Vine & Vessel: Decoding Ancient & Modern Amphora Winemaking

As the oldest documented winemaking technique, wine has been made in amphora for 8000+ years. Today winemakers globally have become fascinated by this ancient vessel and the unique skin contact white wines often made within it. As the birthplace of wine, home to amphora (“qvevri”) winemaking, and origin of skin contact white wine, Georgia’s winemakers are the authority on these trending wine categories.

Join two of the country’s leading winemakers, along with Master of Wine Debra Meiburg at SPIT’s first 2020/21 workshop Vine & Vessel: Decoding Ancient & Modern Amphora Winemaking to explore the technical side of qvevri winemaking, along with the interaction of clay with ancient varieties – comparing to wines made in modern styles as well to get a true taste of clay – the original winemaking method, making a major comeback today.

Speaking to Hong Kong audiences for the first time, Lado Uzunashvili (Mukado Wines) and Patrick Honnef (Chateau Mukhrani) will join live from Tbilisi to explore this topic and answer all questions about amphora and ancient winemaking, indigenous grape varieties, and modern styles emerging from Georgia.

Taste 13 different wines in 2 flights made in traditional and modern styles, red, white and amber to get an in-depth understanding of vine and vessel in modern and ancient winemaking.

Georgian Wine Connect 2021 Portfolio Tasting follows.

Speakers:

Lado Uzunashvili

Lado is a descendent of a traditional family of vintners and vignerons, with 195 years’ shared experience, Lado Uzunashvili has practiced winemaking from very young age, always keen to experience different global practices, climate conditions, varieties, styles of wines and philosophies. Lado has a Bachelor of Oenology, PhD in Oenology, with further studies and research completed at The Australian Wine Research Institute, and Faculty of Oenology, Montpellier University.
His company, Lado Wine Consulting, based in Adelaide, Australia currently works with six different successfully running wineries, and consults for five popular wine portfolios. His work has yielded more than 160 medals at major international wine competitions.
Lado has held many head winemaker positions at renowned Georgian wineries, including Chateau Mukhrani, GWS (Georgian Wines & Spirits Co.), and Shabo Wines, among others.
He also developed, launched and was decade-long winemaker at the super-premium Georgian winery, Orovela Wines, heralded as one of Georgia’s best by Jancis Robinson.
Internationally Lado has held winemaker positions with Hugh Hamilton Wines, Patritti Wines and Miranda Wines in Australia, and with Les Domain Paul Mas., Les Domains de Virginie, Le Domain de Lalande, Les Cepages de Meknes, and the Castel Group, France.
He is a sought-after speaker in the global wine industry, regularly called upon to share his expertise at conferences, universities and educational institutions. He is also an international wine judge for Concours Mondial de Bruxelles.

Patrick Honnef

Patrick Honnef

Winemaker, Viticulturist, CEO Château Mukhrani

Graduated from Wine Management and Winemaking in Heilbronn, Germany, I spent 11 years in the Bordeaux region and worked as a Technical Director of Chateau d’Aiguilhe for 10 years and was supported by the remarkable wine-consultant Stephane Derenencourt. The powerful Merlot dominated reds of Chateau d’Aiguilhe were regularly noted between 88-92 points, top-scores for a not classified cru of Bordeaux. End of 2013 the challenge to become technical director of Château Mukhrani in the Caucasian Republic of Georgia crossed my way. The huge potential and history of the “Cradle of Wine” is a dream for each passionate about wine.
Today this country is embracing its renaissance of wine culture, combining ancient amphora winemaking (known as Qvevris) and modern international techniques. Be part of this process, rediscover the autochthone grape varieties and reveal their great potential is marvelous.
At Château Mukhrani, we work with hand-picked 102 ha of vineyards, all surrounding the winery, with a low density of plantation, with the objective to grow the best quality grapes, as the base of a great wine. Focussed on rare, forgotten grape varieties and equipped with a beautiful modern winery, we are working to position Château Mukhrani wines in the top range of the Georgian wine culture. Always respecting and learning from the local terroir, we are striving for the finest wines of Georgia. Along this passion for wine, we are working with our team to restore our royal castle and become the leading wine tourism and hospitality estate in the country.