Why Georgian Wine Is Having Its Moment (And Where to Buy It in Miami)
Why Georgian Wine Is Having Its Moment (And Where to Buy It in Miami)
Georgian wine is one of the most talked-about categories in wine right now — and for good reason. Here's what you need to know, and where to find it.
The Oldest Wine Country in the World
Georgia is not just old. It is the oldest wine-producing country on earth, with an unbroken winemaking tradition going back 8,000 years. To put that in perspective: when Georgians were already making wine in clay vessels buried in the ground, France and Italy had not yet produced a single bottle.
The country sits in the South Caucasus, bordered by Russia to the north and Turkey to the south, and its eastern region of Kakheti is the heart of Georgian wine production. The soil, the climate, and especially the native grape varieties found here exist nowhere else in the world at this scale. Georgia has over 500 indigenous grape varieties. Most wine regions in the world have a handful. This is a place that has been deeply, obsessively focused on wine for longer than almost any civilization in recorded history.
The Qvevri: Why Georgian Wine Tastes Different
The defining element of Georgian winemaking is the qvevri (pronounced kwev-ree), a large terracotta amphora sealed with beeswax and buried underground. Grapes are fermented inside the qvevri — skins, seeds, and sometimes stems included — and left to age for months. The burial in earth keeps the temperature naturally stable. No barrels, no stainless steel tanks, no additives.
This method produces wines unlike anything from conventional winemaking. White grapes fermented on their skins turn amber — this is the origin of what we now call orange wine. The extended skin contact adds tannins, texture, and complexity that you would normally only associate with red wine. The result is a wine that is genuinely difficult to categorize and genuinely impossible to forget.
Qvevri winemaking is so significant that UNESCO added it to the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2013.
Drops of God Just Put Georgian Wine on the Global Map
If you follow wine culture at all, you have probably heard of Drops of God, the Apple TV+ series that won the International Emmy for Best Drama Series in 2024. Season 2 takes its characters directly to Georgia, specifically to Kakheti, where they encounter qvevri winemakers and the traditional Georgian feast known as the supra.
The show's wine consultant, Seb Pradal, has spoken publicly about his own discovery of Georgian wine while researching for the series. He described tasting his first bottle from a Georgian producer and getting goosebumps. That reaction is not uncommon. The first time most people taste a serious qvevri wine, it stops them.
Drops of God has a documented history of moving wine markets. After wines are featured in the series, sales spike. Georgian wine was already growing fast in the US market before Season 2. Now, awareness is accelerating.
The Two Grapes You Need to Know
Rkatsiteli is one of the oldest white grape varieties in the world. In Kakheti it thrives in the warm climate and schist-rich soils. When fermented conventionally, it produces a fresh, aromatic white wine. When fermented in qvevri on its skins, it transforms into something entirely different: amber-colored, structured, layered, with tannins and a complexity that pairs with food most white wines cannot handle.
Saperavi is Georgia's flagship red variety and one of the few grapes in the world that has red flesh in addition to a dark skin. The name literally means "dye" or "paint" in Georgian, a reference to the grape's intensely pigmented juice. Saperavi produces bold, deeply colored red wines with dark fruit, firm tannins, and natural acidity that gives them excellent aging potential. It is often described as one of the most distinctive red wines in the world.
Now Available at 305 Wines: Askaneli Brothers
We just brought in two bottles from Askaneli Brothers, one of the most respected estates in Kakheti. Founded in 1880, Askaneli produces over 60 wines and is one of Georgia's leading producers of both traditional qvevri wines and modern expressions of native varieties. Their wines have been featured in Forbes and The Drinks Business, and the winery was among those highlighted when Askaneli was cited in coverage of the global rise of Georgian wine.
Askaneli Rkatsiteli Qvevri Georgian White 2023
This is orange wine in its most traditional form. Made from 100% Rkatsiteli grapes, fermented and aged in buried clay qvevri on the skins. The color is amber. The nose is dried figs, white cherry, citrus, and honey. On the palate it is rich and textured with a long spicy finish and lively acidity. It has tannins. It is structured. It is nothing like the white wines you are used to.
Serve it slightly chilled. Pair it with spiced chicken, hard cheeses, charcuterie, or bold food that would overwhelm a typical white wine.
13% ABV · Kakheti, Georgia · Dry
Askaneli Saperavi Georgian Red 2023
Pure Saperavi from Kakheti. Deep blue-red in the glass, bold aromas of dark berries, wild herbs and florals. On the palate it is structured and serious: cherry, blackberry, plum, and spice, with firm tannins and a long earthy finish. This is the kind of red wine that makes you slow down and pay attention.
Pair it with grilled lamb, beef, BBQ, or aged cheeses. Serve slightly below room temperature.
Kakheti, Georgia · Dry · Full-bodied
Who Is Georgian Wine For?
Georgian wine is for anyone who has ever felt bored by the same Sauvignon Blanc or Cabernet Sauvignon rotation and wanted something genuinely different. It is also for serious wine lovers who want to explore one of the most historically significant wine cultures in the world.
Orange wine drinkers who have only tried European or California expressions will find Georgian qvevri wines to be the original source — older, more complex, more culturally rooted than anything that has come after.
Red wine drinkers looking for something outside the usual French and Italian categories will find Saperavi to be immediately appealing: bold, structured, and with a flavor profile that is distinctive without being difficult.
Shop Georgian Wines at 305 Wines
Both the Askaneli Rkatsiteli Qvevri and the Askaneli Saperavi are available now.
Shop our Georgian wine selection at 305wines.com
Stock is limited. Georgian wines at this price-to-quality ratio do not stay on shelves long.
305 Wines is Miami's home for fine wine, with a focus on discovery and education. We carry wines from the world's most interesting and underrepresented regions.