From Skin Contact to Saperavi: Learn About Georgia's Flagship Red Variety

Wines from Georgia, The Republic of Georgia - not the state, have become quite the hot ticket item over the last decade. Their classic style that focuses on producing white wines with skin contact has propelled them into the hearts and minds of sommeliers, journalists, and wine geeks all over the world. The rise in orange wine/amber wine/skin contact wine/macerated wine has placed them in the hip conversation of trending wines, but their red wines get a lot less love and attention. This is where the Saperavi Festival comes into play, aiming to bring the culture of Georgian wine to the USA, with a focus on its under-appreciated flagship red grape, Saperavi.

On June 8th, Saperica, Inc. , Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery , Chama Mama Restaurant and the National Wine Agency of Georgia will kick off the 3rd annual Saperavi Festival , a celebration of wines made from the Saperavi and Rkatsiteli grape varieties in the Finger Lakes region, the country of Georgia and around the world. The festival provides opportunities for wine tasting, educational seminars and an authentic Georgian Supra experience created by the team from Chama Mama restaurant in NYC. The events on June 8th are consumer-focused and open to all wine and food enthusiasts. Additionally on June 6th and 7th, there are events reserved for wine press and trade members.

This year, the Saperavi Festival will be split into 3 separately ticketed events:

• Saperavi Festival Grand Wine Tasting from 11:30am to 3:00pm - This walkaround wine tasting will feature Saperavi and Rkatsiteli wines from the Finger Lakes, the country of Georgia and around the world. During the Grand Tasting, free "Get to Know Georgia" seminars will be offered.

• Saperavi Festival Grand Wine Tasting plus Cheese and Wine Pairing Seminar at 12:00pm or 2:00pm - This combined ticket provides entry to the Grand Wine Tasting plus one of the Cheese and Wine Pairing seminars. The seminar will be led by Adam Centamore , author of Tasting Wine & Cheese . Adam will present pairings with Saperavi and Rkatsiteli wines from the Finger Lakes and from the country of Georgia. Select either the 12:00pm or 2:00pm Cheese and Wine Pairing Seminar.

• Georgian Supra wine dinner featuring the cuisine of Chama Mama restaurant 4:00pm - 6:00pm - Get ready to feast Georgian-style with authentic and delicious food created by the team from Chama Mama. Enjoy layers upon layers of dishes accompanied by Saperavi and Rkatsiteli wines and lots of Georgian toasts. This ticket does NOT include entry to the Grand Wine Tasting.

Click here to buy tickets to the 3rd annual Saperavi Festival

I had the chance to ask Lasha Tsatava, co-founder of Saperica USA and Chama Mama beverage director, a few questions leading up to the Saperavi Festival:

MK: How has the growth of Georgian wines in the American market influenced the breakdown of which grape varieties are grown in the vineyards?

LT : This is not the case yet, as Georgian wine imports into the US do not consist of even 2% of total Georgian wine exports. Georgia exported a total of little under 10 million cases of wine (89.5 million liters) in 2023 into 65 different countries with the value of a little over quarter of a billion in US dollars.

MK: How many regions around the world grow Saperavi today? What percentage of total Georgian wine production does the grape represent?

LT: Most notably, the Finger Lakes, Northeast US and Australia grow Saperavi. There are also large plantings in Ukraine, Moldova and other ex-Soviet countries.

MK: Are skin contact wines as popular in wine bars of Tbilisi as they are in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco?

LT: I believe so. We Georgians are very proud of our amber wines and the qvevri winemaking style associated with them. We feel a deep responsibility to our ancestors and the wine world to lead this category by producing quality examples true to our heritage and the winemaking style that has been preserved for us for at least 8,000 years. This is one of Georgia’s stylistically differentiating factors and the wild card. No other region in the world has the same experience or affection for this style of winemaking as Georgians do, and the wine bars in Tbilisi reflect this passion. At Chama Mama in NYC, we have introduced the 3 different styles of amber wines (introductory, full-on, and combo) and offer it as a flight introducing our guests to this remarkable category.

MK: What are some traditional Georgian dishes that fans of the wines should be seeking out or learning how to make to pair with the wines?

LT: Amber wines, depending on the amount of skin contact, generally pair really well with cheese, walnut and white meat dishes. For example, phkhali with a moderate amount of walnut paste, as well as Khachapuri with a moderate amount of cheese, like Imeruli or Penovan, and chicken mtsvadi, pair nicely with introductory style of amber wines that are medium-bodied, with low to moderate tannins and have more notes of fresh fruit than dried fruit. Adjaruli or Megruli Khachapuri, which have more cheese, Megruli kharcho (with more walnuts) and pork mtsvadi, pair well with full-bodied ambers (full-on & combo) that are full-bodied, high in tannins and have more dried fruit character than fresh fruit. Pelamushi, a Georgian sweet grape pudding with crushed and toasted or glazed walnuts, pairs well with semi-sweet wines like Khvanchkara or Kindzmarauli, as well as Saperavi port.