{"id":11460,"date":"2023-09-17T22:11:19","date_gmt":"2023-09-18T03:11:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thecorkscrewconcierge.com\/?p=11460"},"modified":"2023-09-17T22:11:20","modified_gmt":"2023-09-18T03:11:20","slug":"georgian-wine-on-my-mind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thecorkscrewconcierge.com\/2023\/09\/georgian-wine-on-my-mind\/","title":{"rendered":"Georgian Wine on My Mind"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

No, not THAT Georgia! I\u2019m talking about the country – the Republic of Georgia! This European (or Asian) – depending on who you ask – country is the oldest wine producing region in the world. It\u2019s literally where wine started. Geographically, Georgia is where Europe meets Asia, bounded by the Black Sea to the west, Russia to the north, Turkey and Armenia to the south and by Azerbaijan in the east. Due to its unique positioning between East and West, its wine and native cuisine mirror that balance. And make no mistake, Georgian wine and food are having a moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wine exports are on the rise and Georgian restaurants seem to popping up in cities across the US, giving more people a chance to fall in love with the unique cuisine and wine of this ancient wine region. The wines deftly bridge and meld with a myriad of flavors and textures of not only Georgian meals, but a wide variety of cuisines. If you\u2019re like me, you\u2019ve been hearing more and more about Georgian wines over the past few years and have had your curiosity piqued. I\u2019ve definitely seen some on wine lists here and there and even some in retail stores (including TW!). When I see new wines showing up in my market, I\u2019m always curious to learn more. Lucky for me, the folks at Wines of Georgia are mind readers and sent me a few wines to try and encourage me to pair them with food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rufus \u201chelping\u201d out with the wine shoot.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Birthplace of Wine<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While many have laid claim to being the birthplace of wine, Georgia certainly has the most concrete and compelling proof. Back in 2015, scientists studying the history of agriculture in Georgia uncovered ancient clay vessels that contained the remains of grapes and grape seeds. The grape and seed material were dated to 6000 BCE, the earliest known location for grape winemaking. In fact, Georgia is home to more than 500 varieties of indigenous grapes\u2014roughly one-sixth of the world\u2019s total grape varieties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, even before the ancient Egyptians and Greeks developed wine cultures of their own, there was Georgian viticulture. In fact, the ancient Greek writings of both Homer and Apollonius of Rhodes include mentions of Georgia\u2019s traditions of vine growing and winemaking. Further, the Western words for wine\u2014vin, vino, wine, and others\u2014are thought to have originated from the Georgian word ghvino (or gvino). Even the beloved Mother Georgia statue overlooking the capital city of Tbilisi tells the tale of Georgia\u2019s wine significance as it holds a sword in one hand and a wine cup in the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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