Vinalia x Tbilvino, Saperavi

Founded in 1963, Tbilvino was a key player in Soviet-era Georgian winemaking. After the Soviet Union's collapse, the Margvelashvili brothers revitalized the winery, shifting focus from mass production to quality. By embracing Georgia’s ancient viticulture and modern techniques, they restored Tbilvino’s reputation. Today, the winery produces both traditional qvevri-aged wines and innovative expressions of native Georgian grapes like Rkatsiteli, Mtsvane, and Saperavi.

Georgia boasts one of the world's oldest winemaking traditions, with evidence of viticulture dating back over 8,000 years. This region is where Vitis vinifera, the source of nearly all fine wine grapes, originated. Renowned for its amber wines, traditionally fermented in qvevri, the nation is experiencing a renaissance in the global wine scene. Kakheti, its largest wine region, encompasses the prestigious Mukuzani appellation, celebrated for its opulent Saperavi wines that have graced royal courts and later were much sought after during the Soviet regime.

Georgia’s flagship red variety, Saperavi translates to “something to color with,” a fitting name for a grape so richly pigmented. In fact, it is a rare teinturier, meaning that not only its skins, but also its juice and flesh are naturally red. Exhibiting deep dark fruit flavors and a densely inky core of tannins, Saperavi wines can be very long lived and made in a full suite of styles, including dry, off-dry, sweet, and fortified wines.