Orange Wine Tasting Box

This "Orange Wine from Georgia" tasting pack contains two bottles each of Kisi, Rkatsiteli, and Khikhvi. It is ideal for getting to know all of our orange wines at once and also makes an excellent gift.

What Makes Our Orange Wines Special

• Hand-picked, organically grown grapes
• Fermented on the skins
• Aged in Qvevri (underground clay amphorae)
• 100% Georgian natural wine without additives
• Natural, unsulfured, minimal intervention
• Bottled in our own cellar by the winemaker personally

Taste and Style

Although orange wines are made from white wine grapes, they do not have much in common with the white wines common in Western Europe. This is because in Eastern Georgia, white wines are traditionally fermented on the skins, which gives them their amber to orange tones, higher tannins, and completely different flavor profiles.

The Wines in the Tasting Box

Kisi

Kisi is an ancient Kakhetian grape variety used to produce white, amber, and orange wines. During the Soviet occupation, Kisi was largely forgotten as the focus shifted to higher-yielding varieties. Over the last 30 years, Kisi has seen a strong resurgence in cultivation.

Khikhvi

The same applies to Khikhvi, another autochthonous grape variety from Eastern Georgia. It is known for accumulating high sugar levels, which often results in semi-sweet wines or those with a higher alcohol content. Khikhvi remains a rather rare grape variety.

Rkatsiteli

Rkatsiteli is one of the oldest grape varieties in Georgia and – unlike Kisi and Khikhvi – one of the most widely planted, especially in Kakheti. Rkatsiteli wines are known for their pleasant acidity and complex composition of aromas.

What is Qvevri Wine?

A Qvevri is a clay amphora buried in the ground to produce wine. This production method is part of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. People in the territory of modern-day Georgia were making wine this way as early as 8,000 years ago.

The Benefits of Qvevri Wines

Winemaking in Qvevris offers several advantages, which also influence the taste of this 2024 Kisi amphora wine:

• Constant temperature: Since the Qvevris are buried in the ground, very constant, cool temperatures prevail inside naturally. As a result, the fermentation of the grapes proceeds slowly and gently, which has a positive effect on the wine.
• Natural filtration: Thanks to the egg-shaped structure of the Qvevri, skins, seeds, and many other particles settle at the bottom of the amphora, filtering the Kisi Qvevri wine in a natural way.
• Micro-oxidation: Since the clay is porous, tiny amounts of oxygen penetrate the amphora throughout the process, giving this Kisi its distinctive notes.

Wine Production in Qvevri

For the orange wines in this tasting pack, we pressed the hand-picked and carefully pre-sorted grapes and put the entire pomace – meaning juice, pulp, skins, and seeds – into a Qvevri. As with all our wines, fermentation was initiated by the yeast cultures naturally occurring on the grapes (spontaneous fermentation).

Producer

Inavarde Wines is a small, owner-managed winery in Eniseli, a village in the Eastern Georgian region of Kakheti. The business was founded in 2020 by Swiss expat Fabio Bolognese. Inavarde Wines produces around 4,000 to 5,000 bottles of natural wine per year from the organic grapes of its own vineyard, including about 1,500 bottles of Kisi.

Our Philosophy

We are convinced that a healthy vineyard and outstanding grapes are the most important prerequisites for good wine. That is why we put a lot of hard work and passion into our organic vineyard and only intervene in the cellar when absolutely necessary.

Origin: Kakheti

Kakheti is located in eastern Georgia and is the country's most important wine-growing region. Around 75% of all vineyards are located in Kakheti. The continental climate with hot summers and cool nights, as well as mineral-rich soils, create ideal conditions for the Kisi grape variety.

Serving Tips

We recommend enjoying our orange wines at a serving temperature of 13–17 °C. Decant the wine 30 minutes to an hour before serving to allow the aromas to unfold optimally.

Storage

Since the wines in this tasting box are unsulfured natural wines, it is important to store them in a dark and cool place:

• 11–16 °C: can be stored for several years
• 17–19 °C: can be stored for several months up to 1 or 2 years
• 20 °C and above: enjoy within a few weeks or months

Wine Analysis

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are Orange Wines?

Orange wines are created when white wine grapes are fermented on the skins. The pomace is the mixture of juice, pulp, seeds, and skins. Most of the pigments are located in the skins, which gives these wines their amber to orange appearance.