Racha-Lechkhumi & Kvemo Svaneti

The Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo (lower) – Svaneti region consists of three historical regions: Racha, Lechkhumi, and Kvemo Svaneti. The Viticulture and winemaking region of Racha is located in the north-eastern corner of western Georgia. It includes a large part of the Ambrolauri municipality as well as the Oni municipality. Vineyards there are mostly situated in the gorges of the Rioni River and its tributaries, along the right (where the best quality wine is produved on the southern slopes) and left banks of the Rioni River. To the north-west, Racha borders Kvemo-Svaneti; Ossetia lies to the north, Shida (inner) Kartli – to the east, Imereti – to the south and Lechkhumi  – to the west. Racha is comprised of the villages of Zeda-Ghvardia, Chrebalo, Chkhvishi, Chorjo, Meore (second) Tola, Khvanchkara, Bostana, Bugeuli, Sadmeli and Khimshi.

Luchkhumi is located in the north-eastern corner of western Georgia, and borders Racha to the east, Kvemo-Svaneti to the north, the mountains of Samegrelo to the west and Imereti to the south. The region is comprised of the Tsageri minicipality and the villages of the Rioni, Tskhenistskali and Lajanuri River gorges.

Kvemo-Svaneti stretches from the source of the Tskhenistkali River gorge to the Muri Bridge, near tje town of Tsageri. It borders Zemo (upper) Svaneti to the north and Lechkhumi to the south. It is separated from Zemo-Svaneti by the high Svaneti mountain range and Latphari pass.

This Magnificent region of Georgia has its own unique wines and, unlike Kakheti, vineyards occupy much less space (approximately 1600 ha). However, Racha differs from all other regions in terms of the quality of its grapes and the profundity of its wines.

The most important micro-zone in Kvemo-Racha is Khvanchkara, which stretches from the village of Tsesi up to the village of Kvishara. Khvanchkara wine was very popular in the republics of the former Soviet Union for Several decades, and, due to this fact, the region mostly produced only red semi-sweet wines. This was unfortunate, since Racha has amazing potential for producing dry red wines from Aleksandrouli, Mujuretuli and Dzelshavi grapes, as well as splendid white wines from the Rachuli Tetra and Tsolikouri varieties.

The most famous wine from the Racha region is Khvanchkara. For Khvanchkara, grapes are harvested when their sugar level is no less than 23 percent. Almost all the harvest is purchased by the local wineries and wineries of other regions of Georgia that produce the “Khvanchkara” PDO wine.

Traditional winemaking methods in Racha stipulate the use of the wine presses and Qvevri (the latter being called Churi in Racha). Later, this grape would be poured back into the wine press (Satsnakheli), where it would be mixed with the marc and the ferment. A few days later, the grape would be poured back into the Churi, where it would finish the fermentation process. It would be stirred three times a day, and, once fermented, the wine would be left with the marc in the Churi. The churi would then be sealed, and the wine would be kept until the following spring. The wine would first be decanted in the spring.

The most notable wines to be produced in Lechkhumi are the naturally semi-sweet wine Tvishi made from Tsolikouri grapes, ideally-suited to the summer. This wine is the only PDO of the Lechkhumi region. Tvishi grapes grown locally are used to make splendid dry Tsolikouri wine. The Orbeluri-Ojaleshi variety has nothing in common with the Megrelian-Ojaleshi grape, and ampelographers agree that Orbeluri-Ojaleshi grapes are a completely different variety. The latter grape gives a very aromatic wine full of aromas of wild rose and red fruit. The region is also famous for the most precious of Georgian wines, Usakhelouri, which is made primarily in the Zubi, Okureshi and Isunderi Zones.

Vines do not grow in Kvemo-Svaneti due to its severe climate conditions; therefore, viticulture and winemaking is not developed. The local people bring wine from other regions.

გურია

გურია — დასავლეთ საქართველოს ერთ-ერთი ისტორიულ-გეოგრაფიულ მხარე, ამჟამად იმერეთის მხარის ნაწილი. ვრცელი მნიშვნელობით იგი დასავლეთ საქართველოს ისტორიული სახელწოდებაა, ისევე როგორც ძველი კოლხეთი, ეგრისი, აფხაზეთი.

საკუთრივ გურია შემოსაზღვრულია აღმოსავლეთით ლიხის ქედით, დასავლეთით ცხენისწყლით, ჩრდილოეთით კავკასიონის ქედით და სამხრეთით ფერსათის, ანუ მესხეთის მთებით. სახელწოდება დაკავშირებულია ამ მხარის მდებარეობასთან, გურია, ანუ ლიხსიქითა მხარე.

გურია იყოფა ორ ნაწილად: ზემო და ქვემო იმერეთად. გურიის ტერიტორიაზე აღმოჩენილი არქეოლოგიური ძეგლები ადასტურებს, რომ ამ მხარეში ადამიანს ცხოვრება, ჯერ კიდევ, ქვედა პალეოლითის ხანაში დაუწყია. მათ შორისაა საკაჟიის და ჭახათის (მდ. წყალწითელას ნაპირზე), დევისხვრელის (მდ. ჩხერიმელას ნაპირზე) გამოქვაბულები, სათაფლიის მიდამოები და სხვა. საქალაქო ცხოვრების უძველესი პერიოდის არქეოლოგიური ძეგლები ნაპოვნია ქუთაისში, ვანში, ვარციხეში (როდოპოლისი), შორაპანში და სხვა. მხარის ხელსაყრელი გეოგრაფიული მდებარეობის გამო ამ ქალაქებს ოდითგანვე დიდი სტრატეგიული, ეკონომიკური და პოლიტიკური მნიშვნელობა ჰქონდა.