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NATURAL WINES BY CHONA'S MARANI
Chona's Marani is Mikheil (Mikho) Chonishvili's family winery in the village of Kurdgelauri in Kakheti, eastern Georgia, with two hectares of vines at around 550 metres on mineral clay, in the protected Tsinandali zone near Telavi. The family made about 1,000 bottles a year at home until the natural wine pioneer Soliko Tsaishvili pushed Mikho to bottle his Rkatsiteli. Mikho also sings in Alilo, a choir that keeps Georgian polyphonic singing alive.
He works with classic Georgian grapes like Rkatsiteli, Mtsvane, Kisi, Chinuri and Saperavi. Everything ferments with wild yeasts in qvevri from the September harvest, and the qvevri are opened in early April. The Saperavi gets around 45 days on its skins, and total sulphur stays under 35 mg per litre. Try the Kisi Mtsvane or the Chinuri Rkatsiteli. The wines have big tannins when young, so serve them at room temperature, not chilled.
