Hey Reader—
We're about three weeks into harvest now, and I'm in the thick of it. My Sauvignon Blanc is happily fermenting away, my Barbera got pressed off its skins just yesterday, and I've got new fruit coming in on Tuesday.
That new fruit coming in Tuesday is actually what I want to talk about this week, because I'm so excited about it. I found a small planting of a very unique grape in the Columbia Gorge. It's a variety that comes from the actual birthplace of wine: Georgia (the country, not the state!).
Let's get into it.
Cheers,
Sip Smarter: Your Weekly Wine Lesson
Saperavi 101
If you've never heard of Saperavi, you're not alone. It's one of the oldest wine grapes on the planet. Here's the rundown.
Where it comes from
Saperavi is native to Georgia, which archaeologists now consider the literal birthplace of wine — grape residue found in clay jars there dates back to somewhere between 8000 and 4100 BC. Saperavi itself is believed to be roughly 8,000 years old. The name translates to something like "to paint" or "to dye," which makes sense once you know what makes this grape so unusual.
Teinturier: Most red grapes have dark skin but clear, colorless flesh and juice — which is why you can technically make a white wine out of red grapes. Saperavi isn't one of those. It's what's called a "teinturier" grape, meaning the flesh and juice are red too, not just the skin. That's what gives Saperavi its famously deep, inky color, and it's a big part of why Georgian winemakers have prized it for thousands of years.
Where it's famously grown
Georgia is Saperavi's home base — it's the most-planted red grape in the country, and in Kakheti, Georgia's most important wine region, it makes up around 40% of all production. Traditionally, it's fermented in qvevri: large, egg-shaped clay vessels buried underground, a method so old and distinctive that UNESCO has recognized it as part of humanity's cultural heritage.
Beyond Georgia, Saperavi has quietly found homes in a few unexpected places — including right here in the U.S. A Ukrainian refugee and viticulturist, Konstantin Frank, first planted it in New York's Finger Lakes region back in the late 1950s, and the Finger Lakes remains the main U.S. hub for the grape today. It's also cold-hardy and gaining interest from producers in Australia. And now, happily, it's growing in a small patch right here in the Columbia Gorge.
Like most grapes, Saperavi's personality shifts depending on where — and how — it's grown:
Cooler mountain sites: More red berry fruit and elegance, often compared to Nebbiolo or Sangiovese.
Warmer sites with darker soils: Bigger black fruit, meaty and savory notes, higher alcohol — closer in spirit to Syrah or Cabernet Sauvignon.
Traditional qvevri fermentation: Tends to bring out pure, dark fruit character along with dried flowers and spice, with tannin and structure shaped by the size of the vessel.
Modern steel or oak aging: Can soften and round the wine out, sometimes adding its own spice or textural notes.
Across the board, expect deep color, crisp acidity, and firm tannin — this is a grape built to age.
Fun facts
Saperavi is technically versatile enough to be made into rosé, dry red, semi-sweet, sweet, and even fortified styles.
Those famous qvevri vessels take about two months to build, weeks to dry, and days of firing at temperatures over 1,200°C before they're ever used.
Because of its natural cold-hardiness, Saperavi handles harsh winters better than a lot of classic European reds — which is part of why it's found a second home in places like the Finger Lakes.
Pairing it
Saperavi's bold color comes with bold flavor to match: black fruit, licorice, earth, smoked meat, and savory spice. It's built for hearty food — roast lamb, beef stew, grilled or smoked meats, and anything you'd want at a big, generous dinner table (which, fittingly, is exactly what it's built for in Georgia, where wine is central to the traditional feast known as a supra).
Next time you see Saperavi on a shelf or a wine list, don't pass it by. It's super unique, and it has 8,000 years of history behind it.
Vine To Glass
Wine Of The Week: A Saperavi Shiner
The Saperavi I mentioned above is coming from a vineyard out in The Dalles in the Columbia Gorge. The vineyard owned by a husband-and-wife team who have spent decades working in wine in various roles all over the world and here at home. These days, they grow small lots of both well-known grapes — Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc — and much lesser-known ones, including varieties originating in Switzerland, plus a small planting of Saperavi.
Before harvest, I made a trip out to visit their vineyard, and the owners let me taste through the wines they've made for their own personal collection — unlabeled, made purely for the love of it. We did a vertical tasting of their Saperavi alongside a handful of their other wines. It was one of the more unique tastings I've had in a while.
Their Saperavi was inky and full-bodied, just like you'd expect, but with a bright streak of acidity running through it that kept everything lifted and balanced rather than heavy. Even though theirs is aged in barrel rather than the traditional qvevri you'd find in Georgia, it still had this really distinct minerality to it, plus a beautiful undertone of allspice that kept pulling me back for another sip. It was a wine I didn't want to pair with anything — just one to sit with and think about.
To be clear: this particular bottle isn't something you can go buy. But I'll be making my own Saperavi from this same fruit this year, so consider this your first look at where that wine is going to come from. I'll be sharing the whole process as it comes together.
Cork Report
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