Chinuri
How to Say It
Georgia's noble white grape, prized for crackling acidity and versatility across still, sparkling, and amber styles.
Chinuri is a high-acidity indigenous Georgian white grape variety, grown primarily in the Kartli region along the Mtkvari River basin. It produces dry whites, sparkling wines, and amber qvevri styles, often blended with Goruli Mtsvane. Its name derives from the Georgian word 'chinebuli,' meaning excellent or noble.
- Indigenous white grape of Georgia, centered in the Kartli region with the Atenuri PDO as its hallmark appellation
- Late-ripening variety: budburst in mid-April, harvest by late October
- Resistant to powdery mildew, phylloxera, and frost, with naturally high yields
- Produces greenish-yellow berries with cylindrical bunches, often featuring a large wing
- Château Mukhrani's Chinuri won gold at the 1889 Exposition Universelle Internationale in Paris
- Requires 2 to 3 years of aging for optimal expression
- Commonly blended with Goruli Mtsvane and Aligoté
History and Origins
Chinuri has been cultivated for centuries along the Mtkvari River basin in central Georgia. Its name traces to the Georgian word 'chinebuli,' meaning excellent or noble, though some sources connect it to 'chin,' referencing the olive-tree leaf color historically associated with old Kartli. The variety is believed to originate from a natural wild grape form. Its prestige was cemented internationally when Château Mukhrani's Chinuri earned a gold medal at the 1889 Exposition Universelle Internationale in Paris.
- Centuries of cultivation documented along the Mtkvari River basin
- Name means 'excellent' or 'noble' in Georgian
- Gold medal at the 1889 Paris Exposition Universelle Internationale
- Believed to descend from a natural wild grape ancestor
Where It Grows
Chinuri is primarily grown in the Kartli region of central Georgia, where it finds its ideal expression. It is also cultivated in Kakheti, Imereti, and Abkhazia. The variety thrives on limestone and marl soils as well as alluvial to stony terrain, under a continental climate characterized by hot summers and mild winters. Its late-ripening nature, combined with strong resistance to fungal disease and phylloxera, makes it a reliable and versatile variety across multiple Georgian growing zones.
- Primary home is Kartli, central Georgia; also found in Kakheti, Imereti, and Abkhazia
- Grows on limestone, marl, alluvial, and stony soils
- Continental climate with hot summers and mild winters
- High resistance to powdery mildew, phylloxera, and frost
Wine Styles
Chinuri's naturally high acidity makes it well-suited to a range of wine styles. In its still dry form, it delivers crisp green apple, pear, lime zest, white blossom, and a faint almond character. The variety is also widely used for sparkling wine production, both via traditional method and tank fermentation, and is a cornerstone of the Atenuri PDO. When fermented with skin contact in traditional qvevri vessels, Chinuri takes on herbal notes of sage and chamomile alongside a distinct salinity. Wines are light to medium bodied with moderate alcohol and benefit from 2 to 3 years of aging.
- Produces still dry whites, sparkling wines, and amber qvevri-fermented styles
- Dry style: green apple, pear, lime zest, white blossom, faint almond
- Amber style: sage, chamomile, salinity
- Atenuri PDO is the hallmark appellation for Chinuri-based wines
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Train your palate →Notable Producers
A growing number of Georgian producers are championing Chinuri as a variety worthy of international attention. Château Mukhrani, with its historical ties to the 1889 Paris gold medal, remains a landmark name. Iago's Wine has built a strong reputation for natural, qvevri-fermented expressions of the grape. Ori Marani and Story Winery round out the key producers working with this versatile indigenous variety.
- Château Mukhrani: historic estate with award-winning Chinuri heritage
- Iago's Wine: celebrated for natural qvevri-fermented expressions
- Ori Marani and Story Winery: additional key producers in the Kartli region
Dry still styles show green apple, pear, lime zest, white blossom, and a faint almond note, with high acidity and light to medium body. Amber qvevri styles develop herbal complexity with sage, chamomile, and a notable saline quality.
- Ori Marani Chinuri$12-18Approachable entry point into Chinuri's crisp, high-acid dry white style from the Kartli region.Find →
- Iago's Wine Chinuri$25-35Natural qvevri-fermented Chinuri showcasing herbal, saline amber-style complexity from a leading Georgian producer.Find →
- Château Mukhrani Chinuri$20-30Historic estate behind the 1889 Paris gold medal, producing structured Chinuri with green apple and citrus character.Find →
- Story Winery Chinuri$22-32A modern Kartli expression highlighting Chinuri's bright acidity and white blossom aromatic profile.Find →
- Chinuri is an indigenous Georgian white grape classified under the Atenuri PDO, its hallmark appellation in the Kartli region
- Late-ripening cycle: budburst mid-April, harvest mid to late October; resistant to powdery mildew and phylloxera
- Three recognized wine styles: high-acidity dry whites, traditional and tank-method sparkling wines, and skin-contact amber qvevri wines
- Commonly blended with Goruli Mtsvane and Aligoté; benefits from 2 to 3 years of aging
- Château Mukhrani's Chinuri won gold at the 1889 Exposition Universelle Internationale in Paris