I love shopping at Corti Brothers and one of the reasons is that you can find a really interesting Georgian wine for only $12.99. Georgia is one of the most exciting wine-producing regions, but also one of the least heralded. It’s exciting because they are making traditional wines (sometimes even made in amphorae buried in the ground!) from traditional grapes, a rare feat these days.

Georgians have been making wine for 8,000 years and have over 500 indigenous grape varieties! Both the wine styles and the grapes are essentially unknown to most wine drinkers, even those who pride themselves on enjoying the obscure.

This wine made by Teliani Valley in 2007 comes from the Lechkumi appellation which is in a river valley in northeastern Georgia. Tsolikouri is a white grape indigenous to the north: it reminds me of some white German grapes like Muscat and Gewurtztraminer, though not quite as musky as those. This wine is slightly musky and rose-scented, medium bodied with good acid, somewhat pleasantly oxidized. A pan-fried trout, some roasted potatoes, and a lightly dressed salad would make a perfect meal for this delightful wine.