The rating is published by VinePair, one of the largest digital wine platforms in the United States. The publication advises readers to travel to Georgia and taste wine in Kakheti. Along with Georgia, France, Portugal, Peru, Italy, Spain, Croatia, New Zealand, California and Texas were named the best destinations.
“Skin-contact wines, amphora aging, low-intervention winemaking techniques — all of these current wine trends can be traced back to the ancient winemaking practices of Georgia, so it’s no wonder the region is so hot right now. With a winemaking history spanning over 8,000 years, Georgia is often considered the “birthplace of wine.” Today, Georgian wine is rapidly growing in popularity, with its exports growing at record-breaking speed each year, including a 7.81 percent spike in exports to the U.S. Georgia’s popularity has led to a bump in tourism and the country is also seeing an influx of immigration, which has bolstered its national economy. So, if you’re one of the many drinkers who caught the amber wine bug, book your trip to Georgia now, before prices start to rise.
There is no better place to immerse yourself in Georgian wine than Kakheti, the country’s premier wine-producing region. Located in eastern Georgia about an hour drive from Tbilisi, the warm-climate region is home to the country’s iconic native grapes, the inky red Saperavi and unique white grape Rkatsiteli. The famed amber wines from the region are made from local white grapes that are fermented in contact with their skins and stems in clay amphorae called qvevri, giving the wines a distinct savory, complex profile and distinctive amber color. This process is actually a UNESCO World Heritage-listed tradition, and many wineries allow visitors to observe the ancient technique,” - writes columnist Hannah Staab.
The article reviews the cellars, wineries and museums of Kakheti, including Tsinandli Museum. According to VinePair, visitors to the Tsinandli estate can view 15,000 bottles of wine produced in 1814 along with the vineyards.