(Gerhard Ziegler / animated image: runwayml)
A phone call with Georgia, yet again: my conversation partner, Saba Kitiashvili, is somewhere between finishing work for the day and a Georgian wine mission. He doesn’t speak in grand generalities, but in very concrete terms: about his studies, research, grape varieties, his own small vineyard and a wine that can now be found at over 8,000 Vintages in Berlin. Kitiashvili isn’t just a winemaker. He also works as a sommelier, trainer and wine expert. He became known to the public as Chief Winemaker at the CIU Winery ‘Ethno Okami’ and as a lecturer at the Caucasus International University. In 2024, he was also voted Best Sommelier of Georgia. This fits in well with his story: for him, viticulture, education and outreach go hand in hand. He doesn’t just want to make a wine; he also wants to explain why this variety, Muscat, is so important.
For him, it wasn’t marketing that came first, but a Master’s thesis.
“This passion began when I started my Master’s degree at the Caucasus International University.”
Kitiashvili’s topic was Muscaturi Rkatsiteli, a newly bred Georgian grape variety. It was created from Muscat of Alexandria and Rkatsiteli. Rkatsiteli is one of Georgia’s most important white grape varieties. Muscat brings aroma, fragrance and floral notes. It is precisely this combination that interests Saba.
“The subject of my Master’s thesis […] was the newly bred Georgian grape variety Muscaturi Rkatsiteli.”
Georgia has an enormous variety of ancient grape varieties. In the interview, Saba mentions 525 indigenous varieties. What struck him was that aromatic varieties had not played a significant role in Georgia until now.
“Georgian indigenous grape varieties […] there are a huge number – 525 old indigenous grape varieties – but we didn’t have any aromatic grapes before.”
Muscaturi Rkatsiteli is therefore not simply ‘a Muscat’. It is Georgia’s answer to a question that had scarcely been asked until now: what might an aromatic variety look like if it were derived from Georgian grapevine stock? Saba explains that research into new grape varieties was already being carried out in Georgia as early as the 1970s. Muscaturi Rkatsiteli is one of the results of this research. Nevertheless, the variety remains rare to this day.
“You’ll find vineyards planted with Muscaturi Rkatsiteli on just a few hectares.”
For Saba, it didn’t stop at research. In 2019, he founded his own company, Springfields. He comes from Shida Kartli, a region in central Georgia with a moderate climate. His family used to have a peach orchard there. The old trees eventually reached the end of their lives. So he planted Muscaturi Rkatsiteli.
“We had the peach orchard […] we planted Muscaturi Rkatsiteli in that orchard. So now it’s become a vineyard.”
A lovely image: a peach orchard turns into a Muscat vineyard. Somewhere in the region around Gori. Not a large winery, not industrial-scale, but a small spot where a rare variety is being experimented with in practice. A small laboratory in the best sense of the word. Saba works almost exclusively with this one variety. But he uses it to produce different styles of wine: sparkling wine, dry white wine and a sweet fortified wine.
“One grape variety can produce different types of wine.”
His production is very small. At the moment, he’s talking about around 2,000 bottles a year. He describes the variety itself as aromatic, but rather light.
“Muscaturi Rkatsiteli is a quite aromatic wine, but usually with a low sugar content and less body.”
This defines his style: not heavy wines, but fresh, accessible, aromatic wines. For many people, ‘Muscat’ immediately conjures up images of fragrance, flowers and, sometimes, sweetness. For Saba, however, it is not simply about a sweet Muscat wine. He is seeking a dry, fresh, floral style that fits well within the restaurant sector. Communication is key for him. Because Muscaturi Rkatsiteli is virtually unknown, he has to explain the variety. He works with restaurants, sommeliers and chefs to help them understand what they have in their glass.
“I’m always in touch with the chefs and sommeliers to help them understand – truly understand – what sort of grape it is, because this is a new grape variety.”
This is a key point: Saba is a winemaker, but also an educator. He isn’t just producing wine, but also building knowledge about a variety that hardly anyone knows. Meanwhile, he says, interest is growing. Some people have started planting Muscaturi Rkatsiteli themselves or making house wine from it. His own vines are now also entering a crucial phase.
“This year I will have my first harvests.”
In the cellar, Saba takes a deliberately restrained approach. He openly admits to using selected yeasts and sulphur. At the same time, he avoids filtration and fining. Stabilisation is achieved through cooling. According to Saba, his wines have also been tasted in Lisa Granik’s guide to Georgian wines and have been awarded silver and a special mention over the last two years.
“It’s already been two years since my wine has been taking part in the tastings, and now […] it’s won the silver medal with a special mention.”
Saba Kitiashvili has turned his master’s thesis into a wine project. A peach orchard has become a small vineyard. Muscaturi Rkatsiteli has become an attempt to reinterpret Georgian aromatics. Muscaturi Rkatsiteli is not just a grape variety. It is the fighter.
And Saba? The Prince of Muscat.
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