3 Nov 2026
Kindzmarauli, Tvishi and Khvanchkara might not ring a bell with British wine drinkers. It’s quite understandable - when we talk about Georgian wine, dry Saperavi and amber wines usually get the most attention. But Georgia has another side worth exploring, particularly as the evenings get colder!
The country produces several styles of wine with residual sugar: mostly fruity semi-sweet reds, and some rare late harvest, ice wines and fortified whites. Although the country is famous for its ancient winemaking traditions, these wines are made using contemporary methods.
Naturally semi-sweet: stopping fermentation before it's finished
Most of Georgia's familiar semi-sweet wines are made using a technique called arrested fermentation.
During fermentation, yeast converts grape sugar into alcohol. To make a naturally semi-sweet wine, the winemaker interrupts this process while some sugar remains.
Traditionally, the arrival of winter could bring fermentation to a halt in cold Georgian cellars, particularly in mountainous regions. Today, winemakers can recreate these conditions by cooling the fermenting wine to near freezing. This makes the yeast inactive, allowing the wine to retain its natural sweetness. The wine is then stabilised, usually through filtration, to prevent fermentation from restarting.
No extra sugar is needed: the sweetness comes from the grapes themselves.
Several of Georgia's most famous Protected Designations of Origin (PDOs) specialise in naturally semi-sweet wines:
Kindzmarauli: A silky red made from Saperavi in Kakheti, with flavours of ripe blackberries, cherries and plums.
Akhasheni: Another semi-sweet Saperavi from Kakheti, with dark fruit flavours and baking spice aromas.
Khvanchkara: Produced from Aleksandrouli and Mujuretuli in Racha, offering delicate red fruit aromas, soft tannins and refreshing acidity.
Tvishi: A white wine from Tsolikouri grapes in Lechkhumi, known for its floral character, ripe orchard fruit and lively acidity.
Okureshis Usakhelouri: A rare red wine from Lechkhumi, made exclusively from Usakhelouri grapes. Its naturally semi-sweet expression combines redcurrant and plum flavours with refreshing acidity and rounded tannins. The PDO also allows dry and semi-dry versions.
Taste Georgian semi-sweet wines in the UK.
Some Saperavis can be so powerful that they have more residual sugar than the yeast can deal with! This variety never stops surprising.
Georgia's main sweet wine traditions do not depend on noble rot, or botrytis, like in Sauternes or Tokaji Aszú. Instead, winemakers use ripe grapes, controlled fermentation, late harvesting, natural freezing or fortification to achieve sweetness.
Late-harvest wines and ice wine: a little more patience
Unlike the more familiar semi-sweet PDO wines, these are produced in small quantities and can vary considerably between vintages. In order to make a late harvest wine, the winemakers leave grapes hanging on the vine longer than usual, allowing them to accumulate sugar and, in some cases, lose water through dehydration. The resulting wines can offer concentrated flavours of ripe fruit, honey, dried apricots and raisins.
One example is the winemaker Berdia Berishvili, whose Bolnisi-based wineries Barbale Winery and Disveli Estate produce late-harvest wines from Rkatsiteli and ice-wine from Chinebuli (Chinuri).
Ice wine is an especially rare case in our climate. Unlike ordinary late-harvest wine, ice wine is made from grapes that freeze naturally while still on the vine. They are picked and pressed while frozen, leaving much of the water behind as ice and producing a small amount of highly concentrated, sweet juice. It requires very specific weather conditions, which means it cannot be made every year.
Some interesting examples come from Marani, whose Satrapezo Icewine has been produced from both Rkatsiteli and Cabernet Sauvignon. Shumi Winery ferments their icewine in qvevri, which is an interesting homage to Georgia’s heritage.
Taste Marani’s Satrapezo Rkatsiteli Icewine in the UK
Taste Shumi’s Barbale Icewine in the UK
Fortified wine: Georgia's answer to dessert in a glass
Georgia also has a tradition of fortified wine, and one of its most interesting examples comes from Kardenakhi, a PDO in Kakheti. The fortified Kardenakhi style is made predominantly from ripe Rkatsiteli grapes, with Khikhvi and Kakhuri Mtsvane also permitted in the blend.
Grape spirit is added during winemaking, increasing the alcohol level to around 18% or more. The resulting wine is golden to amber in colour, with rich flavours that can include honey, dried fruit and spices.
Kardenakhi is particularly interesting for anyone who enjoys traditional fortified wines such as Madeira or sweet styles of Sherry, although its grape varieties and flavour profile are distinctly Georgian.
Unfortunately, Kardenakhi is barely produced nowadays, and the producers’ favourite is… you guessed it, Saperavi again!
Try fortified Saperavi from Villa Mosavali in the UK!
What should you eat with them?
Sweet wine doesn't necessarily mean dessert - you can experiment with different flavours! Try Tvishi with blue cheese, Khvanchkara with a berry tart, or Kindzmarauli with moderately spicy food or grilled meats. An ice wine works beautifully with fruit-based desserts, while fortified Kardenakhi is worth trying with walnuts, mature cheeses or dried fruit.
This November, give Georgian sweet wines a chance. You might discover that sweetness is far more interesting when there's good acidity to go with it.
