Kartli
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The Kartli region is the crossroads where the eastern and western traditions of Georgian life and winemaking converge. This historic land is home to Georgia's capitals: the ancient city of Mtskheta and the vibrant modern metropolis of Tbilisi.
Kartli today is a region on the rise, actively developing and revitalizing its rich heritage. Within the Georgian winemaking landscape, the region stands out for its unique characteristics, including a significant production of sparkling wines and a notable presence of European grape varieties. While Kartli also cultivates the iconic Kakhetian Rkatsiteli and Saperavi, it has its own shining stars: Chinuri, Goruli Mtsvane, Tavkveri, and Shavkapito.
Administratively and traditionally, Kartli is divided into two sub-regions: Kvemo (Lower) Kartli and Shida (Inner) Kartli to the south and northwest of Tbilisi, respectively.
Shida (Inner) Kartli
Shida Kartli is the place where ancient wine vessels were discovered in 2017, the oldest of which dates back to 5980 BC. Since then, Georgia has officially been recognized as the country with the longest continuous winemaking history, and the Shida Kartli sub-region is where this history began.
This part of Kartli produces wines of many different styles and technologies, but elegant sparkling and perfect balanced white wines deserve special attention: the northern slopes of the Trialeti Range are ideal for their production.
Kvemo (Lower) Kartli
The vineyards of Kvemo Kartli sprawl across a vast territory surrounding the towns of Rustavi and Bolnisi. The former serves as the administrative capital of Kvemo Kartli, while the latter is its main winemaking hub.
Bolnisi (originally Katharinenfeld) was founded in 1819 by 116 immigrant families from Swabia, Germany. By the 1840s, the area had become known for its high-quality wines from local and international grape varietiHowever, since then, the sub-region has begun its rapid rise to the top: in 2018, there were already dozens of producers, and the same year, the vineyards around Bolnisi were awarded PDO statuses, such as Riesling and Pinot Noir. A century later, in 1941, the German families were deported to Siberia and Kazakhstan, and in 1944, the town got its current name, Bolnisi. By the time the Soviet Union collapsed, there were virtually no significant vineyards left in the area, and by 2015, only a few producers were operating in the region.
However, since then, the sub-region has begun its rapid rise to the top: in 2018, there were already dozens of producers, and the same year, the vineyards around Bolnisi were awarded PDO status.
Terroir Features
The Kartli climate can be generally characterized as moderately humid, with mild winters and long, warm summers. The Caucasus Mountains help to protect the region from cold air masses from the north, while the Black Sea to the west helps balance the temperatures.
The region extends north to south, so soils, precipitation levels, and other characteristics can vary significantly from vineyard to vineyard. While rainfall is generally sufficient for dry-farmed viticulture throughout the region, the Asureti area (Tetritsqaro district) in the south can get pretty dry, so the vines may sometimes require irrigation. Multiple rivers of all sizes flow through the region, moderating the climate of the vineyards near them and enriching the soil diversity with alluvial soils.
Districts & Micro-zones (PDOs)
Kartli is renowned in Georgia for its exceptional sparkling wines — Ateni got their first PDO in 2007. The region encompasses numerous municipalities but currently only has four PDOs, two of which, Asuretuli Shala and Okami, were established in 2022. Overall, the number of PDOs is likely to increase in the future.
Of the four appellations, only Bolnisi PDO regulates the production of amber wine. Nevertheless, the ageing process, the percentage of pomace used, and the decision to add stems are all left to the winemakers' discretion. However, while amber wines are produced throughout the region, they remain more significant for the neighboring Kakheti.
Main grape varieties
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Avandi Chinuri2022
- Regular price
- €5.58
- Sale price
- €5.58
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Winery AvandiVintages2022 / qnt.1197Wine type
Amber | Alc. 12.5% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – MtskhetaGrape Chinuri
In Stock 1197 -
Natro Winery Kaspuri Tetri2023
- Regular price
- €7.36
- Sale price
- €7.36
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Winery Natro WineryVintages2023 / qnt.150Wine type
White | Alc. 12.8% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – Kaspi – Kvemo GomiGrape Chinuri 55% · Goruli Mtsvane 45%
In Stock 150 -
Uplistsikhe Estate Goruli Mtsvane2022
- Regular price
- €5.70
- Sale price
- €5.70
- Regular price
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Winery Uplistsikhe EstateVintages2022 / qnt.600Wine type
White | Alc. 13.0% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – Gori – UplistsikheGrape Goruli MtsvaneIn Stock 600 -
Wine Horizon Tavkveri2023
- Regular price
- €9.81
- Sale price
- €9.81
- Regular price
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Winery Wine HorizonVintages2023 / qnt.900Wine type
Red | Alc. 13.0% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – Kaspi – KavtiskheviGrape Tavkveri
In Stock 900 -
Doesi Estate Goruli Mtsvane2023
- Regular price
- €10.03
- Sale price
- €10.03
- Regular price
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Winery Doesi EstateVintages2023 / qnt.1500Wine type
Amber | Alc. 12.0% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – Kaspi – DoesiGrape Goruli MtsvaneIn Stock 1500 -
Doesi Estate Tavkveri Rose2023
- Regular price
- €10.03
- Sale price
- €10.03
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Winery Doesi EstateVintages2023 / qnt.1000Wine type
Rose | Alc. 12.0% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – Kaspi – DoesiGrape TavkveriIn Stock 1000 -
Tezi Chinuri2022
- Regular price
- €10.41
- Sale price
- €10.41
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Winery Tezi WineryVintages2022 / qnt.800Wine type
Amber | Alc. 12.0% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – Kaspi – OkamiGrape Chinuri
In Stock 800 -
Shavgulidze Wine Cellar Shavkapito2022
- Regular price
- €9.93
- Sale price
- €9.93
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Winery Shavgulidze Wine CellarVintages2022 / qnt.2000Wine type
Red | Alc. 14.0% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – Mtskheta – TsilkaniGrape ShavkapitoIn Stock 2000 -
SHANO Budeshuri Saperavi2022
- Regular price
- €13.92
- Sale price
- €13.92
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Winery SHANOVintages2022 / qnt.400Wine type
Red | Alc. 14.4% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – Gardabani – MartkopiGrape Budeshuri SaperaviIn Stock 400 -
Kaloubani Chinuri Gorula2023
- Regular price
- €7.94
- Sale price
- €7.94
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Winery KaloubaniVintages2023 / qnt.150Wine type
Amber | Alc. 12.5% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – Kaspi – KaloubaniGrape Goruli Mtsvane 60% · Chinuri 40%
In Stock 150 -
Kaloubani Goruli Mtsvane2023
- Regular price
- €7.94
- Sale price
- €7.94
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Winery KaloubaniVintages2023 / qnt.600Wine type
Amber | Alc. 12.5% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – Kaspi – KaloubaniGrape Goruli MtsvaneIn Stock 600 -
Kaloubani Saperavi2023
- Regular price
- €9.93
- Sale price
- €9.93
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Winery KaloubaniVintages2023 / qnt.100Wine type
Red | Alc. 11.5% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – Kaspi – KaloubaniGrape SaperaviIn Stock 100 -
Kaloubani Tavkveri2023
- Regular price
- €9.93
- Sale price
- €9.93
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Winery KaloubaniVintages2023 / qnt.50Wine type
Red | Alc. 11.5% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – Kaspi – KaloubaniGrape TavkveriIn Stock 50 -
Kaloubani Tavkveri Rose2022
- Regular price
- €9.93
- Sale price
- €9.93
- Regular price
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- Unit price
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Winery KaloubaniVintages2022 / qnt.50Wine type
Rose | Alc. 11.5% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – Kaspi – KaloubaniGrape TavkveriIn Stock 50 -
Rachisubani Iremashvili Vineyards Rkatsiteli2023
- Regular price
- €7.17
- Sale price
- €7.17
- Regular price
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Winery Rachisubani Iremashvili VineyardsVintages2023 / qnt.100Wine type
Amber | Alc. 12.5% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – Bolnisi PDO – RachisubaniGrape Rkatsiteli
In Stock 100 -
Rachisubani Iremashvili Vineyards Saperavi2022
- Regular price
- €10.76
- Sale price
- €10.76
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Winery Rachisubani Iremashvili VineyardsVintages2022 / qnt.60Wine type
Red | Alc. 15.0% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – Bolnisi PDO – RachisubaniGrape SaperaviIn Stock 60 -
Solomoné Tavkveri - Shavkapito2023
- Regular price
- €9.85
- Sale price
- €9.85
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Winery SolomonéVintages2023 / qnt.2500Wine type
Red | Alc. 13.5% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – Kaspi – DoesiGrape Tavkveri 40% · Shavkapito 60%In Stock 2500 -
Solomoné Chinuri - Goruli Mtsvane2023
- Regular price
- €9.85
- Sale price
- €9.85
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Winery SolomonéVintages2023 / qnt.2500Wine type
White | Alc. 12.5% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – Kaspi – OkamiGrape Chinuri 60% · Goruli Mtsvane 40%In Stock 2500 -
Anto Tavkveri Chinuri - Chardonnay2023
- Regular price
- €11.75
- Sale price
- €11.75
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Winery AntoVintages2023 / qnt.1400Wine type
White | Alc. 12.0% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – Gori – TkviaviGrape Chinuri 80% · Chardonnay 20%In Stock 1400 -
Anto Tavkveri Rose2023
- Regular price
- €8.61
- Sale price
- €8.61
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Winery AntoVintages2023 / qnt.500Wine type
Semi Dry
Rose | Alc. 11.5% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – Gori – TkviaviGrape TavkveriIn Stock 500
Amber | Alc. 12.5% | Vol. 750ml
White | Alc. 12.8% | Vol. 750ml
Red | Alc. 13.0% | Vol. 750ml
Rose | Alc. 12.0% | Vol. 750ml
