2010 Iago's Wine Chinuri Republic of Georgia

*Best Buy* Iago Bitarishvili’s family has made wine for hundreds of years; Iago started 30 years ago, and makes his one wine in much the same ways his ancient ancestors would have: Using Chinuri, a variety indigenous to the Kartli region in central Georgia, he crushes the grapes in a large hollowed-out log, and pours the must, skins and all, directly into 300-year-old qvevri, where it stays for about six months. The wine is decidedly cidery in flavor, and tannic, with a bitter spice that recalls digestivi; yet, in the end, it comes off feeling delicate, with a bright, lemony acidity adding light and lift. While some may find it rustic, others will find it fascinating to taste as it morphs over the course of several days’ exposure to air, and to pair with anything from sausages to vegetable samosas.