Teliani Valley Glekhuri Kisi Qvevri 2021 is an amber-colored, so-called orange wine from Kakheti, made from the indigenous Kisi grape variety. The wine is fermented and aged in traditional underground qvevri, large earthenware amphorae buried deep in the ground. What exactly is a qvevri wine? It's a wine fermented and aged in these amphorae with skins, often whole bunches, giving it more structure, subtle tannins, and complex dried fruit aromas. This Kisi is a distinctly gastronomic wine that perfectly illustrates why Georgia is considered one of the oldest wine-producing countries in the world.
The grapes come from Georgia, from the Kakheti region, the most important wine-growing area in the east of the country. According to local sources, viticulture here has a history of 8,000 to 10,000 years, and grapes like Kisi, which are found almost nowhere else in the world, are still used. The climate in Kakheti is warm enough to allow the grapes to fully ripen, while the proximity of the mountains and the Kura River provides coolness and ventilation. Within this context, Teliani Valley produces an orange wine that consciously focuses on structure and expression, rather than just freshness and fruit.
For Glekhuri Kisi Qvevri, the grapes are fermented as whole bunches in underground qvevri. This means that the skins, seeds, and sometimes even stems are carried into the amphora, giving the wine its characteristic amber color and subtle tannins. After fermentation, the young wine is transferred to clean qvevri, where it matures further on its lees and slowly settles. This traditional method produces a structured, dry wine with 13% alcohol, not focused on primary aromas but on layered flavors, mouthfeel, and length. Teliani emphatically positions this Glekhuri Kisi as a gastronomic wine best enjoyed at the table.
Kisi – Kakheti
This wine is 100% Kisi from Kakheti, vinified as orange wine in qvevri, giving the grape an amber-colored, structured style with dried fruit, spiciness, and a light tannic structure on the finish.
