Obcha, Georgia

A citrus-drenched, peachy Georgian icon starring in another episode of our Bourdain spin-off show Grapes Unknown! Made up of soft & subtle tsolikouri (60%), punchy tsitska (20%) and crispy krakhuna (20%), this eye-opening ღვინო (Georgian word for wine) shows us what Georgia’s western side is all about. Turns out the lush and subtropical Obcha, where this wine comes from, is about FRESHNESS and ACID. Winemaker Baia Abuladze learned gained her pride for Georgia’s viticulture as a literal child, working with her grandfather in her family’s vineyards. She’s now bringing the country’s 8000-year-old winemaking tradition into the future by turning her small, 1.5 hectare farm into woman-led operation. A short soak on skins in orange-clay qvevri adds texture and a hint of smoky spice but even with skin contact, it reads like a crunchy white made for ghvino geeks and wine newcomers alike. A glass is like riding a ski hill gondola in the springtime: glide past budding nectarine trees, new birch bark & bees with honey stuck to their fuzzy butts – a GOOP-style lemon elixir in your hand and people in a confused mix of flip flops and bloodstones below. Pour at the community pig roast – or with some cider-braised pork chops at home.