The Rkatsiteli Grape

(Synonyms: Baiyu, Coroliac, Dedali Rcatiteli, Mamali Rcatiteli, Rkatiteli, Rkatziteli, Topoliac.)

Background

Rkatsiteli is a white-wine grape originating in Georgia (which was, till 1995, the Republic of Georgia), a land where, it is thought, wine-making originated thousands of years ago. Indeed, Rkatsiteli grape seeds dating from roughly five thousand years ago have been found in Georgia.

During the Russian hegemony, Rkatsiteli was treated as a cheap bulk wine, and the huge amounts made were of poor quality. In recent years, efforts to restore Rkatsiteli to a place of, if not honor, at least acceptance as a decent and pleasing wine have met with reasonable success. Nowadays, Rkatsiteli is also produced in several other former satellite nations—Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Armenia—as well as Australia and, notably, in the burgeoning wine area of the Finger Lakes in New York State.

Rkatsiteli is chiefly characterized by brisk acidity, making it a crisp, refreshing wine. It does not seem to have much of an aroma, but its flavors are often said to be of green apples or quince (or, sometimes, peach). It tends to be high in alcohol, though rarely if ever “hot”. While it’s never going to make the short list of “noble” grapes, it makes an excellent everyday wine for accompanying food or for just plain pleasant sipping.

Factoid: Rkatsiteli is especially valued by winemakers in cold-climate areas owing to its ability to withstand wicked winters.

Some Descriptions of Rkatsiteli Wines

Wikipedia
“The high acidity of the grape is prone to make the wines excessively tart so winemakers try to pick the grapes as late as possible in order to maximize the sugar balance to offset the acidity. In most regions of Eastern Europe harvest is typically in mid October…Rkatsiteli makes noticeably acidic, balanced white wine with spicy and floral notes in the aroma.”
Wine Searcher
“There are three key reasons for Rkatsiteli’s popularity in the Caucasus (the geographical region that connects Europe and Asia) and Eastern Europe. First is the variety’s strong resistance to cold winter weather conditions. Second is its ability to retain good acidity, even in the hottest summers. Third is its versatility; its balance of sugars and acids make it suitable for use in table wines, sparkling wines, sweet wines, fortified wines and brandy…The typical Rkatsiteli wine is best described as restrained and refreshing, with crisp green-apple flavors and hints of quince and white peach. It might be compared to good-quality Petit Chablis, or perhaps Pinot Grigio from northern Italy. Recently, it has been employed with great success in orange wines, where the grapes are left to macerate on their skins for longer, giving more complexity and texture to the wine.”
World’s Best Wines
“The grape has a balance of sugar and acid. The acidity of the wine made from this grape variety is very high…The only disadvantage this variety of grape has is the absence of aromatic complexity. It gives flavours of green apple with notes of white peach and quince. In terms of case Rkatsiteli grape can be compared with high quality wines such as Pinot Grigio. The wine has a high alcoholic level and well as high acidity.”
The Back Label
“It’s naturally very acidic, which means that Rkatsiteli often hangs on the vine until late in the harvesting season. Your typical dry Rkatsiteli has quince, spice and floral aromas to it. With its crisp acidity and easy drinking fruit profile, Rkatsiteli makes a superb food wine.”
Taste Atlas
“Still [mono]varietal wines produced from Rkatsiteli tend to have a great balance of crisp acidity and sweetness that are complemented by complex and subtly spicy aromas of flowers, quince, and white peaches.”
Wein-Plus
“The grapes can reach high sugar levels with high acidity. It produces spicy, acidic, light yellow white wines with a variety of aromas of stone fruit, apples and quinces.”

Some Rkatsitelis to Try

Rkatsiteli is yet another under-appreciated—and thus severely under-available—wine. This is about all there is (granting reasonable quality, price, and availability, which last cuts out the well-known Pheasant’s Tears bottling).

For a Splurge

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This page was last modified on Saturday, 30 October 2021, at 11:26 pm Pacific Time.

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