Georgian Grape Varieties: 15 Grapes You Need to Know

Georgia has over 525 indigenous grape varieties — roughly one-sixth of the world's total. That number sounds made up until you realize this is where winemaking began 8,000 years ago. Most of these grapes exist nowhere else on Earth. About 40 are in commercial production today, and maybe a dozen show up regularly on restaurant menus in Tbilisi. Here's what each one actually tastes like, when to drink it, and what to eat alongside it.

How to Use This Guide

I've organized grapes by color — whites first, then reds — and within each group, roughly by how likely you are to encounter them. Saperavi and Rkatsiteli dominate Georgian wine the way Cabernet and Chardonnay dominate Napa. But the real magic is in the second tier: grapes like Kisi, Mtsvane, and Tavkveri that most visitors never try because nobody tells them to ask.

For each grape, I've included: what it tastes like (honestly, not in marketing-speak), where it grows, how it's typically made, and what food to pair it with. If you're heading to Georgia, screenshot the tasting notes table and bring it to dinner.

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White Grapes

Georgia is overwhelmingly a white-grape country. About 60% of vineyard area is planted to white varieties, and the tradition of amber (orange) wine — white grapes fermented with extended skin contact — means Georgian whites have a range of expression you won't find anywhere else.

1. Rkatsiteli — The Workhorse

Region: Kakheti (primarily), grown nationwide
Style: Dry white, amber/orange wine
Pronunciation: r-KAH-tsi-TEH-lee

Rkatsiteli is to Georgia what Riesling is to Germany — the grape that defines the country's white wine identity. It's the most widely planted variety, covering thousands of hectares across Kakheti and beyond. The name means "red stem," referring to the vine's reddish shoots.

Made European-style, Rkatsiteli produces crisp, high-acid whites with green apple, quince, and white peach. Pleasant but unremarkable. Made in qvevri with six months of skin contact, it transforms into something entirely different: an amber wine with honey, dried apricot, walnut skin, and a tannic grip that can stand up to grilled meat. This is the version that converted me.

Rkatsiteli is frequently blended with Mtsvane Kakhuri, which adds floral aromatics to Rkatsiteli's structure. If you see "Rkatsiteli-Mtsvane" on a label, that's what's happening.

2. Mtsvane Kakhuri — The Aromatic Partner

Region: Kakheti
Style: Dry white, amber wine
Pronunciation: MTSVA-neh ka-KHOO-ree

Mtsvane means "green" in Georgian, and it's the aromatic counterpart to Rkatsiteli's structure. Where Rkatsiteli brings acid and body, Mtsvane brings perfume — jasmine, citrus blossom, ripe pear, and a honeyed richness. Blended together, they're one of the great grape partnerships in wine.

On its own, Mtsvane makes gorgeous amber wines in qvevri. The skin contact amplifies its natural aromatics and adds a spicy, almost tea-like complexity. It's slightly lower in acid than Rkatsiteli, so the wines tend to be rounder and more approachable young.

Pair with: Sulguni cheese, herb salads, white fish, or on its own as an aperitif.

3. Kisi — The Rising Star

Region: Kakheti (Akhmeta area especially)
Style: Amber wine, dry white
Pronunciation: KEE-see

Kisi is having a moment. It was nearly extinct a few decades ago — down to a handful of old vines — but small producers rediscovered it and now it's one of the most exciting grapes in the country. In qvevri, it produces amber wines with remarkable complexity: dried flowers, beeswax, golden raisin, and a long, slightly bitter almond finish.

What makes Kisi special is its thick skin. Extended skin contact doesn't overpower it — it concentrates it. The best Kisi wines have a depth that rivals aged Rkatsiteli but with more elegance. If you try one grape you've never heard of, make it this one.

Pair with: Aged cheese, roasted walnuts, mushroom dishes, lobio.

4. Chinuri — The Sparkling Option

Region: Kartli (central Georgia)
Style: Dry white, sparkling, amber wine
Pronunciation: chee-NOO-ree

Chinuri is Kartli's signature grape, and it's underrated. In European style it's light and nervy — green apple, mint, white flowers — with a crispness that makes it a natural for sparkling wine. Georgian pétillant naturel (pét-nat) made from Chinuri is genuinely fun to drink, and several natural wine producers have caught on.

In qvevri, Chinuri gets more serious: herbal, waxy, with a mineral backbone from Kartli's volcanic soils. It's also a popular table grape — you'll see it in Tbilisi markets in autumn.

Pair with: Fried trout, vegetable pkhali, light salads, or drink the sparkling version on a hot terrace.

5. Tsolikouri — The Western Gem

Region: Imereti, Lechkhumi, Racha
Style: Dry white, semi-sweet
Pronunciation: tso-lee-KOO-ree

Western Georgia's leading white grape. Tsolikouri makes round, full-bodied whites with ripe fruit character — yellow plum, melon, a touch of herb. In Imereti, where winemaking traditions differ from Kakheti (shorter skin contact, different vessel shapes), Tsolikouri captures the region's gentler, more fruit-forward style.

In Lechkhumi and Racha, it contributes to the famous semi-sweet wines — Tvishi being the best-known appellation. A good Tvishi Tsolikouri has natural residual sugar balanced by bright acidity, tasting of honeydew and ripe apricot. Nothing like the cloying sweet wines you might expect.

Pair with: Imeruli khachapuri, fresh goat cheese, grilled vegetables, fruit desserts.

6. Krakhuna — The Hidden Treasure of Imereti

Region: Imereti
Style: Dry white, amber wine
Pronunciation: kra-KHOO-na

Krakhuna means "crunchy" — a reference to the grape's crisp texture when eaten fresh. In wine, it's one of Imereti's most interesting varieties: high acidity, moderate alcohol, with notes of citrus peel, green almond, and white pepper. It responds beautifully to skin contact, gaining depth without losing its bright, electric character.

Production is small. If you see it on a wine list, order it — you might not get another chance for a while.

Pair with: Gebzhalia (cheese in mint sauce), fresh herbs, white fish.

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Red Grapes

Red grapes account for about 40% of Georgian vineyards, but Saperavi so thoroughly dominates that most people never explore beyond it. That's a mistake. Georgia's red grapes range from light, almost rosé-like Tavkveri to the deeply concentrated Aleksandrouli of Racha.

7. Saperavi — The King

Region: Kakheti (primarily), grown everywhere
Style: Dry red, semi-sweet
Pronunciation: sa-peh-RAH-vee

Saperavi is Georgia's only red grape that matters on the global stage — and it deserves every bit of its reputation. The name means "dye" or "place of color," which tells you everything: this is one of the rare teinturier varieties in the world, meaning the flesh is red, not just the skin. Pour a glass and the wine is so dark it's nearly opaque. Look at it against light and you'll see deep purple-black with a crimson rim.

Young Saperavi hits you with blackberry, sour cherry, and black plum, backed by firm tannins and bracing acidity. With age — and good Saperavi ages beautifully for 15-20 years — it develops dark chocolate, leather, pipe tobacco, and dried herbs. The acidity keeps everything fresh even at full maturity.

The best single-varietal Saperavi comes from Kakheti's Mukuzani appellation (minimum 3 years oak aging) and Kindzmarauli (naturally semi-sweet, from late-harvest grapes on the left bank of the Alazani). Kindzmarauli is Georgia's most famous semi-sweet red — legitimately good when authentic, though mass-produced versions are syrupy and disappointing.

Pair with: Mtsvadi (grilled meat), chakapuli (lamb stew with tarragon), aged cheese, or just a plate of walnuts and tonis puri.

8. Tavkveri — The Lightweight

Region: Kartli, Kakheti
Style: Light red, rosé
Pronunciation: tav-KVEH-ree

Tavkveri is Georgia's answer to Beaujolais — a light, bright, cherry-scented red meant for drinking young and slightly chilled. It's the opposite of Saperavi: low tannin, low body, high drinkability. Think fresh raspberries, sour cherry, and a faintly earthy, balsamic note in the background.

Tavkveri also makes excellent rosé, and some producers are using it for sparkling wine with great results. It's the grape you want at a summer supra when the heavier reds start feeling like too much.

Pair with: Cold cuts, lobio, cheese-filled bread, light salads — or just drink it on a hot afternoon with nothing.

9. Aleksandrouli — The Racha Noble

Region: Racha-Lechkhumi
Style: Semi-sweet red, dry red
Pronunciation: ah-lek-san-DROO-lee

Aleksandrouli is half of the blend that makes Khvanchkara — arguably Georgia's most prestigious wine and allegedly Stalin's favorite (take that factoid with a grain of salt, but the wine is genuinely excellent). Grown exclusively in the micro-zone around Khvanchkara village in Racha, it produces naturally semi-sweet reds that are deeply colored, with pomegranate, dark cherry, and raspberry flavors balanced by crisp mountain acidity.

The "naturally semi-sweet" part is important: fermentation stops naturally due to cold mountain temperatures before all sugar converts to alcohol. No sugar is added. The result is nothing like industrial semi-sweet wine — it's structured, complex, and ages well.

Pair with: Blue cheese, chocolate desserts, walnuts, or sip after dinner on its own.

10. Mujuretuli — Aleksandrouli's Partner

Region: Racha-Lechkhumi
Style: Semi-sweet red (blended)
Pronunciation: moo-joo-reh-TOO-lee

You rarely see Mujuretuli alone — it's the other half of the Khvanchkara blend, adding darker fruit, more tannin, and deeper color to Aleksandrouli's elegance. The two grapes are traditionally grown together and co-fermented. Think of it as the bass to Aleksandrouli's melody.

A few producers have started bottling varietal Mujuretuli, and it's worth trying if you can find it — darker and more brooding than Aleksandrouli, with blackberry and plum compote notes.

11. Ojaleshi — The Rare Western Red

Region: Samegrelo (western Georgia)
Style: Semi-sweet red, dry red
Pronunciation: oh-ja-LEH-shee

Ojaleshi nearly went extinct in the 20th century. It's a finicky grape — late-ripening, disease-prone, and low-yielding. But when everything goes right, it produces one of Georgia's most distinctive reds: a semi-sweet wine with intense cherry, pomegranate, and wild berry aromas, layered with herbal and slightly smoky notes.

The name reportedly means "growing on a tree" — a reference to the traditional Megrelian practice of training vines up trees, which still exists in some old vineyards. Production is tiny. A bottle of genuine Ojaleshi from Samegrelo is a collector's piece.

Pair with: Megrelian cuisine — spicy adjika-laced dishes, elarji (cornmeal with cheese), satsivi.

12. Otskhanuri Sapere — The Sleeper Hit

Region: Imereti
Style: Medium-bodied red
Pronunciation: ots-kha-NOO-ree sa-PEH-reh

This Imeretian red grape is gaining serious attention from natural wine producers. It makes medium-bodied reds with fresh red fruit — cherry, cranberry, red currant — and an herbal, slightly peppery edge. The tannins are moderate, the acid is bright, and the overall impression is of a wine that's alive and energetic without being heavy.

It's sometimes compared to Pinot Noir, which is lazy but gets the weight roughly right. Better to say it tastes like nothing else — which is the point of drinking Georgian wine in the first place.

Pair with: Chicken tabaka, mushroom stews, mild cheese.

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Rare and Revived Varieties

One of the most exciting things happening in Georgian wine right now is the revival of nearly-extinct grape varieties. Small producers are planting old vines from the National Grape Collection in Jighaura (which preserves 437 Georgian varieties), and wines from grapes nobody has tasted in generations are appearing at natural wine bars in Tbilisi.

Quick Reference Table

Regions and Their Grapes

Georgia's wine regions each have distinct personalities, and understanding them helps make sense of the grapes.

What to Order: A Decision Guide

Staring at a Georgian wine list with unfamiliar names can be paralyzing. Here's a shortcut based on what you actually want to drink.

Buying Georgian Wine: What to Know

Georgian wine is still remarkably cheap — even at Tbilisi's best wine bars, a glass of excellent qvevri wine runs 15-25 GEL ($5-9). But navigating the market takes some knowledge.

Food Pairing Cheat Sheet

Georgian food and wine evolved together over millennia, so the pairings are natural and intuitive. Here's the quick version.

Frequently Asked Questions