Today, Georgian wines occupy the position of premium alcohol in the market. This privilege is the result of long work on the basis of achieving a high quality product by combining well-established recipes and a traditional approach to production. A prominent representative of the real Georgian wine segment is Valiko, a semi-sweet varietal drink with an extensive flavor palette and delicate aroma. The basis for the wine was the Saperavi grape variety, known as the base for winemaking in Georgia and involved in the formulation of many famous types of alcohol.
Grade geolocation
Saperavi grapes are distinguished by a good blend with other varieties, astringency and longevity. Along with Rkatsiteli serves as the basis for a number of other drinks, easily amenable to selection and crossbreeding. Thus, the Saperavi northern variety appeared with high cold resistance and pest resistance. Due to the widespread prevalence of grapes, Valiko wine is produced for export in large volumes, it can be found throughout Georgia, as well as in Armenia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Moldova, but genuine alcohol is exclusively made to be produced locally and certified.
Taste palette
Wine "Valiko" has a tart, rich fruity taste with berry notes and is often served with fatty meat dishes of Georgian cuisine. For an aperitif, this alcohol is too tart, it will not work as a last accent when the meal has already been completed. Gourmets prefer to savor the “true Saperavi”, that is, a drink aged 12 to 30 years. In this case, the wine has fully ripened, and its taste palette has opened. A younger drink is appreciated for its fresh and light taste; young Saperavi is served at a regular dinner.
The astringency of the berries of the variety allows you to save the taste palette and increase it while the wine ripens. The older the alcohol becomes, the brighter its taste palette is revealed. The oldest drinks are characterized by notes of wood, even tobacco. Young wine “Valiko” can be called “berry” because of the rich accent in taste on strawberries and currants. They withstand alcohol in wooden barrels, but most of the recipes are kept secret, and for each household it differs in its elements.
When age matters
Red wine "Valiko" is often aged in barrels within 10-15 years. But the beverage becomes viscous after 8 years of aging in barrels, while alcohol is considered ideal for consumption. Georgia has its own standards for the quality of wine and its maturity, but the batch of the drink that is aged for no more than 4 years goes on sale. With each additional year of aging, Valiko wine is becoming more and more tart. If the most popular species do not differ in high strength, no more than 15 degrees, then with age this figure reaches a value of 18-20 degrees.
"Home wine
There is an opinion that the real Valiko wine can be found only in Georgia. Households actually produce alcohol, including all sorts of wines. Alcohol is made using purely traditional methods, preferring a floating recipe selected by trial and error. This drink is different from the store. If in the supermarket you can see red semisweet wine “Valiko” with a certain strength, then there is no such ranking among the indigenous population. However, regardless of taste, there are a number of other differences.
For store analogues, a blend of different grape varieties is used, while households mainly use Saperavi. This makes the drink more viscous, heady. Wine "Valiko" is also produced in other countries, including in Russia. Such alcohol is supplied by the Taman wine company Kuban. Despite the fact that the blend for these drinks is similar, the taste qualities of wines differ significantly, as well as their purpose.
Is it good for health?
Red wines are even recommended for use by doctors, but this only applies to cases where the daily norm is observed, and a person is under the constant supervision of a doctor. The drink has a pronounced antioxidant effect, does not cause allergies, is useful for stimulating the functioning of the immune system and the secretion of hemoglobin in human blood. In addition, Valiko red wine is useful for expanding blood vessels and regulating the function of the gastrointestinal tract. Georgians themselves directly use the healing properties of their alcohol as a rejuvenating agent.
How to distinguish an original from a fake?
Wine "Valiko", like many other high-status alcoholic beverages, is at risk of fakes, flooding the market. A surrogate appears with the original design characteristic of this brand, and the corresponding accents on the eminent name. In practice, Valiko wine should contain on the packaging indications of exactly where it was made, what is the blend of grape varieties, as well as a certificate certifying the quality.
Otherwise, the buyer is faced with a fake that has nothing to do with the original alcohol. Real Valiko wine has a rich grape aroma, rich flavor palette and even shade of ruby red, without refraction and sediment. You can also distinguish a fake with the help of the label itself, there is no direct indication on the surrogate that the wine is Georgian, otherwise this threatens with a lawsuit for the manufacturer.
The last criterion according to which a fake can be distinguished from the original is the cost. Real Valiko wine from Saperavi is significantly more expensive than the average price segment of alcoholic beverages on the market.
Georgian wines remain one of the most popular in the world, and Valiko is no exception. It contains a magnificent fruit bouquet with subtle notes of aromas of jasmine and spices, such alcohol will easily find its place in the collection of the most sophisticated connoisseur. The status of the drink is added by the fact that it is traditional in the manner peculiar to Georgia and remains a tribute to the ancient distilleries.