I just saw an article on Yahoo News stating that the Russians are
cutting off imports of wine from these two former Soviet republics
because of alleged pesticide and heavy metal contamination.
I'm curious to know - has anyone here actually tried their wines? I
don't recall seeing them in Pennsylvania's stores.

Dan-O

Nils Gustaf Lindgren wrote:
<snipped>
> check up on
> Genesis [1]).
>
> HTH
>
> Cheers
> Nils Gustaf
>
> [1] Genesis as in the first book of the Bible, not as the 80s-90s rock
> group!!!!

Thanks for clearing that up - I nearly went to find my copy of
"The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway"!

Dan-O

Some importer poured some for me on a trip to Hotlanta. Definitely not
ready for prime time or any other time. A friend of mine went over there
after she got rights to wine & beer from Czech Republic. She thought she
was buying brandies/slivovitz and had a draft contract. Suddenly a rather
large gentleman with an even larger entourage showed up at her hotel in
Georgia. He claimed the stuff she was buying was his and had papers to
prove it(not translated) her visitor said he didn't mind if she signed a
contract with the Geogian but she also had to pay him in rubles or dollars
in either a lump sum or monthly stipend. She told the Russian she needed to
consult a lawyer. As the Russian party left she was booking a flight to
Prague 1st thing in the AM. The wines are cheap and may appeal to the 2
buck chuck (or ivan) buyers. No varital character. For the fun of it I
asked the Geogian if he owned the wine--he didn't know--he was in the
plumbing supply biz and was helping out his brother in law who he called.
The brother in law hemmed & hawed but it was clear he didn't own the product
& just had access to it. The importer whose office we were in asked them
for bank references & proof of ownership( the wines landed were $3,72 a
case). I don't think they ever came back with that but he got a good deal on
plumbing supplies and some borscht.
"Dan The Man" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> I just saw an article on Yahoo News stating that the Russians are
> cutting off imports of wine from these two former Soviet republics
> because of alleged pesticide and heavy metal contamination.
> I'm curious to know - has anyone here actually tried their wines? I
> don't recall seeing them in Pennsylvania's stores.
>
> Dan-O
>

Nils Gustaf Lindgren wrote:
> Also, it
> is a bit of food for thought that, most likely, that was Where It All Began
> some 6000 years ago (also, if you are into that sort of thing, check up on
> Genesis [1]).

Dunno, Nils. From what I've read, they've placed the origin of v.
vinifera to the _Southern_ shore of the Black Sea, placing it in
present-day Anatolia, though not so far from Georgia.


> [1] Genesis as in the first book of the Bible, not as the 80s-90s rock
> group!!!!

Tch, tch. Genesis was a '60s-'70s rock band. The rumors that the band
persisted into later decades are entirely aprocryphal ;-)

Mark Lipton

On 7 Apr 2006 06:56:52 -0700
"Dan The Man" > wrote:

> I just saw an article on Yahoo News stating that the Russians are
> cutting off imports of wine from these two former Soviet republics
> because of alleged pesticide and heavy metal contamination.
> I'm curious to know - has anyone here actually tried their wines? I
> don't recall seeing them in Pennsylvania's stores.
>

Read the responses with interest, but still looking for a rec!

As it happens a friend -- who just served me a nice Bouchard
pere et fils at lunch -- has a week of work coming up in Tblisi.
Surely this cosmopolitan group can provide a name or two
worth checking out?

-E

--
Emery Davis
You can reply to ecom
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Emery Davis wrote:

> On 7 Apr 2006 06:56:52 -0700
> "Dan The Man" > wrote:
>
>
>>I just saw an article on Yahoo News stating that the Russians are
>>cutting off imports of wine from these two former Soviet republics
>>because of alleged pesticide and heavy metal contamination.
>>I'm curious to know - has anyone here actually tried their wines? I
>>don't recall seeing them in Pennsylvania's stores.
>>
>
>
> Read the responses with interest, but still looking for a rec!
>
> As it happens a friend -- who just served me a nice Bouchard
> pere et fils at lunch -- has a week of work coming up in Tblisi.
> Surely this cosmopolitan group can provide a name or two
> worth checking out?

Hi Emery,

A Dutch friend of mine once brought me a bottle of Moldovan (I think it
was Moldovan) "Tokaji" he bought at St. Petersburg. Wasn't all that bad,
even if it definitely did not resemble Tokaji.

Not wine, but I think Georgian brandy can be decent - the same Dutchman
once brought a bottle of such that we tried and it wasn't all that bad.
Then again, I really know nothing about the high-voltage stuff.

Cheers,

-Topi Kuusinen, Finland

On Sat, 08 Apr 2006 13:02:49 GMT
Topi Kuusinen > wrote:

> Emery Davis wrote:
>
[]
> > Read the responses with interest, but still looking for a rec!
> >
> > As it happens a friend -- who just served me a nice Bouchard
> > pere et fils at lunch -- has a week of work coming up in Tblisi.
> > Surely this cosmopolitan group can provide a name or two
> > worth checking out?
>
> Hi Emery,
>
> A Dutch friend of mine once brought me a bottle of Moldovan (I think it
> was Moldovan) "Tokaji" he bought at St. Petersburg. Wasn't all that bad,
> even if it definitely did not resemble Tokaji.
>
> Not wine, but I think Georgian brandy can be decent - the same Dutchman
> once brought a bottle of such that we tried and it wasn't all that bad.
> Then again, I really know nothing about the high-voltage stuff.
>

Thanks Topi. My friend enjoys a brandy so I'll pass that on.

I remember reading an newspaper article years ago about
how the Georgians are proud of their wine, and the pre-Soviet
stuff was great, etc. Don't think I've heard anything about it
since, though. Perhaps a pure travel-fluff piece.

-E

--
Emery Davis
You can reply to ecom
by removing the well known companies

Nils Gustaf Lindgren wrote:
> >> [1] Genesis as in the first book of the Bible, not as the 80s-90s rock
> >> group!!!!
> >
> > Tch, tch. Genesis was a '60s-'70s rock band. The rumors that the band
> > persisted into later decades are entirely aprocryphal ;-)
>
>
> Well, yes, apparently, they can´t dance, they can´t sing ... but I really
> liked that Spitting Image video they used to send on MTV, you know - with
> Ron Reagan? Some young punks have done a cover, or rather, re-recording of
> the tune ... yeech. They play that at my gymnasium.
>
> Cheers
>
> Nils Gustaf

Yes Nils, I remember that video - the song was "Land of Confusion".
Fortunately, I haven't heard the cover version. Unfortunately, my gym
plays pop tunes by singers like Mariah Carey - Ech!

Dan-O (give me Genesis' "Trick of the Tail" please!)

"Dan The Man" > wrote in
oups.com:

> I just saw an article on Yahoo News stating that the Russians are
> cutting off imports of wine from these two former Soviet republics
> because of alleged pesticide and heavy metal contamination.
> I'm curious to know - has anyone here actually tried their wines? I
> don't recall seeing them in Pennsylvania's stores.
>

Hey Dan-o, it looks like the online catalog shows the following:
KHVANCHKARA (17.99)
KINDZMAURALI (13.99)
AKHASHENI (10.99)
all listed as "semi-sweet reds"
and
ALAZANIS VALLEY (10.99)
a "semi-sweet white"
they all seem to be on your side of the state; a store at "Hendrix
Center" seems to be stuck with, erm, well-supplied with copious
amounts...150+ bottles of each, hmm.

I guess I would be a little leery...
d.

Emery Davis wrote:
> Read the responses with interest, but still looking for a rec!
>
> As it happens a friend -- who just served me a nice Bouchard
> pere et fils at lunch -- has a week of work coming up in Tblisi.
> Surely this cosmopolitan group can provide a name or two
> worth checking out?

Emery, sorry to weigh in so late on this, but newsserver problems have
kept me away lately. Anyway, I'm surprised that no one has quoted Mr
Johnson's Pocket Wine Guide on the topic:

Georgia: Kahketi makes the majority of the wine, with their Saperavi (a
red) getting the nod. Mukuzani and Dsinandali also get a mention.

Moldova: Top wineries are Purkar, Cahul, Kazayak and Hincesti. Cricova
is placed on a lower rung. It sounds like they're making "modern" wines
there these days, but in addition to the "usual suspects" they make
Saperavi, Aligoté and Rkatsiteli, with the Cab/Saperavi blends getting
the nod.

HTH
Mark Lipton

On Wed, 12 Apr 2006 00:21:35 GMT
Mark Lipton > wrote:

[snip]
> Georgia: Kahketi makes the majority of the wine, with their Saperavi (a
> red) getting the nod. Mukuzani and Dsinandali also get a mention.
>
> Moldova: Top wineries are Purkar, Cahul, Kazayak and Hincesti. Cricova
> is placed on a lower rung. It sounds like they're making "modern" wines
> there these days, but in addition to the "usual suspects" they make
> Saperavi, Aligoté and Rkatsiteli, with the Cab/Saperavi blends getting
> the nod.

Thanks Mark, noted for the record.

-E

--
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