# Pheasant's Tears Saperavi (2024)

- **Producer:** Pheasant's Tears
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Saperavi
- **Region:** Kakheti, Georgia
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 12.5%
- **Average price:** €27
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 15–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, plum, blackcurrant, black pepper, smoke, mushroom, almond

## About this wine

Pheasant's Tears was founded in 2007 by American painter and musician John Wurdeman and 8th-generation Georgian winegrower Gela Patalishvili in Kakheti, Eastern Georgia. The winery's name stems from an ancient Georgian folk tale stating that only a superlative wine could make a pheasant cry tears of joy. Dedicated to preserving Georgia's 8,000-year winemaking heritage, the estate farms organically and biodynamically in the ancient seabed soil of Tibaani, focusing on native varieties and traditional qvevri fermentation.

## Interesting facts

- Saperavi is a rare teinturier grape variety, possessing both deeply pigmented red flesh and red skins.
- The winery name comes from a folk tale stating only an extraordinary wine could make a pheasant weep tears of joy.
- Fermentation takes place in underground clay amphorae called qvevri lined with natural beeswax.
- The vineyard rests on an ancient seabed where fossilized seashells remain embedded deep within the subsoil.

## Food pairing

Saperavi's broad tannic structure, high natural acidity, and deep umami notes demand dishes rich in fats, proteins, and earthy seasonings. The elevated acidity cuts through rich meats and cheeses, while the fine-grained tannins bind to proteins, creating a balanced and mouth-watering table match.

## Wine making process

Harvested by hand in the early morning, 70% of the Saperavi grapes are de-stemmed and gently crushed while 30% remain whole clusters. Spontaneous fermentation occurs with indigenous yeasts in subterranean clay vessels called qvevris, lined with natural beeswax, utilizing semi-carbonic maceration. After fermentation, the juice is pressed off skins, gravity-racked into clean qvevris, finished in stainless steel vessels, and bottled unfiltered and unfined with minimal added sulfites.