Kindzmarauli - history and types of Georgian wine + how to distinguish a fake

Kindzmarauli wine - is a red semi-sweet heritage of the Kakheti region of Georgia. It is made from the well-known and beloved Saperavi grape variety. At the same time, vineyards should be located exclusively in the Kvareli region of Kakheti, whose land is especially rich in natural mineral fertilizers brought from the Caucasian highlands by the Alazani and Durudzhi rivers.

Grapes are harvested exclusively in the first three weeks of September. Only in this way the fruits will contain about 22% sugar, which provides the natural sweetness of kondzmarauli.

The history of khindzmarauli

Kindzmarauli wine has its roots in the depths of centuries or even millennia. The natural semi-sweet wines of modern eastern Georgia are associated with the so-called Kakhetian method of winemaking, which, in particular, involves at least two years of aging of the future drink in original Ostrodonian clay tanks - kevri - almost completely dug into the ground...

It was this method that formed the basis of the functioning of the Georgian winery Kindzmarauli, which produced the first batch of its products by 1942 - in the midst of World War II.

There is a strong tradition that calls Kindzmarauli Stalin's favorite wine. And there is a certain amount of truth in this. The cruel dictator really preferred the wines of his homeland (including semi-sweet Kakheti wines) and often used them as a tool of unofficial banquet diplomacy. In this regard, on the basis of a semi-artisanal winery, whose oldest building dates back to 1533, an advanced enterprise was built, which, like several similar Georgian wineries, was intended to meet the informal diplomatic needs of the Soviet ruler...

In fact, this winery has formed the criteria that are still inherent in the drink we are interested in. Namely:

1. The strength is 10-12 degrees;

2. Sugar content - 30-40 g/dm³;

3. Color - pomegranate or overripe cherry;

4. The aroma is delicate, balanced, with a cherry hue;

5. The taste is enveloping, velvety, rich with cherry plum, pomegranate and blackberry notes.

In the end, the wine produced in and around Kvareli turned out to be so distinctive and unique that in 2012 Georgia managed to achieve recognition of its international status as a beverage controlled by place of origin, similar to cognac or port...

Types of Kindzmarauli

Perhaps it would be more accurate to talk about brands of the Kakhetian drink and their producers rather than types.

According to serious experts, the best wines of this category are produced at the Shumi and Khareba wineries. Despite the fact that the Shumi winery itself is located somewhat away from the cherished vineyards of the so-called Kindzmarauli microzone.

The following are the wines of the Kindzmarauli Corporation: the successor of the same winery founded with the blessing of Stalin. However, recently, the products of this largest manufacturer in the industry are gradually losing their bright identity and slowly but surely slipping to the level of stable mediocrity.

This is followed by quite a few brands of endzmarauli, whose producers specialize in good, but not outstanding drinks. Among them:

1. Georgian-Italian brand Badagoni

2. Kindzmarauli tetroni

3. Kindzmarauli galavani and the like.

4. There are also quite dubious options from our point of view. For example: Kindzmarauli Alaverdi, whose vineyards do not grow in Kvareli, but in the neighboring Gurjaani district, or Kindzmarauli from the Merani collection, which is produced by the Tbilisi Wine Cellar Association.

I have to admit that the last of the drinks, which I have not tried, fell into the category of questionable solely for subjective ideological reasons. The fact is that Tiflis is the colonial name of Tbilisi during the Russian Empire. Thus, the brand name sounds as disrespectful to the country of origin as if someone dared to call Ukrainian bread Little Russian or Gdansk vodka Danzig.

How to distinguish a fake kindzmarauli

Unfortunately, there is not much of the Kakheti variety that we are interested in in nature. The Kvareli region that produces it is very small. Grapes suitable for drinking are ripened on vines that are at least 30 years old. The yield of Saperavi leaves much to be desired, and the plant itself is capricious and prone to various diseases. Therefore, it is not surprising that even the leading enterprise in the industry, the Kindzmarauli Corporation, produces no more than 500 thousand bottles of wine annually.

Since the demand for the drink is many times higher than the supply, there are many people who want to take advantage of the situation and sell all kinds of fakes to the buyer. In order not to get into trouble, you should keep in mind a few points.

1. A real Kakhetian drink is not a cheap pleasure. The average price for it hovers around the ten dollar mark.

2. The label should contain the following parameters: name (usually in English transliteration), wine category, name of the producer, year of manufacture, grape variety, as well as the amount of sugar and alcohol.

3. There is, so to speak, a legal way to counterfeit the drink, in which a mark "made according to a recipe" is placed above the bright and noticeable inscription "Kindzmarauli", which is difficult for the naked eye.

4. A bottle of real wine should not contain a large amount of sediment.

A few words about the use

In principle, semi-sweet Kakheti wines can be consumed with any meat dishes of Georgian cuisine. But, nevertheless, it is better not to do so. For the main feast in the homeland of the drink, there are excellent dry table options. Kindzmarauli will look much more conceptual next to desserts or fruits.

The serving temperature of the drink can vary between 14-18°C (by the way, the ideal storage temperature in the kvetch is 14°C). When drinking, use classic red wine glasses, usually filled to a third. And of course, in this case, a long beautiful toast is simply necessary.

Update: 06.07.2017

Category: Wine and Vermouth