We spent 2 nights in eastern part of Georgian, in Kakheti, Georgia’s premier wine-producing area. Most of us stayed at the hotel of the Schuchmann Hotel-Winery Complex. Some of us stayed at Château Mosmieri, a similar hotel-winery set-up, just a few miles away.Both Schuchmann and Mosmieri are owned by Germans.
Upon arrival in the later afternoon at the gorgeous Schuchmann Hotel, we had a bit of time to relax on the terrasse with a stunning view of the Caucasus Mountains.
We then enjoyed a tour of the winemaking facilities, a seated tasting with Managing Director/ Assistant Winemaker Roland Burdiashvili and dinner on the terrace of Schuchmann Hotel.
Annette and I spent a week in Georgia, the small country that used to be part of the Soviet Union, located between the Black See and the Caspian See. The area is considered to be the birthplace of wine. Research indicates that wine has been made in Georgia for 8000 years. There are over 500 indigenous grape varieties in Georgia. Traditionally, wine in Georgia has been made (fermented and aged) in amphoras burried in the ground.
This was a group-tour of the Collegium Vini, an association of wine lovers in the Frankfurt/ Germany area, of which we are members. The tour was organized by GEORGIENREISEN. Co-owner Tea Totogashvili was our guide. The focus of the tour was on culture and wine.
See here for an overview posting: Georgia Wine Tour 2019: Discovering the Birthplace of Wine
Wine in Georgia
Georgia is located in an area that is considered to be the birthplace of wine. Research indicates that wine has been made in Georgia for 8000 years. There are over 500 indigenous grape varieties in Georgia. Traditionally, wine in Georgia has been made (fermented and aged) in amphoras burried deep in the ground.
Georgia is a small, Christian country with a difficult history. In particular, it was part of the Russian Zsar's Empire. During that period the influence of French winemaking and French cuisine was important. More recently, Georgia was part of the Soviet Union. During the Soviet Union period Georgia was the chief provider of wine for the whole country.This was essentially low-cost mass wine shipped in tanks to all regions of the Soviet Union and bottled there. There was no commercial qvevri winemaking during the Soviet Union period. The commercial sector was dominated by huge stainless steel tanks to produce sweet-style wines.
After the break-up of the Soviet Union and various conflicts between Russia and Georgia, the Georgian wine sector has been adjusting to the new market conditions. The production of inexpensive, often sweet-style wines for Russia and other neighboring countries remains important.
At the same time, the amber wine revolution has discovered Georgia and Georgia has become an important player in the natural wine scene, including in New York, Berlin, London etc. But quevri wines account only for 3% of Georgia's wine exports. Still, they account for 100% of the buzz.
Tradionally, both red and white wine have been fermented and aged in qvevris, burried in the ground for temperature control purposes. Basically each family in Georgia has a quevri where they make there wine in this ancient method. Typically, quevri wines are no-sulfur wines with natural yeast only. Whole-bunch fermentation is the rule.
While the buzz is about the hard-core qvevri winemaking where the grapes are fermented with their skins, pips and stems and aged for an extensive period in a qvevri, you also find winemakers that combine the traditional Georgian approach with modern approaches like aging in barrels or fermenting in qvevris but without skins, pips and stems. In fact, there is a whole range of qvevri winemaking.
Interestingly, not once went a winemaker with us to the vineyard and we did not have one single-vineyard wine in Georgia. In general it seems that vineyard issues are on the backburner in Georgia.
Burkhardt Schuchmann in Germany and Georgia
Schuchmann Wines Georgia was founded in 2008 by the German Burkhardt Schuchmann. Today it consists of Schuchmann Wines, Schuchmann Hotel and Schuchmann Wine Spa in Kakheti and Schuchmann Travel and Schuchmann Wine Bar in Tbilisi.
Burkhardt Schuchmann was borne in 1942 in Berlin. Until 2005, for 20 years, Burkardt Schuchmann was the CEO of Vossloh AG, a rail technology company based in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The SDAX-listed group has achieved sales of around €930 million in 2016 with more than 4,000 employees. During Burkhardt Schuchmann's very successful tenure, Vossloh AG experienced a major expansion, including the aquisition of more than 20 companies around the world.
After leaving the company (reportedly following a power struggle with the Board), Burkhard Schuchmann became Partner in One Equity Partners in 2006 and Managing Director of Alternative Rail Investments AG in 2011.
As for his Georgia project, Burkhardt Schuchmann has invested Euro 7.0 million in Schuchmann Wines Georgia sofar. Famous Georgian winemaker Georgi Dakishvili has been in charge of the wine aspects of the operation right from the beginnig of the project and now owns a 10% share in the company. He has been assisted by Roland Burdiashvili, who studied winemaking in Heilbronn, Germany, and who joined us for the tasting. Giorgi Dakishvili also has his own winery where he makes qvevri wines under the Vita Vinea label. Angeles Tegtmeyer was Managing Director and Partner of Schuchmann Wines Georgia between 2007 and 2014. She was based in Hamburg and travelled frequently to Georgia. She was the Chief Operation Officer during these years.
Burkhard Schuchmann: It was a coincidence that during a transport-industry conference I attended in Berlin back in 2006 a number of colleagues drew my attention to Georgia. Months later I found myself traveling through this country for the first time in my life. As an industrial manager from the world of rail I was quite unprepared for the unspoilt natural beauty that greeted me. I vividly recall how quickly I developed close ties to the country and its people. Driven by my own enthusiasm and Georgian hospitality I dug deeper into this world of wines that have been have been produced here for millenniums.
Captivated by their quality I felt a need to draw attention beyond the boundaries of Georgia to both the traditional Georgian wines from Qvevris and those made to Western standards. For this dream to materialize, a team of enthusiasts was necessary led by George Dakishvili, winemaker and inspiration of the entire project. He is, in fact, the third generation of his family to have embraced the profession. From a tender age closely conversant with winemaking he has over the years, through training and experience, acquired the skills and cultivated the art essential to the realization of the project. His proficiency will put us in a position to create premium quality wines.
Schuchmann Wines Georgia
Schuchmann Wines Georgia produces about 1.5 million bottles of wine annually. These wines range from quevri wines that are fermented and aged in a qvevri to wines that do not see any qvevri but only a stainless steel tank. Overall, the focus is clearly on mainstream wines. And within the qvevri wine portfolio, the wines tend to stay only for a short period in the qvevri, typically without stems, and are often put in oak barrels for aging. One could call these qvevri wines "soft" versions as compared to the wines of say Iago Bitarishvili, whose qvevri wines are fermented and aged in a qvevri with stems.
Qvevri wines are marketed under theVinoterra line and mainstream wines are marketed under the Schuchmann line.
60 hectares are currently under vines of a total of 120 hectares of land.
Two third of the portfolio is represented by Saperavi the leading red variety in Georgia. Deep in color with tannins and dark fruit notes. This grape offers excellent potential to produce great wine. The portfolio is completed by Rkatsiteli, Chardonnay, Mtsvane, Kisi, Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.
Tasting with Managing Director/ Assistant Winemaker Roland Burdiashvili
Managing Director/ Assistant Winemaker Roland Burdiashvili joined us for the wine tasting.
The Wines we Tasted
2018 Schuchmann Mtsvane
White, fermented and aged in stainless steel.
2017 Vinoterra Mtsvane
White, fermented in qvevri without stems
2018 Schuchmann Saperavi
Red, fermented and aged in stainless steel
2017 Vinoterra Saperavi
Red, 4 weeks in qvevri and 12 months in barrique
2017 Vinoterra Cabernet Sauvignon
Red, 4 weeks in qvevri and 12 months in barrique
2010 Rkatsiteli
Extra wine, made at home by xxx in a qvevri, zero sulfur, completely hand off wine, bottled in 2014
Dinner
Following the tasting we enjoyed dinner on the terrace of Hotel Schuchmann.The group spent the night at Hotel Schuchmann and Hotel Mosmieri, a similar hotel-winery set-up, just a few miles away. Both Schuchmann and Mosmieri are owned by Germans.
schiller-wine: Related Postings - Georgia Wine Tour 2019: Discovering the Birthplace of Wine (Published and Forthcoming Postings)
Georgia Wine Tour 2019: Discovering the Birthplace of Wine
Tour and Wine-pairing Lunch at Iago Winery in Mtskheta, with Cult-winemaker Iago Bitarishvili - Georgia Wine Tour 2019
Wine-pairing Lunch at Pheasant's Tears, Arguably Georgia's Most Famous Winery - Georgia Wine Tour 2019
Tasting and Dinner at Restaurant Schuchmann, with Managing Director/ Assistant Winemaker Roland Burdiashvili
Tour and Extensive Tasting at Tchotiashveli Estate, with Owner/ Cult-winemaker Kakha Tchotiashvili and Light Lunch at Tchotiashveli Estate
Tour, Tasting and Dinner at Martali Wine, with Owners/ Winemakers Nikoloz Bitskinashvili, Nikheil Bitskinashvili, and Thomas Schubaeus
Tour and Extensive Tasting at Château Mukhrani with General Manager/ Winemaker Patrick Honnef
At Mosmieri Winebar and Shop in Tbilisi, with Château Mosmieri Owner Joerg Matthies
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