The opening scene of season eight episode one of the insanely popular Netflix series “Somebody Feed Phil” finds our hero, Phil Rosenthal, breaking a sweat in a Georgian vineyard, trying (and failing) to keep up with the women who are working around him.

Although much of the action takes place away from the vineyards in Tbilisi, the Georgian capital, wine is never far below the surface and it often takes center stage. No surprise. Georgia’s traditional amber qvevri wines symbolize the qualities of Georgian people and culture, rooted in tradition, drawing on deep reserves of resilience and determination. Somebody Feed Phil is really a show about family (don’t you agree?) and wine is integral to Georgia’s family life.

You might be surprised to find Georgian wine on Netflix. If so, you would probably be even more surprised to learn that many of the show’s viewers probably reacted by saying, Georgian wine? I’ve tried that. And I like it.

Georgia, Naturally

Georgian wine is on the rise here in the U.S. market, albeit starting from a relatively small base. Wines of Georgia reports that Georgian exports to the U.S. have increased at a 15.5 percent compound annual growth rate from 2021 to 2024. That’s impressive growth under any circumstances, but especially noteworthy given the overall decline in the U.S. market. What’s behind this phenomenon?

Part of the answer is that Wines of Georgia and its partners are working very hard to tell the story of Georgia, with its 8000 years of wine history. The current campaign, “Georgia, Naturally” draws inspiration from Georgia’s reputation for natural wines (made in the traditional qvervi clay vessels). It does not hurt that images of Georgia highlight the qualities that make it a popular nature and adventure tourism destination.

Wines of Georgia is investing heavily in education programs in the U.S., working to bring Georgian wines and their stories to dozens of events across the country. That’s why I think that many Netflix viewers won’t be discovering Georgian wines for the first time.

Hurdles and Headwinds

Distribution is a major hurdle for imported wines and that is perhaps especially true for small-production wines from unexpected places made with unfamiliar grape varieties. Some Georgian producers have apparently addressed this dilemma by forging partnerships with Total Wine & More through its Winery Direct program.

Our local Total Wine store lists 41 different Georgian wines (most are Winery Direct products) in its inventory. Isn’t that amazing? There is a particular aisle in our local store that features wines from off-the-beaten-path areas and Sue jokes that it has become the Georgia aisle in recent months. Being on the wine wall doesn’t guarantee success, but it is hard to sell what isn’t there.

Sue and I visited Georgia a few years ago for a United Nations wine tourism conference. We arrived full of questions and with a few doubts, but we came away persuaded (you can read about our adventures here). We were impressed with many of the qvevri wines because of the tension we sensed in each glass. They really tasted alive.

But we also learned that there is much more to Georgian wines than we expected, both in terms of style and the many (hundreds!) of indigenous  grape varieties that, like Georgia itself, have survived through the centuries. Resilience is an important Georgian quality.

Bubbles, Amber, Red

Sue and I recently hosted a Georgia-inspired dinner for friends who have a particular love for and appreciation of these wines. We tasted three wines. We started with a Mtsvane Estate Pét-Nat from Kakheti, a bright sparkling white wine. This is the second Georgian sparkling wine we’ve sampled (both from Mtsvane Estate) and both were delicious.

Next came the 2023 Vazisubani Estate 3 Qvevri, a blend of the indigenous Rkatsiteli, Mtsvane, and Kisi grape varieties. Fermented and aged in qvevri, this “white” wine is really amber from the extended skin contact and a bit of a trickster. The color suggests strong flavors but the wine is quite subtle in the glass.

The hit of the evening was the 2021 Vazisubani Estate Saperavi Qvevri. Saperavi is the Georgian grape that is probably best known here in the U.S. market (thanks in part to Finger Lakes pioneer Dr. Konstantin Frank, who introduced the  Saperavi grape to the U.S. many years ago). This wine was the perfect complement to our meal and, because Vazisubani Estate is part of Total Wine’s Winery Direct program, it is widely available. (Our particular local store, however, was “sold out” when we last checked.)

Saperavi is a good place to start, but the amber qvevri wines might be where you want to finish because these seem to be the wines that Georgians drink most of all (as you can see in this video trailer for a film called “Our Blood is Wine.“)

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But wait. There’s even more!

Georgia was the focus of season six, episode three of  the popular video series “V is for Vino.”  You can view the episode here or on the V is for Vino YouTube channel.