Foothills · 700–1200 m
Wine of Imereti
Wetter foothills, lighter wines, and less time on the skins.
Imereti is green in a way Kakheti never is, and its winemaking follows the climate. The local method uses a churi — the same buried vessel under a different name — but with far less skin contact, often only a tenth of the pulp returned to the jar. The result is lighter and sharper than a Kakhetian amber, and it goes with the region’s food rather than standing apart from it. Tsolikouri and Tsitska are the grapes to ask for.
Grapes to look for
- Tsolikouri
- Tsitska
- Krakhuna
- Otskhanuri Sapere
Families here
Baghdati 1 family
Lomidze Churi
Imeretian winemaking uses the same buried clay vessel as Kakheti but calls it a churi and treats it differently: only a small part of the pressed pulp goes back into the jar, so the wine comes out lighter and sharper.
Terjola 1 family
Kapanadze Brothers
Two brothers, one hectare, and a disagreement about skin contact that has been running since 2014.