Saperavi is Georgia's most important red wine making variety. Unlike most red wine grape varieties which have light colored flesh, Saperavi also contains the red anthrocyanin in the flesh as well as the skin. The result is a wine similar to that of the Teinturier varieities. By contrast to Teinturier, whose strong color is used in blends to add intensity, Saperavi is commonly made into a varietal wine. Becuase of its high acidity and phenolic compounds, it is capable and sometimes demanding of extensive bottle aging, sometimes up to 50 years.
On rich and fertile land, the region of Kakheti is Georgia's agricultural powerhouse producing 70% of the countries grapes. Broken down into three main regions, it is then split further in to over 25 established terroirs such as Tsinandali, Teliani, Napereuli and Mukuzani. The region's main varieties for reds are Saperavi and Cabernet Sauvignon, and for whites, Kakhuri and Rkatsiteli Mtsvane. The country's traditional methods are once again being employed with re-emergence of Kakehtian wines, which are aged in earthenware jars after an extended three or four month maceration.
Red wine is wine made from dark-coloured grape varieties. The color of red differs based on the grapes variety or varieties used.
Interestingly, black grapes yield a juice that is greenish-white. The actual red color comes from anthocyan pigments (also called anthocyanins) from the skin of the grape (exceptions are the relatively uncommon teinturier varieties, which produce a red colored juice). Most of the production centers around the extraction of color and flavor from the grape skin.
