Andria Gvino - Saperavi Khashmi 2020
Andria Gvino Description
The ungrafted, old vine, Saperavi grapes are vinified traditionally in Qvevri. This is a rich, full-bodied red with structure and grippy tannins. With air the wine shows dark red and black fruits (plums, cherries, boysenberries), spice, and a dense, structured earthiness. Pair with rich meat dishes—braises with tomatoes in particular.
The winery George Wolski named for his eldest son, Andrias, is located just north of Tbilisi. Here, he dedicates himself to the craft of natural wines in qvevris, clay amphorae buried into the ground of the cellar.
Making wine in this way was learned from George's grandfather, Alexander Wolski, who established the family cellar in 1984, where he grew up helping him make wine for family consumption, as is traditional locally. They were already growing organically and making wines completely naturally without any additives, or filtration. So, with the same methods that were proven to be healthy and successful by his ancestors, George was able to grow this winemaking to a commercial scale.
With his wife, Tamar Kokrashvili, and two sons, Andria and Alexandre, all processes of vinification are done by his family. From grape growing to harvest, to winemaking to bottling, labeling to distribution—their dedication to making wines without adding or taking away from the grapes themselves is evident.
Their vines are planted in the iron-rich calcareous clay soils found in the region of Kakheti, located in the eastern part of the country. In the vineyard, they do not irrigate or use any fertilizers, and lower their yields by dense planting combined with green harvest and manual sorting of any non-grape material from the vineyard. For these reasons, they produce around 3–4 times less crop yield than usual growers in this area. In the cellar, natural fermentation with ambient yeast is completed entirely in qvevri. After that, he takes only free run wine, never pressing the pomace, and finishes the winemaking process depending on the style using only qvevri. All of the wines made 100% natural, without any additives, filtration, or added sulfites.