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An evening from the archive

Wines of the Caucasus

SpeakerPast event
Date
Monday, 17 November 2025
Time
19:30
Host
Jon Barnes
Theme
Georgia and Armenia

Long-standing member Jon Barnes shared the fruits of a trip to the Caucasus, presenting eight wines from Georgia and Armenia — many sourced through specialist importer Wine Origins. The evening ranged from a pale Rkatsiteli to a qvevri-aged orange-tinged white, on through Saperavi reds of varying age, and two honeyed semi-sweets, offering members a rare and thorough introduction to this ancient wine culture.

Wines of the Caucasus

The wines

What we tasted

  1. 1

    Georgia Gorgeous White

    · Rkatsiteli· Georgia· 2023· % abv

    Pale straw, aromatic and spicy nose, round with peach and quince, 12%, £8.50 from Waitrose

    Tonight £0RRP £0
  2. 2

    Thilvino Qvevris White

    Thilvino· Rkatsiteli· Georgia (East)· 2022· % abv

    Fermented in traditional qvevri clay vessels, darker colour, almond and sherry-like nose, tannic with aniseed notes, 13%, £13.50 from Majestic

    Tonight £0RRP £0
  3. 3

    Van Ardi Tor-Tori Voskehat

    Van Ardi· Voskehat· Armenia· 2019· % abv

    Greenish yellow, lychee pear and honeycomb aromas, fresh with apricot, very long finish, 12.5%, £22.95 from Wine Origins

    Tonight £0RRP £0

    Vivino 3.9/5 · 161 ratings

    View on Vivino
  4. 4

    Mildiani Tvishi White

    Mildiani· Tsolikouri· Georgia (West)· 2020· % abv

    Semi-sweet 11%, apricot quince pear and floral nose, honeyed sweetness, works with desserts or spicy dishes, £25.95 from Wine Origins

    Tonight £0RRP £0

    Vivino 4.3/5 · 140 ratings

    Vivino avg £23.33 · our RRP £0

    Pairs with vegetarian, poultry, lean fish, mushrooms

    View on Vivino
  5. 5

    Tbilvino Saperavi Red

    Tbilvino· Saperavi· Georgia· 2023· % abv

    Deep dark red (red flesh grape), black fruits, tannic with good fruit/acid balance, forest berry fruit, 13%, £12.50 from Majestic

    Tonight £0RRP £0

    Vivino 3.8/5 · 135 ratings

    Vivino avg £22.00 · our RRP £0

    Pairs with lamb, veal, game (deer, venison), mature and hard cheese

    View on Vivino
  6. 6

    Makashvili Saperavi Qvevri

    Makashvili· Saperavi· Georgia· 2018· % abv

    Made in traditional qvevri, deep dark red, black forest fruits with port-like aromas, softer tannins than younger wine showing aging potential, 13.5%, £28.95 (reduced from £32.95) from Wine Origins

    Tonight £0RRP £0
  7. 7

    Voskevaz Vintage Areni Noir

    Voskevaz· Areni Noir· Armenia· 2019· % abv

    Lighter red, forest fruit nose, subtle tannins with fresh red berry fruit and slight spice, 13.5%, £20.95 from Wine Origins

    Tonight £0RRP £0
  8. 8

    Mildiani Khvanchkara

    Mildiani· Aleksandreuli, Mujuretuli· Georgia (West Coast)· 2018· % abv

    Medium-sweet 12.5%, pale red, cherry plum and raspberry aromas, smooth and sweet with freshness, good with cheese or spicy curry, £25.95 from Wine Origins

    Tonight £0RRP £0

    Vivino 4.2/5 · 23,069 ratings

    Pairs with veal, game (deer, venison), mature and hard cheese, mushrooms

    View on Vivino

That's a wrap on this one.

Missed it? There's always another evening around the corner.

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