Tamar

About

Owner & winemaker: George Wolski
Vineyards: 3ha
Vineyard management: Certified organic
Soils: Mainly clay with some stony layers
Grapes grown: Saperavi, Kisi, Mtsvane, Khikhvi

Quick facts:

• All of the wines are made from organically-farmed grapes fermented in traditional qvevris with native yeast and no additives.
• “Tamar” was the name of a goddess in pre-Christianity Georgian mythology who controlled the weather patterns and was called “eye of the earth.” The name is also associated with Tamar the Great, the 12th century queen who ruled over what is considered Georgia’s Golden Age.

George Wolski farms three hectares of vines in the Kakheti region of Georgia. This region is known for producing bold, structured wines, due to both a warm climate and a winemaking style that favors long macerations on the skin and stems. The village of Khashmi, where the winery is located, is renowned for its Saperavi and was even awarded its own designation of origin (Saperavi Khashmi). The family vineyards include a particular cultivar of Saperavi that is planted on ungrafted rootstock, as well as Kisi, Mtsvane, and Khikhvi, all local and indigenous grape varieties. The fermentations take place in traditional clay jars called qvevri that are buried in the ground and left sealed overwinter. The jars are then unsealed in the spring and bottled by hand, unfined, unfiltered, and without any added sulfites.