Ghvinos Anbani - Wine Alphabet in Georgian - is the work of four friends, Mamuka, Amiran, Giorgi, and Giorgi, who wanted to return to the roots of Georgian winemaking tradition. In Georgia, those are deep roots that extend further back than written history. This tiny valley tucked under the eaves of the 17,000 foot Caucasus Mountains is where wine comes from. Before Rome and Greece, before Babylon and Ur, there were people here fermenting grapes in buried clay vessels, eight thousand years ago. It is a history Georgians are struggling to inherit after a century of Soviet occupation that was strongly antipathetic towards this sort of tradition. If this wine here is any indication, it’s a history worth preserving. This strong and natural amber wine was fermented in traditional clay Qvevri for six months before bottling, a simple but effective method to produce stable, rich, and flavorful wine naturally. The native Krakhuna grape offers up a whole new world of aromas: candied ginger, toasted hazelnut butter, pineapple, cinnamon applesauce, and vanilla bean. The palate is full, with velvety tannin, lemon cake and nutty-crusted apple pie notes before a finishing kick of pepper. For best results, serve at red wine temperature.