Usakhelouri
Georgian wine terms
Georgia's rarest grape, producing just ~1,000 bottles per year from a handful of villages in Lechkhumi.
Usakhelouri is Georgia's rarest grape variety, producing only 3-5 tons annually from a few villages in Lechkhumi. The naturally semi-sweet red wine fetches €100-180 per bottle and cannot be successfully cultivated anywhere else on earth.
- Grown only in five villages in Lechkhumi: Okureshi, Zubi, Opitara, Isunderi, and Lachepita
- Annual production is just 3-5 tons of grapes, yielding roughly 1,000 bottles in good years
- Registered as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) under 'Okureshi Usakhelouri' on August 30, 2022
- Thin skins make the variety highly susceptible to fungal disease and very low-yielding
- Fermentation is halted early, leaving 18-45 g/l of residual sugar in the semi-sweet style
- Retail price ranges from €100 to €180 per bottle (300-500 GEL)
- Industrial-scale production began in 1942 following the development of technology for naturally semi-sweet wines
Where It Grows
Usakhelouri is confined to the western slopes of Lechkhumi, a sub-region within Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti in western Georgia. Production is concentrated in the Okureshi micro-zone, with vines planted on clayey, humus-carbonate, and marl-based soils across chalky hillsides at 350 to 650 meters above sea level. The humid subtropical climate, shaped by the Black Sea, delivers moderately cold winters, long warm summers, and 1,900 to 2,000 sunshine hours annually. Every attempt to cultivate the variety outside this narrow terroir has failed.
- Elevation: 350-650 meters above sea level in the Okureshi micro-zone
- Soils: clayey, humus-carbonate, marl-based, and loamy chalky hillsides
- Climate: humid subtropical with 1,900-2,000 sunshine hours per year
- Cultivation limited to Okureshi, Zubi, Opitara, Isunderi, and Lachepita
History and Name
The name Usakhelouri derives from the village of Usakhelo in Lechkhumi, with the word meaning 'nameless' in Georgian. Winemaking with this grape stretches back centuries, though modern, industrial-scale production only began in 1942 when technology for producing naturally semi-sweet wines was formally developed. The variety's extreme rarity and inability to grow elsewhere have long cemented its status as the most precious wine in Georgia. The PDO designation 'Okureshi Usakhelouri' was officially registered on August 30, 2022, providing formal legal protection for the wine's origin.
- Name means 'nameless' in Georgian, referencing the village of Usakhelo
- Winemaking tradition dates back centuries
- Industrial production launched in 1942 with semi-sweet wine technology
- PDO 'Okureshi Usakhelouri' registered August 30, 2022
In the Vineyard
Usakhelouri is one of the rarest grape varieties on earth. Its thin skins leave it highly susceptible to fungal disease, and yields are exceptionally low, producing only 3-5 tons of fruit across all growing sites in a given year. Harvest takes place when grapes reach 23-26% sugar content alongside 7.5-8% titratable acidity. These parameters are critical to achieving the balance the wine is prized for. In very good vintages, production reaches approximately 1,000 bottles total.
- Thin skins create high vulnerability to fungal disease
- Total annual crop across all sites: just 3-5 tons
- Harvested at 23-26% sugar and 7.5-8% titratable acidity
- Approximately 1,000 bottles produced in top years
Practice what you just learned.
The Blind Tasting Trainer generates mystery wines and scores your deductive notes.
Train your palate →Winemaking and Style
Usakhelouri is produced as a naturally semi-sweet red wine. Fermentation is halted before completion, retaining 18-45 g/l of residual sugar. Finished wines carry 10.5-12% alcohol, with 11% typical for the semi-sweet style. The wine displays a deep, dark cherry color in the glass, with aromas of red plum, red currant, wild strawberry, and spice. On the palate it is full-bodied, with lively acidity and well-rounded tannins. Prices range from €100 to €180 per bottle, reflecting its extreme scarcity.
- Naturally semi-sweet: fermentation stopped at 18-45 g/l residual sugar
- Alcohol: 10.5-12%, typically 11%
- Aromas: red plum, red currant, wild strawberry, spice
- Full-bodied with lively acidity and well-rounded tannins
Deep dark cherry in color, with aromas of red plum, red currant, wild strawberry, and spice. Full-bodied on the palate with lively acidity, well-rounded tannins, and a naturally semi-sweet finish from 18-45 g/l residual sugar.
- Teliani Valley Usakhelouri$110-200From one of Georgia's most established producers, offering an authentic semi-sweet expression of this ultra-rare variety.Find →
- Telavi Wine Cellars Usakhelouri$110-200Telavi Wine Cellars is a respected Georgian house producing Usakhelouri with characteristic red fruit and lively acidity.Find →
- Chateau Lechkhumi Usakhelouri$110-200Region-named producer focused on Lechkhumi terroir, delivering the full-bodied, spiced profile typical of the appellation.Find →
- PDO 'Okureshi Usakhelouri' registered August 30, 2022; parent region is Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, sub-region Lechkhumi
- Production is confined to five villages: Okureshi, Zubi, Opitara, Isunderi, and Lachepita; cultivation outside this zone has consistently failed
- Annual yield is 3-5 tons of grapes; approximately 1,000 bottles produced in good years, making it one of the world's rarest commercial wines
- Semi-sweet style: residual sugar 18-45 g/l, alcohol 10.5-12%, harvested at 23-26% sugar with 7.5-8% titratable acidity
- Industrial-scale production began 1942; name derives from village Usakhelo, meaning 'nameless' in Georgian