2022 Gvantsa's Aladasturi Red

Grape Varietal: Aladasturi

Country: Georgia

Region: Imereti, Obcha Village

The Wine: Baia's Wine is the project of siblings Baia, Gvantsa, and Giorgi Abuladze, born and raised in the village of Obcha in western Georgia's Imereti region, where their parents and grandparents made wine before them. They launched the label in 2015 in their early twenties, bottling family qvevri for the first time and becoming one of the first certified organic producers in Baghdati Municipality. Within the project, Baia focuses on the white indigenous varieties of Imereti — Tsitska, Tsolikouri, Krakhuna — while Gvantsa makes the reds, including the Aladasturi, Otskhanuri Sapere, and Ojaleshi.

The vineyards sit at 324 meters on alluvial soils of clay, gravel, sand, and limestone, cooled by mountain air draining off the Sairme peaks. Aladasturi — the lightest and most aromatic of the estate's red varieties — is fermented in qvevri with indigenous yeasts, using the traditional Imeretian method of brief skin contact, and bottled with minimal sulfur.

The 2022 Gvantsa's Aladasturi is a translucent, fragrant red that sits closer to the weight of a structured rosé than a conventional red wine. It opens with aromas of red berries, dried rose, persimmon, and a hint of citrus peel. On the palate it is light-bodied and lively, with bright acidity, a gentle tannic grip, and a clean mineral finish with notes of honeycomb and sweet spice.

Pairing: Grilled trout with herbs and lemon, khinkali (Georgian dumplings) with a dipping bowl of tkemali, a spread of mezze with flatbread and pickled vegetables, or a leisurely summer lunch of cold meats and cheese eaten in a courtyard somewhere warm and unhurried.