A Sip of Timeless Libations

SUNWINE USA -SHOP AND TASTING ROOM IN HUNTINGDON VALLEY

By Debra Wallace

Photos By Jamie Stow

Walking into the new Sunwine Shop and Tasting Room in Huntingdon Valley involves a rich mixture of a wine education, a history lesson and delicious tasting, all provided by owner Zurab Cherashvili and his wife, Nino Jikia.

The new shop had a soft opening in November and there are exciting future plans for cheese plates and special Georgian appetizers that use walnuts and other delectables to pair with the wines as well as special local events. But similar to the historic wine-making process, Zurab is easing into all of this.

Zurab’s family wine business –which goes back more than a halfcentury – ignited his own passion and love for viticulture and winemaking that enriches the lives of the entire family.

This also inspired each of them to continue the family tradition of making unique and highest quality wines, using specific technologies passed down from his grandfather.

In fact, Zurab’s mother, Ketevan Mzekalashvili, was ahead of her time as a female winemaker, and today his uncle and cousins are experienced winemakers still living in the Village of Kvareli, in the Country of Georgia.

Although his mother was a celebrated winemaker, her son said that,

“She never pushed me or urged me to get into the business. It came naturally to me, but once it did, she was the happiest person in the world.”

Who knows, perhaps their toddler son, when he grows up, will continue the family’s legacy.

Photos of the family winery – and the region from where it comes –decoratively adorn the shop and tasting room and are used to explain the process.

The vineyards and winery for Sunwine are located in the countryside of the Shilda area in Georgia’s eastern Kakheti region, which is famous for its winemaking history and fertile climate for the cultivation of several rare grape varietals.

This ancient process still used today begins with a “Qvevri,” a clay vessel buried in the ground that holds 350-400 gallons; so big that a person can climb inside.

These large earthenware vessels are used for the fermentation, storage and aging of traditional Georgian wine. Resembling large, egg-shaped amphorae without handles, they are either buried below ground or set into the floors of large wine cellars.

What is so special about this clay vessel is that the point at the bottom acts as a filtration system. The wine goes through different temperatures, which stabilizes it without additives, making it as natural as it can be.

The shortest amount of time to make the family’s wines is six months for the aging process. Many of the family wines have won distinguished wine medals, of which Zurab and his wife are extremely proud.

“We want people to see that our process is natural and different,” he said, “so it is difficult to compare our wine to other wines.”

The history of the origins of wine came to light when anthropology professor Patrick McGovern, from the University of Pennsylvania, discovered archeological particles from 6,000 to 8,000 B.C., and this area was designated as “the birthplace of wine.”

Another current trend in the wine business, he explained, is an appreciation for “orange or amber wines,” which is the color of the wine when you make white wine with grape skin contact.

Orange wines are not as light as white wine and not as strong as red, and continue to gain in popularity in the U.S. and around the globe see page 14

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“This is the only shop and tasting room for the winery,” Zurab recently explained. “We are here to promote the brand and give local people a chance to taste our wines and purchase them.”

So far, the only locations in the U.S. where the wines are sold are Pennsylvania and New York, but expansion plans are in the works.

He said that as wine aficionados in Philadelphia, its suburbs, the Main Line and around Manhattan and other areas of New York get to know his family’s wines, it is clear that they quickly fall in love … and the love affair continues.

His customers are becoming eager to buy everything from a few bottles for a small dinner party to several cases for weddings, anniversary parties, other celebrations and rites of passage.

Enjoying a wine tasting is not only a feast for the palette, but it is an education in different types of grapes and processing techniques that result in dry or semi-sweet varieties of white and red wines.

Why did Zurab and his family choose Huntingdon Valley for the wine shop and tasting room?

“We liked that this is a historic street and we fit the criteria for an alcohol-free zone because we are not a winery nor a bar or restaurant,” he explained. “This location makes sense for the neighborhood, the large Georgian population in Northeast Philadelphia, and being close to the city.

“We are here for the long term,” Zurab said. “Several years from now, we would also like to have additional locations of Sunwine in the U.S.” — 19006

Sunwine USA is located at 30 Fetters Mill Square, Huntingdon Valley. The website is www.sunwine.us. The email address is info@sada-wine. com. Tastings are Thursday through Sunday, 4 to 10 p.m., or Thursday through Sunday, by appointment. Call 267-774-0253 or visit https:// www.facebook.com/Sada.Wine

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1051 County Line Rd, Huntingdon Valley, PA. 19006 215-355-5577 • www.osteriasaporino.com

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