In Georgia, wine is far more than a beverage. It is a way of life deeply rooted in history, wellness, and cuisine. Long before modern medicine, wine was valued for its medicinal properties, culinary versatility, and cultural significance, forming an essential part of everyday Georgian life.

Wine as a Traditional Remedy

Historically, wine was believed to possess healing powers. Wine vinegar and hot red wine mixed with honey were commonly regarded as cures for a wide range of ailments, including anemia. One notable example is Ghvinis Tbili, meaning “wine’s heat,” a traditional drink from the Guria region. Prepared with red wine and spicy seasonings, it was used to treat stomach discomfort, especially after consuming fatty foods.

Wine and Grape Juice in Georgian Cuisine

Wine and grape juice have long been integral to Georgian cooking, used across meat dishes, vegetables, and desserts. Grape based ingredients appear in numerous traditional recipes such as mtkhles shechamandi, ghvinis khavitsi, boghlitso, ghvinis satsebeli, chakapuli, churchkhela, pelamushi, tatara, majigaro, janjukha, badagi, chamichi, ghvinitbili, sweet pastries, and grape jam, highlighting wine’s central role in the national cuisine.

Red and White Wine: Rituals and Regional Specialties

Boghlitso, a simple dish of bread dipped in red wine, has traditionally been eaten by monks and religious figures.

Majigaro, a fasting dish, is made from wine dregs or sediment pressed through a sieve, mixed with flour, salt, and garlic, and boiled over an open fire.

In the Racha region, Ghvinitbili is a savory snack made from crushed walnuts, garlic, caraway, salt, and boiled wine. Seasonality plays a vital role in Georgian cooking. In spring, chakapuli, a ritualistic Easter dish made with veal or lamb, fresh herbs, plums, and tarragon, is finished with white wine, a final touch that unites and elevates all the flavors.

In eastern Georgia, pork is traditionally cooked in wine. After seasoning with salt, pepper, and bay leaves, the meat is immersed in white or red wine for two to three hours, resulting in exceptionally tender and delicate flavors. In western Georgia, wine plays an equally important role in duck dishes. Duck kharcho, also known as black kharcho, gains its deep color and refined taste from the addition of red wine.

Adding a modern dimension to tradition, Georgian producers have recently begun aging cheese in wine, particularly Saperavi, a new practice that has quickly gained popularity.

Wine in Vegetables and Sauces

Wine vinegar is indispensable in Georgian vegetable and walnut based dishes. Without it, many recipes would lose their signature aroma. The classic kindzmari sauce, primarily served with fish, relies entirely on wine vinegar for its depth and character. Even contemporary dishes like salmon in wine sauce, seasoned simply with coriander, pepper, and salt, demonstrate the harmony between wine and Georgian flavors.

Desserts and Healing Comforts

Desserts made with wine and grape products hold both culinary and cultural importance. Ghvinis Khavitsi, a dessert from Guria prepared with natural red wine and honey, was traditionally given to women after childbirth and to those suffering from colds. The wine is boiled with water until reduced, allowing the alcohol to evaporate, then sweetened with sugar and honey and thickened with flour, creating a porridge like dish believed to fight off illness.

Georgian grandmothers also prepared a drink similar to mulled wine. Red wine was boiled down, sweetened, and infused with orange and lemon. This mixture was taken for anemia and immune support and also enjoyed in small portions as a dessert.

Georgia’s iconic sweets, churchkhela and pelamushi, are also grape based. Churchkhela has long been considered a strategic food, carried by soldiers during campaigns. Pelamushi and tatara, made from boiled grape juice and often enriched with nuts, remain beloved staples of Georgian culinary tradition.

A Living Heritage

From ancient remedies to ritual dishes and evolving culinary innovations, wine remains an indispensable element of Georgian identity, nourishing, healing, and bringing people together across generations.

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