Teliani Valley, Kvareli / Kahketi (Republic of Georgia) Saperavi 2014

 I was completely charmed by this most unusual wine from Georgia, one of the world’s most ancient wine-producing countries.  Saperavi, which means something along the lines of “to paint,” is a Teinturier grape, i.e. one whose juice and pulp, as well as its skin, are red.  The wine itself is inky dark, with luscious aromas and very complex flavors that invoke thoughts of wild blackberry pie, honey, and perhaps, even, a faint hint of Concord grapes.  This is a semi-sweet wine, but it is far from being excessively sweet thanks to a very cleansing, savory, acid-laced finish.  I was surprised by how much I liked it with a variety of foods.  It is great with cheese, for example, and even though it has sweetness on the palate I even found it oddly pleasurable with steak.  Go figure.