Daniela V. Walter/ Columnist
The first time I tasted a Georgian wine was in my first wine class, History of Wine, taken in Fall 2012 at the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management with Professor Bill Hebrank. As we went through the history of wine in class, we were able to taste wines from distinct countries that you would not usually taste; not because they are not available in the market, but because they are not familiar to us and unfortunately most of us try to stay on the safe side while experiencing new things. Wine might not seem complex at first, but requires more information that you might be willing to know.
On June 21, we tasted six Georgian wines. It was an experiment conducted by Clark Smith and his assistant in Miami Nicole Linares to introduce these wines to the “American palate.” Our tasting group consisted of every nationality, as you would imagine in South Florida. Clark Smith is one of the teachers for the Wine Program at FIU. We tasted three whites and three reds as an assignment. He joined us via a Skype conference call while in California and we went through each wine together. In addition to that, he gave us a little bit of background on the country and the challenges that Georgian wines have been facing by trying to get into the American Market.
The group had mostly the same impression about each; but still, wine tasting is a unique and personal experience. As we waited for three more people to join us, we decided to start the tasting at 9:30 p.m. with the whites.
The first white wine we tasted was, to our surprise, produced in The United States; more specifically at The Finger Lakes, NY, by Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery. Rkatsiteli, the grape variety used in the production of the wine is originally from Georgia, is one of the oldest vinifera grapes known to man. The vintage of the wine – that means the year in which the grapes were harvested — was 2011, and it had an alcohol content of 12.5 percent. It was a dry wine and some compared it to a Pinot Gris. I was impressed when Clark told us that this wine was produced from a vine that was planted in 1952. Usually old vines produce fewer yields but tend to increase in quality.
It was the only American produced wine of the night and, in my opinion, the least impressive. The appearance was a faded gold. The nose – usually how the sense of smell is referred – was delicate with hints of star fruit, roses, and fresh-cut grass. The taste did not suggest any balance since the only thing that I could really perceive was the high acidity in my mouth. There was a lack of fruit and elegance in it. Still, some of the group thought that the acidity was pleasant and was the wine’s highlight. The average price of this wine is $15.
The second wine I want to mention was the third and last white wine we tasted that night. It is originally from The Republic of Georgia, specifically the Bodbiskhevi-Kakheti region produced by Pheasant’s Tears Vineyards with the same grape variety previously mentioned, Rkatsiteli. The vintage was 2009; in my opinion, a little young to already be open. Nonetheless, this wine had the most beautiful color I have ever seen in a white wine: amber like a liquid in fire.
On that note, Clark explained to us that this wine is sometimes referred to as “Fire Wine.” The nose was a very intriguing one, with notes of black tea leaves, truffle and earth. However, it lacked structure on the palate, making me a little disappointed. What helps white wines to age is its acidity, which was very subtle producing a very light mouthfeel, in other words, the texture of a wine in your mouth; you can associate water with the lightest and milk as the heaviest to better understanding. The finish was short and it reminded me of a 5 p.m. tea party. The average price of this wine is $18. On a history note, those wines are aged before bottled in Qvevri, a unique Georgian wine vessel made out of clay.
Our complete group included myself, Orestes Lavassas, Nicole Linares (the host), Sara Kaplan, Cortessa Major, Azadeh Sigari and her fiancé as well as Aaron Welch (FIU wine visitor professor) and his brother Morgan.
The fifth wine tasted in the evening, the second red wine and my favorite from the whole tasting, was a 2007 vintage produced by Wine Man with the Saperavi grape, an indigenous variety, also originated the Kakheti region of Georgia. For a red wine, this one had an unusually low alcohol percentage: only 12. Unquestionably, it was dark red, with such a deep color that when placed over a white surface, you would not be able to see anything through. In all honesty, it had a perfect balance on its tannin with hints of black pepper and smoke olives, note that this wine also was produced in old style, with the use of Qvevri. Cherry and blackberry were easy to pick up as in comparison with our more known Cabernet Franc.
It is definitely a wine more suitable to the American market than the others that I tasted. The average price of this wine is $13. I love the structure of this wine; it had individuality and introduced each element in a harmonic way, yet I could still pick its unique terroir; the different earthiness scents on the nose and on the finish of the palate made it the best of the show!
Daniela V. Walter is a Teaching Assistant to Professors Chip Cassidy and Bill Hebrank of the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management