Georgia's Caucasus wines ready for China

Visitors at a winery learn how to make flat bread in hot clay ovens. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The most famous white wines include rkatsiteli, which is used to make traditional wines in clay vessels called quervi as well as wines in the modern style. The grape is often blended with mtsvane Kakhuri, one of the country's most ancient varieties with hints of peach and mineral overtones. Rkatsiteli is widely exported－to Russia, the US and western China. In fact, Xinjiang winemakers embraced the grape so long ago that some produce their own rkatsiteli.

When you visit a Tbilisi wine bar, you may be surprised when someone asks mischievously, "Do you want a little kissy?" If that happens, there's no need to pucker up: You are simply being offered kisi, a white variety from the famed Kakheti region of eastern Georgia. Classically produced kisi offers floral notes of pear, citrus and green tea, while a regional Kakhetian style delivers characteristics of apricot, mango, orange and walnut.

Contact the writer at michaelpeters@chinadaily.com.cn