What to eat with Georgian wine? Saperavi, amber wine and a feast with a twist.

The cradle of wine

Ana explains that archaeologists found clay vessels in Georgia with grape residues that point to some 8,000 years of winemaking, and that the very word for wine may go back to the Georgian ghvino. Her family made wine more than a century ago, was interrupted during the Soviet era, and returned when her father founded Chelti Winery in 2001. Today the whole family is involved, with about 80 hectares including vineyards and cellar in Kakheti.

Kakheti is Georgia's largest and best-known wine region, a valley below the Caucasus mountains. Warm days and cold night winds from the mountains give a wide temperature swing that suits the grapes. Ana also talks about women in a male-dominated trade, and how many Georgian women have become professional winemakers in recent years.

How qvevri wine is made

A qvevri is a large clay vessel buried underground. Unlike the amphorae of the Romans, Ana says, it lives in the earth, and only in Georgia do people know how to make them. Chelti uses the same method as their ancestors. For the red Saperavi, stems are removed and the skins stay with the juice for about 30 days; then the wine moves to another qvevri to finish fermenting with wild yeasts only. The qvevri is sealed for around 12 months, and nobody knows exactly what will come out.

Saperavi, the king of Georgian red grapes, can be firm in youth and softens with age. The 2015 is Chelti's signature wine, and the family is holding back stock to see how it develops. Andreas finds dark fruit, great purity, rounded tannins and an exotic spice.

Some amphora wines around the world can be funky, Andreas notes, but this Saperavi has real purity. Experts have told the family it could age for decades, so Andreas and Ana make a date to taste it again in 20 years.

Amber wine from Khikhvi

The second wine is Khikhvi, a rare white variety that Georgian producers began replanting only in the last decade or so. Made in qvevri, it is an amber wine, the Georgian term for what many countries call orange wine: a white wine fermented on its skins like a red, which gives a deeper color, more texture and a completely different aroma profile.

Andreas finds dried fruit, dried honey, cumin, cinnamon and cardamom, with real purity. Ana notes that the style is very popular with Asian diners because it suits their food.

Pork skewers and walnut eggplant

Andreas cooks mtsvadi, Georgian pork skewers, using pork neck dipped in a Japanese style tare of soy sauce, mirin and Georgian red wine, finished with pomegranate seeds. Alongside are grilled eggplant rolls stuffed with a walnut paste, Georgian style spice, coriander, garlic, white wine vinegar and a pinch of chili. Ana says her grandmother would approve.

Serving both wines with one plate shows a smart idea. The sweet and salty grilled pork suits the bold fruit and soft tannins of the Saperavi, while the nutty, spicy eggplant is tailor made for the amber wine. Two wines with one meal, Andreas says, is a very Asian way to eat.

An orange dish for a blind amber wine

Ana's surprise is another amber wine, chosen to show what is unique to Georgia. Andreas finds floral notes, grape, orange zest, cumin, pepper, cardamom, wax and honey, but can he name the grape? He decides to match color with color: an Indian style dal of red lentils with red curry paste, coconut milk, tomato and dried apricots, topped with seared salmon and mint.

Watch to see how the pairing works, what the bottle turns out to be, and how Ana performs in the memory game.

Ana's own favorites include a good steak with a fine dry red, and sushi with orange wine, which she enjoys at the fish market on trips to Japan. Beyond Georgia she loves wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy and New Zealand, choosing by the food and the place.