Yes, Georgian wine is worth the hype and yes, you should be drinking it

August 15, 2019SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

Georgia invented wine, as far as anyone can tell, with a history stretching back 8,000 years, and the techniques haven’t changed very much since then. Traditional Georgian winemakers still age their wines in large clay vessels called qvevri, which they bury underground. The white wines are fermented with their skins for months, resulting in powerful tannins and a dark amber color. “Orange wine” doesn’t begin to capture it. The grapes are indigenous varieties — Tsolikouri, Krakhuna, Mtsvane — rather than the bland-sounding, internationally recognizable Chardonnay or Merlot. The process is largely preindustrial, done without synthetic chemicals in the vineyard or the winery…