A “wine bridge” among Georgia, “cradle” of world viticulture, and Italy

Considered the “cradle” of world viticulture, Georgia is experiencing a true modern wine renaissance. A country boasting 8,000 years of winemaking history, whose traditional method of vinification in large clay amphorae known as Qvevri has been recognized as a Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage, Georgia today is home to 49,000 hectares of vineyards, more than 3,000 wineries, 525 indigenous grape varieties, and 30 recognized denominations (Wines of Georgia data). Georgia wine movement also has an Italian soul, embodied by Nimbi Winery, located in the village of Khashmi (40 kilometres from the capital, Tbilisi, ed), in the Kakheti region. Founded by Bacho Bughdgiashvili and Vakhtang Othmezur, the project benefits from the winemaking expertise of Riccardo Cotarella, one of Italy most renowned enologists and President of Assoenologi (as well as copresident of the World Association of Enologists).
“Everything began with a project conceived by two young entrepreneurs, the founders of Nimbi Winery, who contacted me when it still existed only on paper, and I immediately embraced it. Their enthusiasm was infectious, and working in Georgia feels like working simultaneously in the cradle of world viticulture and in a laboratory of the future. We built a new winery equipped entirely with 100% Italian technology, and today seven historic grape varieties are cultivated there: two of Georgia most important and widespread varieties, Rkatsiteli (white) and Saperavi (red), which are already producing wines of remarkable quality, and five ancient but lesser-known varieties (the white grapes Khikhvi, Kakhuri Mtsvane, Kisi, and Goruli Mtsvane, and the red Shavkapito), which, in my view, have enormous potential both for premium wines and, especially, for traditional-method sparkling wines. It is a significant project that has attracted considerable attention, including from Georgian policymakers - explains Riccardo Cotarella to WineNews - it is something of a pilot project not only for the winery itself but for the entire country, and it has been greatly appreciated by the Georgian government and by Agriculture Minister David Songulashvili, whom I meet frequently, most recently a few days ago at the residence of Ambassador D’Antuono, a great wine enthusiast”.
According to a note from the Italian Embassy in Georgia, the meeting, during which Cotarella received the traditional Georgian tastevin from Minister Songulashvili, “provided an important opportunity to share experiences, opinions, and best practices in the wine sector, also in light of the collaborations established by Cotarella with Georgian entrepreneurs”.
“Wine represents one of the areas of excellence that most deeply unite Italy and Georgia, two countries with millennia-old winemaking traditions and an extraordinary ability to enhance the connection between territory, culture, and innovation - said Massimiliano D’Antuono, Italy Ambassador to Tbilisi - this shared heritage continues to create new opportunities for dialogue, cooperation, and the exchange of expertise between our countries.”
A wine bridge which links Georgia, the “cradle” of world viticulture, and Italy, a country which has made viticulture one of its defining characteristics for centuries.