Wine from Georgia (the Country).....say WHAT?!

Tonight we had the chance to drink a bottle of 2010 Tbilvino Saperavi from the Republic of Georgia a former state in the Soviet Union.  Not a typical wine selection we admit, but that is the fun of wine you never know what you are going to get from a new varietal or country.  We have never tried the Saperavi grape before but we were very pleasantly surprised.  It has a lot of body for what would be considered a cooler climate grape.  The wine has a deep dark colour with some bold tannins.  It tasted really great with food and it would seem like it could go with or without food.  At $16.99 it was a good wine and a real tasting experience.  The wine could easily be confused with a Zinfandel or Cab.  It has some oak notes but definitely was not over-oaked.  So, bottom line, Saperavi is a neat grape with very conventional tastes.  Overall, it is a winner and if you are looking for a different tasting experience give this one a try.

What is the most unique place you have tasted a wine from?  There are wines from all over the world and a myriad of grapes within each country.  What would you consider the most interesting wine from a lesser known country?  We have tasted wine from India, Brazil, and even the great state of Florida.  How about you?

We also tasted a 2009 Muller Bishop of Riesling which was a nice easy drinking wine from the Mosel.  This wine had crisp notes of pear and apple with some mineral undertones.  We really liked the flavours but the sweetness on this wine went up a step too high for us.  We would consider this to be a patio wine or a nice accompaniment for seafood.  If you enjoy Riesling this would be in line with what we would consider a typical Mosel Riesling.  At $14.99 it is a fairly well priced wine, however, we will note that we have had better Riesling for less.