Athens (Athenian)

Registration  No. 792

Registration date : 10/12/2007

Place name : Athens (Athenian)

Name of the goods for which registration of the appellation of origin is requested : Wine

Name and address of the applicant : LEPL - National Wine Agency ; Marshal Gelovani Ave. N32, 0159, Tbilisi, Georgia

1. Name: "Athens"

2. Additional designations : "Athenian"

3. Type, color and basic requirements

"Atenuri" - can be a dry white , sparkling and lightly sparkling wine.

"Atenuri" white dry must meet the following requirements:

§ Color - from light straw to straw;

§ Aroma and taste - harmonious, pleasant and cheerful, refined on the palate. With a varietal aroma characteristic of this geographical area , with tones of wildflowers . When matured, a pleasant bouquet with fruity tones develops . The actual alcohol content by volume should not be less than 11.0%;

§ The concentration of the reduced extract mass should not be less than 16 g/l ;

§ Sugar content, no more than 4 g/l;

§ Titrate  acidity, calculated as wine acidity,  must be: - not less than 5 g/l in young wine    , and not less than 4.3 g/l in aged wine ;

§ Other characteristics must comply with the requirements established by Georgian legislation .

"Athens" sparkling and lightly sparkling must meet the following requirements:

§ Color - light straw;

§ Aroma and taste - developed aroma, delicate, pleasant for sparkling wines , full on taste , harmonious;

§ The actual alcoholic strength by volume must not be less than 10.5 % ;

§ The concentration of the reduced extract mass should not be less than 16 g/l ;

§ Sugar content must meet the requirements established by Georgian legislation for wines of this category ;

§ Titrate acidity should not be less than 5 g/l ;

§ Other characteristics must comply with the requirements established by Georgian legislation .

4. Geographical area and zones of production

The Ateni microzone is located in the central part of the Shida Kartli viticulture zone , south of the city of Gori , on the right bank of the Mtkvari River . The microzone is located at the end of the northern slopes of the Trialeti ridge , in the Tana River valley .

The Ateni microzone includes: Jebir, Gardaten, Patara Ateni, Degeula, Cheche Laanthubani, Didi Ateni , and Pukhaanthubani.

5. Grape varieties :

"Atenuri" can only be made from grapes of the Chinisi and/or Goruli Mtsvane and/or Aligote varieties grown in the Ateni microzone . The use of other varieties is not permitted .

6. Vineyard cultivation, pruning - formation and maintenance

§ In the Ateni microzone, industrial  vineyards  intended for the wine "Atenuri" have been cultivated

At an altitude of 580 - 750 meters above sea level.

§ The distance between rows in a vineyard can be from 1 to 2.5 meters.

§ The distance between vines in a row is 0.8 - 1.5 meters.

§ Stem height - 60 – 90 cm.

§ Form of the graft - unilateral or bilateral Georgian, or free.

Vine cultivation, pruning – shaping and protection from pests and diseases , as well as soil cultivation, fertilization and other operations are carried out in accordance with the agrotechnical measures selected by the grape grower .

7. Grape maturity, harvest, transportation

§ The sugar content of grapes at the time of picking must be at least 18%.

§ Grapes may only be transported in wooden or plastic boxes or tarps with a capacity not exceeding 80 kg.

§ The use of polyethylene bags and/or sacks when transporting grapes is prohibited .

§ ტრანსპორტირებისასყურძენიმაქსიმალურადუნდაიყოსდაცულიშესაძლოდაბინძურებისაგან.

8. Grape harvest and wine production

The grape harvest per 1 hectare of vineyard should not exceed 8 tons. The wine yield should not exceed:

§ 650 liters - from one ton of grapes;

§ 5200 liters - from one hectare of vineyard.

9. Grape processing, winemaking and bottling

Grapes intended for the production of wine "Atenuri" must be harvested only from vineyards cultivated in the Ateni microzone .

Grape processing, winemaking , and bottling should only be carried out within the boundaries of the Ateni microzone.

"Athens White Dry is made through the complete alcoholic fermentation of free-flowing grape juice . "

"Atenuri" sparkling and semi- sparkling wine is produced using both the bottled and reservoir methods.

In the production of "Atenuri", only those operations, materials and items that are permitted by Georgian legislation are permitted .

The sale of "Atenuri" sparkling and lightly sparkling wines is permitted: for those produced by the bottling method - 9 months after the end of secondary fermentation , and for those produced by the reservoir method - 6 months after the end of secondary fermentation .

"Atenuri" may only be placed on the consumer market in consumer  packaging .

10. The connection between the exceptional quality of wine, its reputation and its geographical location

Climate - The microzone belongs to the moderately humid subtropical climate zone , which is characterized by a transitional climate from moderately warm steppe to moderately humid , with hot summers and cold winters .

The annual duration of sunlight is 2200 - 2300 hours, and during the growing season it exceeds 1500 - 1700 hours. The average annual air temperature is 10.7 ° C.

The average temperature of the warmest month , August , is 22 ° C, and the coldest month , January , is minus 1.5 ° C.

The steady transition of the average daily air temperature above 10 ° С occurs from mid- April (16.IV), and the downward transition (25.IX) occurs at the end of October . The duration of this period is 192 days . The sum of active temperatures approaches 3450 ° С.

South of Gori , in the Tana River Valley , the annual total precipitation gradually decreases with increasing altitude and in Ateni at an altitude of 680 m above sea level is 560 mm . The average monthly amount of precipitation is the highest (73 mm) in May, and the lowest (32 mm) in August. During the warm period of the year , precipitation does not exceed 344 mm . The hydrothermal coefficient is less than 1 from mid - July to early October (for 112 days ) . July and August are particularly dry , when vineyards require intensive irrigation . In the remaining months , precipitation exceeds the amount that can evaporate from the soil and vegetation .

The average number of hail days per year is 2. Hail occurs relatively frequently (0.8 days) in May.

In Gori district, the prevailing northwesterly (44%) and perpendicular southeasterly (41%) winds in the Mtkvari River valley are characterized by less strength in the Tana River valley . The Satskhenisi and Tsereteti ridges, branches of the Trialeti ridge , protect the Tana River valley from the direct intrusion of air masses from the above directions . The winds blow mainly along the valley , their strength gradually decreasing in the depth of which .

Soil - The Ateni microzone is mainly composed of two soil types - brown and alluvial soils. Deluvial and proluvial soils are also present in small patches .

The thickness of the soil profile ranges from 0.7 to 1.5 meters , while the active humus layer varies within 30-60 cm .

According to their mechanical composition , they mainly belong to heavy loams and light clays , where the physical clay content is within 40 - 70% . The amount of clay is mainly increased by the silt fraction (<0.081 mm) and therefore  they belong to the silty-silty soil group . They contain mostly small amounts of carbonates and vary in the profile within 0.2-14.0%.

The soil reaction is weakly to moderately alkaline, with a pH value in the range of 7.2-8.2 .

Humus is contained in moderate to small amounts and is within the range of 3.25 – 0.5% in the profile . It is mostly poor in hydrolytic nitrogen - not exceeding 6.0 mg per 100 g of soil . In exceptional cases , it is present in moderate amounts and amounts to 7-10 mg per 100 g of soil.

It contains medium to small amounts of soluble (absorbable) phosphorus , ranging from 6.0-1.2 mg per 100 g of soil. In some cases , it is present only in trace amounts .

They contain medium to small amounts of exchangeable potassium and in the planting layer of the soil it is within 46.0-9.2 mg per 100 g of soil.

The sum of absorbed bases (Ca+Mg) is characterized by a medium to high rate and is within the range of 20.0 - 54.3 milliequivalents per 100 g of soil. Of the total , a much higher percentage comes from absorbed calcium, while magnesium is much smaller.

Human factor - Viticulture and winemaking have existed in the Ateni Valley since time immemorial and throughout its history it has been famous for its wines. “ ... Ateni wine surpasses all the wines of Kartli and is the best among Georgian wines ” (Vakhushti). The famous French orientalist and Kartvelologist Marie Brosset points out the high value of local wine - “ I do not know any nectar like Ojaleshi wine , except Ateni wine.”

Famous Georgian researcher and ethnographer Levan Pruidze ( Friend of the Monument, 1976,

No. 42), scientists Tamaz Kobaidze and Maia Mirvelashvili (“ Ancient Georgian Winemaking Technologies”, Moambe, Vol. XV , p. 43), prominent Russian winemaker A. Egorov ( “Winemaking Issues”, “Pishchepromizdat”, 1955) describe the traditional method of making “Atenuri” wine as follows :

Immediately after picking , the grapes were pressed in a whitewashed press set up in the vineyards (the vineyards were 3-4 kilometers or more away from the village ) , the sweet grapes were left to " stir up the spirit " in a cellar for an hour or two, they were cleaned , then they were poured into unopened barrels and taken by carts to the "cooling cellar" ("The cooling cellar" is located in present-day Big Aten, which Vakhushti calls a small town , where "there is a fortress on a high rock , built large , and to the south of the fortress hill is a cold place, like a glacier, where excellent wine is made ").

There, in a pitcher , they would give each person a handful of chacha per cup of coca . In the pitcher , which was closed with a stone lid , lined with clay , and topped with crushed rock sand , the sweet brew quietly fermented thanks to the natural cold coming from deep within the earth .

As soon as the fermentation process began to slow down , the pitcher was filled to the brim with the original Gyuri wine, the valve was sealed with clay again , and earth  was poured on top .

During quiet fermentation in a qvevri , the wine was enriched with carbon dioxide , resulting in a naturally sparkling wine known as "Atenuri" .

The Georgian people's special attitude towards Athenian wine is emphasized by the folk song " Athenian Wine ", or even the humorous lines of David Guramishvili :

"One joked: I will bathe in the light of the Tiflis bath , another - I will feed myself with fish from the back of the Gelaknuri, a third - I will intoxicate myself with Athenian wine ."

Fourth – Let them also cut us with swords, with the sword of the wise!

Thus, Athenian wine - this rare drink - has also been established in literature and has been clothed with deserved glory since ancient times . In Athens , royal wine has been known since the 11th century , and they also knew how to make nectar worthy of kings (L. Pruidze, Friend of the Monument, 1976, No. 42).

The long tradition of producing naturally sparkling wines led to the construction of a modern sparkling wine factory in the village of Ateni in the 1950s , with a capacity of 900 tons of grapes per year. The factory ceased operations in the early 1990s , due to well-known events .

In the Ateni Valley, the crisis in the winemaking sector lasted for 10-15 years .

Since the 2010s, a new stage of the revival of grape growing and winemaking has begun in the Ateni microzone .

Thus, the geographical location of the Ateni microzone , the Tebel climate characteristic of this valley , the diversity of soils , the special characteristics of the Chinui and Goruli Mtsvane varieties , the local, centuries-old tradition of viticulture and winemaking , and the dedication of local winemakers determine the unique organoleptic properties of the wine “ Atenuri” , characteristic only for this wine .

11. Special labeling rules

The name “Atenuri” and the indication “Protected Designation of Origin Wine No.” will be placed on the label, packaging, as well as in the accompanying documents and advertising materials of the wine in foreign languages​​as follows:

In Latin script – ATENURI Protected Designation of Origin and/or PDO

რუსული შრიფტით – ATENURI Protected name of place of origin

12. Registration and notification

The recording and reporting of technological processes for the production and storage of “Atenuri” is carried out in accordance with the rules established by Georgian legislation .

13. Key Control Points

During the control of the production process of the protected designation of origin wine "Atenuri", the producer must confirm to the LEPL - National Wine Agency the compliance with the following parameters:

Main checkpoints​

Evaluation methods

Vineyard location

Cadastral map, on-site inspection

Area

Vineyard registration journal, cadastre

Grape variety

Vineyard accounting journal, on-site inspection

Cultivation methods

Agrotechnical activities registration journal, medication journal. On-site inspection

Harvesting and transportation

Vintage magazine

Grape yield per hectare

Vintage magazine

Total grape harvest

Vintage magazine

Grape processing and winemaking

Grape receipt log, grape processing log, product turnover log, laboratory analysis logs, notifications, on - site inspections

Place and conditions for bottling, packaging and storage of wine

Casting journal, finished goods warehouse product movement journal , laboratory analysis journals

Physico-chemical characteristics of wine during the winemaking process, before and after bottling

Laboratory analysis logs

Organoleptic characteristics of wine

Tasting Commission Minutes

Traceability

Technological and laboratory records​

14. Production control body

State control over the observance of production specifications and the proper use of the designation of origin is exercised by the LEPL - National Wine Agency in accordance with the rules established by the legislation of Georgia .

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