#tsolikouri

The white Georgian Tsolikauri grape variety has gained the most popularity in the western regions of Georgia. This is one of the most recent varieties: it has been harvested since mid-October. Before the berries fully ripen, at least 179 days must elapse from the moment of budding. The value of the variety lies in its adaptability to the external environment, endurance to diseases and pests, high yield and quality of grapes.

Grapes are picked manually at the peak of ripeness with a sugar content of at least 19%. Cooled to a temperature of + 4 ° C to + 6 ° C, grapes are pressed through a press and placed for fermentation in oak barrels or enameled tanks. Depending on the technology, the wine material is prepared with or without crest separation. At the end of the fermentation, the wine matures within a few months. As a rule, the wine is ready for bottling in a year, that is, after the next harvest. Maximum wine materials can withstand 2 years.

If the grapes of the latest harvest are used for the production of Tsolikauri, the wine is tart, fleshy, full-bodied, with a thick tint of fruit, citrus and flowers.

This variety of white wine has won many awards at international exhibitions. According to legend, the wine was laid by the French winemaker Antoine Mossano, who arrived in Georgia at the end of the 19th century by order of the Imperial Court. His task was the production of wines using French technology. As a result, one of his creations, the Teliani wine, was admitted to the table of Nicholas II. Wine of the highest quality, it is made from Tsolikouri grapes according to the technology of incomplete fermentation. This grape variety grows in the Rioli Gorge in the same district of Tvishi.

Tsolikouri grapes are harvested only by hand and only at the peak of its maturity. At this point, sugar content is not more than 22%. This is the best indicator for making Twishi wine. Further, the grapes are processed with separation of the ridges. After that, a process occurs in which the wort is separated (liquid squeezed from fruits / berries). After this, the wort discolors and undergoes fermentation. The fermentation process takes place in stainless tanks at a temperature of not less than 15 degrees. Technologists make sure that during fermentation the sugar content of the product does not exceed 5-7 grams per 100 cubic centimeters. When this indicator is reached, the wine is cooled to 3-5 degrees so that fermentation slows down until it stops. After this, it is filtered. Prior to packaging, the wine is stored in stainless tanks at a temperature close to zero. So that the wine in the packaging bottles does not continue to ferment, bottle pasteurization technology is used.

Anyone who at least once tasted Tvishi notes its rich fruity taste. There was a place for the sweetness of honey and apricots, astringent taste of quince and light sourness of citrus. The finish is long, sweet and aromatic. Not surprisingly, it is compared to a full basket of fruit.