Archil Guniava Tsitska

Archil Guniava Tsitska hails from Imereti in the west of Georgia. One of the world’s oldest varietals of Vitis vinifera, Tsitska is often used for white and amber wines in this region of Georgia. For this wine, Archil Guniava ferment a small portion (around 15%) of the juice in contact with its skins in qvevri. Subsequently, it is somewhere between a white and a light amber wine.

Archil Guniava is a family winery using traditional Georgian winemaking methods and indigenous grapes. They harvest their grapes by hand from a small 1.5 hectare plot that sits at high elevation just south of the Kvirila River. Archil Guniava Tsitska shows freshness on the nose, with lots of stone fruit and green apple. Some chamomile notes imparted from the fraction of macerated juice.

This Georgian white is highly approachable, tropical freshness and orange zest on the palate with very light, soft tannins, and a lingering mineral finish. This tsitska pairs wonderfully with goat’s cheese and honey, and vegetarian and chicken dishes.