Vazisubani is a type of dry vintage white wine. First released in 1978 and in Soviet times was in great demand due to its high quality and low price. Produced from Rkatsiteli and Kakhuri Mtsvane grapes grown near the village of Vazisubani, which is located in the eastern part of Georgia. Vineyards of the microzone cover an area of 62 square kilometers.
Wine color with pronounced greenish hues. The taste is dominated by fruit, honey and floral tones, to which moderate sourness is added. The finish is long and oily.
Historical information
Georgia is the historical center of winemaking. The mention of the vineyards of Colchis is found in the writings of Apollo of Rhodes, a Greek writer and philosopher who lived in the 1877rd century BC. e. The development of viticulture in the region is also confirmed by the Byzantine historian Procopius of Caesarea, who in his writings wrote about Meskheti as a major exporter of fine wines. The rapid development of the industry took place in the second half of the XNUMXth century, and in XNUMX the first educational institution was organized in Georgia, which trained specialists in viticulture and winemaking.
After the October Revolution, all enterprises were nationalized, and in 1929 they were transferred to the Trust of Soviet Farms, created by the government and known as Samtrest. The activity of the organization was aimed at improving the quality and increasing the volume of products of wineries. Samtrest’s technologists were developing recipes for new wines together with employees of research institutes of the republic.
Vazisubani wine was created by Samtrest specialists in 1978. The raw material for its production was a mixture of Rkatsiteli grapes (85%) and Kakhuri Mtsvane (15%) from the Vazisubani microzone. Blends from wine materials of these varieties served as the basis for the creation of well-known table and dessert wines of the Soviet era: Port wine, Chateau Yquem, Saamo. Mtsvane grapes with a pleasant fruity taste and floral aroma have been used since the 1950s mainly to refine European-style wines.
Production features
The Gurjaani region, where the village of Vazisubani is located, is rich in alluvial-carbonate soils and ranks first in terms of the total area of vineyards in the country. Harvest in the microzone is harvested in late September – early October, when the grapes reach optimal maturity and sugar content of at least 19%. Clusters are removed only by hand. The ridges are carefully separated, then the berries are cooled and macerated for eight hours at a temperature of +5 °C. Only after that the raw material goes to gentle pressing.
The classic Samtrest recipe prescribes, after the end of primary fermentation, to keep young wine on yeast sediment for a month, now they try not to do this in order to avoid the high acidity of the drink. The maturation period of Vazisubani is at least one and a half years in enameled tanks or oak buts.
Currently, enterprises use a simpler technology, where about 30% of wine materials are aged in Caucasian oak barrels, and the period is reduced to 3-4 months.
The Georgian enterprise of the Russian company “Dionis” practices long maturation of Vazisubani directly in bottles. Fermentation takes place on a special yeast culture selected for the variety. After bottling, the wine is closed with corks specially designed for bottling aging technology; additionally, the neck is filled with beeswax, which protects against penetration of wild fungi into the dishes. The air temperature in the cellars is maintained at 12-14 ° C, the bottles are stored in a horizontal position.
Famous brands of Vazisubani
Vazisubani is a vintage table wine of the European type. In Soviet times, the main production was concentrated in Georgia, but a small part was made by the Moscow plant on the basis of imported wine materials. Then the presence of oxidized tones was valued in white Georgian wines, now high acidity is considered unacceptable. At the forefront in the bouquet of Vazisubani came such qualities as freshness, the presence of bright floral shades, oiliness and a long aftertaste.
The following brands of Vazisubani are presented in Russian stores:
- Marani Vazisubani, 13,5% vol. – Produced by Telavi Wine Cellar. The ratio of grapes differs from the classic recipe – 80% Rkatsiteli and 20% Mtsvane. Part of the wine material is aged for at least four months in oak barrels, the entire manufacturing process takes about a year. The assortment of the enterprise includes vintage issues of Marani Vazisubani. The brand received a bronze medal at the International Wine Challenge 2004 in London.
- AST Vazisubani is a wine of the middle price segment with a strength of 12% vol. Produced at the plant of the wine-making company “Dugladze”. The company owns about 300 hectares of vineyards. The bouquet has honey and floral notes with light woody undertones, moderate acidity.
- Vazisubani Kartuli Vazi Great Collection 2000 is a vintage wine produced by the Russian company Dionis with an alcohol content of 11,5% vol. The wine material of the 2000 vintage was recommended by the tasting commission for long-term maturation in the bottle. A greenish-golden color drink with a rich floral aroma and a honey-fruity taste, it is recommended to decant before drinking.
How to drink Vazisubani
Vazisubani wine should be served chilled to +10–12 °C. The drink is combined with fish, vegetable salads, white meat.
Makes a gastronomic pair with traditional Georgian dishes – satsivi, khachapuri, fried chicken chkmeruli, vegetable garnish mixture with pkhali nut sauce.
