Vogue Magazine named Georgia among 12 underrated wine regions to visit this fall. Georgia, according to the article, is the world’s oldest continually producing wine region.

The author of the article, natural wine journalist Rachel Signer, says that Georgia was under Soviet rule for decades, and wine culture was greatly impacted.

“Only four grape varieties (out of over 500) were allowed in production; the others were kept alive in secret,” she said.

With Georgia’s independence, Georgians rediscovered their wine culture and began sharing it with the broader world.

“If you’re orange wine obsessed, the country’s skin-contact whites are likely already on your radar. This style involves harvesting white grapes and allowing them to ferment, as opposed to pressing the juice right away. This fermentation allows the juice to gain colour, flavour, and texture from the grape skins,” Signer explains.

“It results in a completely different wine, which has the floral elements of a white wine but the tannins of a red.”

Signer also mentions that the Kartli region is rather accessible to visit due to its proximity to Tbilisi, which is less than an hour away by car. She recommends paying a visit to Iago Bitarishvili to taste Iago’s and his wife Marina Kurtanidze’s wine, who produces Marina Wine.

“Georgian wine is notably made in underground amphorae called Qvevri, and you will find them in Iago and Marina’s winery. It’s very atmospheric, with messages written on the walls from visitors around the world,” she says.