Kvanchkara

2002

sweet red

Color: Ruby moving into purple/maroon

Body: medium

Flavors: A semi-sweet red that is the pride of Georgian winemaking. While in the Kremlin, Joseph Stalin demanded daily shipments of Khvanchkara be delivered from his native Georgia. Delightfully blends dense ripe berry subtleness with whispers of dill, allspice, and light cedar.

Sommolier’s Notes:

“This is an incredibly unique wine.  The flavors that the wine exhibits are “dry wine flavors”.  They include bright fruit flavor, a medium body, and herbal/peppery flavors.  Many times these flavors and qualities are completely taken over by sweetness.  In this particular case, the sweetness is light, sophisticated, and shares the stage with its counterparts.  The end result is a surprisingly versatile sweet red wine.  Khvanchkara would pair well with salty cheese courses, desserts (chocolate included), and would sip beautifully on its own.”

Recommendations:

Another great Georgian wine to experiment with and experience with many foods and situations.  Perfect for the wine adventurer seeking something new, exciting, or different.  Generally, sweet wines are taken at the end of a meal after dessert, but the unique style of this wine makes it able to take on earlier courses.  As a main course, a game bird with a fruit glaze would benefit from the light sweetness whereas an herb roasted pork loin would benefit from the dill and pepper undertones.  Khvanchkara is unique and user-friendly in its inability to be pigeonholed.