If you know Georgian red wine, you probably know Saperavi.
And you should. It is powerful, distinctive, ancient and deservedly Georgia’s most famous red grape.
But here is the problem with famous grapes: sometimes they take up so much space that we forget to look at what is growing next door.
So, for our next addition to GeorgianWine.online, we decided not to bring you another Saperavi.
We are bringing you Tavkveri.
And we think you should meet.
So, what exactly is Tavkveri?
Tavkveri is one of Georgia’s indigenous red grape varieties, historically associated particularly with Kartli, the wine region surrounding Tbilisi.
If Saperavi often enters the room wearing a dark suit and making its presence immediately known, Tavkveri has a rather different personality.
It is fresher. Lighter on its feet. Red-fruited rather than overwhelmingly dark. Its natural acidity gives it energy, while its tannins can be surprisingly gentle.
In the glass, expect red berries and cherry, lively acidity, soft tannins and a harmonious finish.
In other words, this is Georgian red wine without the need to prove how powerful it is.
And we rather like that.
A new winery with an older connection to wine
Our new Tavkveri comes from Wine Horizon, a small Georgian winery founded in 2022 in Kavtoskhevi, a village around 40 kilometres from Tbilisi.
The winery may be young, but its story did not begin in 2022.
Its founder entered the Georgian wine world in 2019 from an interesting direction: exporting Georgian wine to France.
After four years of working with Georgian wine on international markets, the logical, or perhaps slightly illogical, next step was to start making it himself.
Wine Horizon was born.
Today, the winery produces only around 5,500 bottles per year, working with indigenous Georgian varieties. Production is expected to grow to approximately 6,000 bottles, with Goruli Mtsvane joining the winery’s range.
Small numbers, certainly.
But Georgian wine has never been particularly good at measuring its importance by volume.
Qvevri, of course. But not qvevri for the sake of qvevri.
The Tavkveri is made according to the traditional Georgian qvevri method, using the clay vessels that have become one of the defining symbols of Georgian wine culture.
But there is an important detail.
After traditional vinification, the finished wine is transferred to stainless-steel tanks.
Why does that matter?
Because tradition does not have to mean refusing everything invented after the Bronze Age.
The qvevri shapes the wine and connects it to Georgia’s ancient winemaking culture. Stainless steel then provides a neutral environment that helps preserve freshness and fruit without adding the flavours associated with oak.
Ancient method, modern control.
There is no contradiction there.
Quite the opposite.
A Georgian red for people who think Georgian reds are too heavy
This may be the most interesting part.
Georgian wine outside Georgia is sometimes presented through extremes: ancient methods, long skin contact, amber wines, powerful Saperavi, natural wines with challenging personalities.
All of those things can be fascinating.
But they are not the whole story.
Tavkveri shows another Georgia.
A Georgia capable of producing a medium-bodied red with bright fruit, fresh acidity and gentle tannins. A wine you can put on the table without first asking everyone whether they are sufficiently experienced in Georgian wine.
Roast chicken? Yes.
Pork? Certainly.
Mushrooms? Absolutely.
Charcuterie and cheese? Now we are getting somewhere.
And we would even suggest serving it at around 14–16°C, slightly cooler than many people instinctively serve red wine.
There is, after all, no European regulation requiring red wine to be served at the temperature of an overheated dining room.
Coming soon to GeorgianWine.online
Wine Horizon Tavkveri 2023, Qvevri Georgian Red Dry Wine will soon be available from GeorgianWine.online.
We chose to add this wine for a simple reason.
Our purpose is not merely to sell bottles labelled Georgian wine. It is to explore what Georgian wine actually is.
That means going beyond the famous names, discovering indigenous varieties, meeting small producers and occasionally challenging the comfortable assumption that we already know what Georgian wine tastes like.
Saperavi isn’t going anywhere.
But perhaps it could move over just a little.
Tavkveri has arrived.
