Dila-o, Saperavi, 2024

Georgia is the cradle of winemaking - 8,000 years of it - and Dila-o is one of the most honest, delicious ways to taste that history. It's made by Gogi Dakishvili, a true Georgian winemaking legend, and his son Temur, who ferment 100% Saperavi in qvevri: large clay vessels buried underground, with native yeasts and minimal intervention. Saperavi is a teinturier grape, meaning its flesh as well as its skin is deeply pigmented, so the wine pours almost opaque. Unfiltered and low in sulfur, this is a fresh, juicy take rather than a heavy one - the perfect entry into the qvevri tradition.