An Orange Wine for Orange Wine Lovers

Do Re Mi may seem like an odd name for a wine company, but I can assure you they are not making absurd wines. This wine company was founded in 2013 by three friends who had a goal in mind. They wanted to create lovely, organic wines using  Georgian qvevri. The Marani is located outside of Tbilisi, on the road to Kakheti, but they source grapes from throughout Georgia. 

Last May during a wine oriented press trip with Taste Georgia, a group of wine colleagues and I attended the “No Compromise” natural wine festival that was held in three different restaurants and wine bars in the city. While the concept was sound in terms of wine, by the time we arrived after driving from Kakheti, we had to compromise comfort, personal space and air at all locations, so we left early and headed to my favorite wine bar in Tbilisi, G.vino. Originally we ordered a Lagvinari wine but it was unavailable so we ordered a bottle that we couldn’t read. When we saw the color, I knew right away it was Khikhvi. This is a Kakhetian wine grape that seems to define what orange wine is. So brightly orange that a passerby may have thought we were enjoying Aperol rather than a beautifully crafted natural wine. 

A few evenings before, I enjoyed a bottle of their Aladusturi, which was very pure and clean. And this khikhvi gave me the same sensation. 

Do RE Mi 2016 Khikhvi 

Clear and as brightly hued as an golden tourmaline. The visual aspect of the wine had as all gawking. It looked like fire in the glass. Despite its youth, it was ripe and full of peaches and apples. Sweet spices and nuttiness and just a hint of vegetal aroma. The taste was round and full, confirming the fruitiness of the wine but held up with great acidity and chalky tannins. Went beautifully with Adjika.