city or cellar.

Price

The price depends on the number of samples, the class of wine, the length and the place.

The host sets the price, and we add nothing to it.

A transfer and our organising fee are separate lines.