Rkatsiteli: An Ancient Grape from the Oldest Wine-Producing Region on Earth #WorldWineTravel

This month the World Wine Travel writers are looking at lesser known wine regions of the world. Susannah of Avvinare is hosting. Read her invitation.

This month, the World Wine Travel group is focusing on lesser known wine regions of the world. Here's the line-up...

• Robin from Crushed Grape Chronicles dishes on “Liechtenstein, Valle d’Aosta and the Umpqua Valley – a few wine regions you may may not be familiar with”

• Jennifer from Vino Travels posts “Blaufrankisch of Upstate New York’s Finger Lakes Region”

• Martin from Enoflyz Wine Blog shares “Beyond the Usual: Discovering Teran from Slovenia’s Coastal Karst”

• Gwendolyn from Wine Predator showcases “Discovering Virginia Wine + Cuisine via the Governor’s Cup Case 2025: 3 Red Blends with Ham, Gratin, Greens”

• Cathie from Side Hustle Vino adds “Off The Beaten Vineyard in Guanajuato, Mexico”

• Andrea from The Quirky Cork brings “Greece’s Most Ancient Grape Finds a Home on the Slopes of Meliton”

• Camilla from Culiary Cam writes “Rkatsiteli: An Ancient Grape from the Oldest Wine-Producing Region on Earth” (you're here)

• Terri from Our Good Life joins with “New-to-Me Wine Region: Affinitas Sarga Muskotaly in Hungary”

• Wendy from A Day in the Life On The Farm pens “Sipping a Chardonnay from the Fingers Lake Area”

• And Susannah at Avvinare, will write about “Discovering Brda in Slovenia”

In the Glass

Before a few years ago I was completely unfamiliar with the Rkatsiteli grape. In Godforsaken Grapes: A Slightly Tipsy Journey Through the World of Strange, Obscure, and Underappreciated Wine by Jason Wilson, he writes, "While many Americans have yet to hear about rkatsiteli, it's actually very widespread in the former Soviet states, which more than 100,000 acres planted - and this even after Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev ordered millions of wines uprooted during the 1980s" (pp. 269-270). Wilson also explains that he was cautioned against calling it 'orange' wine. "Lisa Granik, a Mater of Wine from New York, asked us not call them orange wines. 'I plead with you to call them amber,' she said, adding that many consumers heard 'orange wine' and believe it to be wine made with oranges" (pg. 278).

A little more research revealed that rkatsiteli is a white grape whose name literally translates to 'red stem,' inspired by the reddish hue its stalks develop near harvest time. The grape is wildly popular in its native country and vines are grown in practically in every wine region within Georgia’s borders.

The grape is used to make Georgian wine in the traditional way - in qvevri or enormous clay vessels. The grapes are pressed and placed in the qvevri with juice, skins, stems, and all. The qvevriare sealed, buried in the ground, and left to ferment for many month. The resulting wine, from the skin contact, is amber-colored and slightly tannic. Qvevri literally means 'that which is buried' and is how the vessels differ from amphorae which are not buried.

I had recently written about a Rkatsiteli from the Finger Lakes wine region in this post: Lapsang Souchong-Braised Duck Legs + 2024 Rkatsiteli Dr. Konstantin Frank. But as this post focuses on a lesser known wine region - not grape - I tracked down two Rkatsiteli from the Oldest Wine-Producing Region on Earth: the Republic of Georgia.

The Eurasian country of Georgia is one of the world's oldest wine-making countries. The key wine grapes in Georgia are the red grape variety Saperavi and the white grape Rkatsiteli. Archaeological evidence suggests that primitive wine production began 6000 to 8000 years ago in the Caucasus region which includes Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and eastern Turkey. Each of the modern countries claim to being the birthplace of wine. So, Georgia may not actually be the oldest wine-producing region on Earth, but it's in the running!

I poured the 2022 Zedashe 'Monastery' Rkatsiteli and the 2019 Nareklishvili & Sons Rkatsiteli Qvevri. Both are single varietals being - 100% Rkatsiteli - and aged in qvevri. The Zedashe is from the Kartli wine region while the Nareklishvili & Sons is from the Kakheti wine region.

The Zedashe poured a light hue - much more pale than I expected with a qvevri-aged wine. The aromas were light but sweet. I noted dried apricots and quince with a layer of citrus rind. The wine was fairly flat without too many interesting layers. As it warmed throughout the meal, it opened up a bit with flavors of honey and tea.

The Nareklishvili & Sons was a brilliant marigold color with an earthy aroma of clay. On the nose there were also aromas of apricot, quince, and citrus. But there was an alluring layer of jasmine and toasted hazelnuts as well. This Rkatsiteli was bold and beautiful.

On the Plate

I decided to pour the Rkatsiteli with the Georgian version of stuffed grape leaves: Tolma which are Georgia’s answer to dolmades. These tangy grape leaves are wrapped around rice, herbs, and spices; they are typically served with a cinnamon-scented yogurt sauce. I also made a zucchini carpaccio, pickled red onions, and grilled summer squash to round out the dinner.

Ingredients

• grape leaves (I finally got my hands on a jar though I want to make this with fresh leaves soon)

• 2 cup cooked rice

• 1 pound ground beef, cooked and crumbled

• 1/2 cup caramelized shallots

• 1 teaspoon ras el hanout

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• freshly ground salt and pepper

• handful of fresh parsley, roughly-chopped

• 2 to 3 organic lemon, thinly sliced (I used Meyer lemons)

• 2 Tablespoons liquid (use wine, veggie broth, or water)

Procedure

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large mixing bowl, combine the rice, beef, and caramelized shallots. Season with ras el hanout, ground cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Stir in the fresh parsley.

Place a tablespoon of your filling in the center of a grape leaf. Keeping constant pressure, roll the grape leaf into a packet. Because my grape leaves were so small, I used two for each roll.

Arrange the rolls in a baking dish. Lay slices of lemon over the top.

Fill your pan with water so that the water comes to the top of the rolls. Add a splash of olive oil and your wine or liqueur. Lay grape leaves over the top.

Bake in preheated oven for 90 minutes, until the liquid is completely absorbed and the rolls are soft. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

That's a wrap on my lesser known region offering. The combined wine writers will be back in June to share pink wines for Rosé Day - June 14th - with the #Winophiles. Stay tuned.