🍷 Kakhetian method
Also known as: Kakhetian wine, Kakhetian-style wine
A Georgian method: the juice ferments in qvevri together with skins, seeds and stems.
The Kakhetian method is a Georgian way of making wine in which the juice ferments together with the skins, seeds and stems. It comes from Kakheti, a wine region in eastern Georgia. Fermentation takes place in qvevri, large clay jars buried in the ground.
This contact with the skins is called maceration. In Kakheti it can last up to five or six months. That is why white wines come out amber, firm and tannic. They are known as orange wines.
The method is closely tied to qvevri wine: same vessel, same base. The Imeretian method differs in using far fewer skins. The Georgian qvevri winemaking method is on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage, and it is part of the story of Georgian wine. Today it is also used in other countries, but Georgia is seen as its homeland. Next to the white wine most drinkers know, Kakhetian-type wines are another thing: amber, firm and tannic, which is why they differ so much from European white wines.
How it connects to Wine
🍷 Kakhetian method → made in → 🗺️ Georgian wine → kind of → 🗺️ Wines of Europe → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🍷 Qvevri wine
- Where it is made
- 🗺️ Georgian wine
- Similar and different
- 🍷 Qvevri wine, 🍷 Orange wine, 🍷 Imeretian method
Frequently asked questions
What is the Kakhetian method?
A Georgian method where the juice ferments in a qvevri together with the skins, seeds and stems.
Why do white wines made this way turn amber?
Because of long contact with the skins; maceration can last up to five or six months. Such wines are called orange wines.
Is it true that Kakhetian-style wine is just white wine as made in Europe?
No. It comes out amber, firm and tannic, which is why it differs so much from European white wines.
Similar
🍷 Imeretian method · 🍷 Amphora wine · 🍷 Qvevri wine · 🍷 Natural wine · 🍷 Talha wine · 🍷 Homemade wine
⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.
Sources
- OIV, International Code of Oenological Practices
- UNESCO: Ancient Georgian traditional Qvevri wine-making method
- National Wine Agency of Georgia