Vintage years
A Georgian year is never the same across the country: the September rtveli in Kakheti and the October picking in Racha are different seasons. Below: how warmth moved by region, two maps (season warmth and September rain) and the numbers year by year. Click a year to open it.
Season warmth by region
Growing-degree totals, year by year. The scale is shared across the charts, so regions are comparable: Kakheti runs well above Racha.
Kakheti2025: 1,486 · 16.8 °C
19852025
Kartli2025: 1,478 · 16.6 °C
19852025
Racha-Lechkhumi2025: 1,619 · 17.4 °C
19852025
Imereti2025: 1,910 · 18.8 °C
19852025
Samegrelo2025: 1,910 · 18.8 °C
19852025
Vertical axis: season warmth in °C·days (Winkler index). Horizontal axis: years. The solid line is the year, the dashed one the mean of the previous ten; beside the region's name is the mean season temperature in the latest year. Unfinished seasons are left out.
Season warmth against the previous decade
| Year | Kakheti | Kartli | Racha-Lechkhumi | Imereti | Samegrelo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | season under way | season under way | season under way | season under way | season under way |
| 2025 | −6% | −3% | −4% | −4% | −4% |
| 2024 | −3% | +2% | +7% | +8% | +10% |
| 2023 | −5% | −2% | ±0% | +1% | ±0% |
| 2022 | ±0% | −2% | −3% | −3% | −4% |
| 2021 | −1% | +1% | +2% | ±0% | −2% |
| 2020 | −5% | −1% | +1% | +2% | +1% |
| 2019 | +8% | +3% | +4% | +2% | +3% |
| 2018 | +8% | +11% | +16% | +13% | +15% |
| 2017 | +8% | +2% | +3% | +2% | +1% |
| 2016 | −1% | −3% | −5% | −3% | −4% |
| 2015 | +4% | +7% | +13% | +8% | +8% |
| 2014 | +11% | +10% | +13% | +11% | +12% |
| 2013 | −7% | −10% | −11% | −8% | −8% |
| 2012 | +18% | +13% | +13% | +16% | +17% |
| 2011 | −1% | −3% | −5% | −7% | −8% |
| 2010 | +19% | +21% | +25% | +19% | +22% |
| 2009 | −8% | −9% | −8% | −5% | −4% |
| 2008 | +1% | ±0% | −2% | −3% | −3% |
| 2007 | +4% | +8% | +9% | +10% | +14% |
| 2006 | +17% | +20% | +18% | +12% | +9% |
| 2005 | +1% | +1% | +2% | +3% | +3% |
| 2004 | −4% | −5% | −7% | −7% | −8% |
| 2003 | −5% | −3% | −3% | −4% | −6% |
| 2002 | −1% | +1% | +2% | +3% | +2% |
| 2001 | +9% | +8% | +4% | +4% | +2% |
| 2000 | +23% | +13% | +5% | +6% | +4% |
| 1999 | +6% | +7% | +7% | +6% | +3% |
| 1998 | +26% | +23% | +23% | +20% | +22% |
| 1997 | +1% | +1% | −3% | −3% | −4% |
| 1996 | −2% | ±0% | +5% | +4% | +6% |
| 1995 | +5% | +5% | +4% | +4% | +1% |
| 1994 | −2% | +2% | +7% | +11% | +16% |
| 1993 | −11% | −11% | −10% | −8% | −7% |
| 1992 | −21% | −16% | −15% | −11% | −8% |
| 1991 | +6% | +10% | +12% | +10% | +9% |
| 1990 | −8% | −6% | −6% | −6% | −6% |
| 1989 | +18% | +13% | +8% | +6% | +6% |
| 1988 | −5% | −5% | −5% | −2% | −2% |
| 1987 | −6% | −6% | −12% | −13% | −10% |
| 1986 | +6% | +13% | +11% | +10% | +12% |
| 1985 | — | — | — | — | — |
September rain
| Year | Kakheti | Kartli | Racha-Lechkhumi | Imereti | Samegrelo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | season under way | season under way | season under way | season under way | season under way |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1992 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1991 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1990 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What these numbers mean for the harvest
- Season warmth against the previous decade
- Season warmth (the Winkler index) is how many degrees each day's mean temperature rose above 10 °C, added up from April to October: a day averaging 18 °C adds 8 °C·days, a day below 10 °C adds nothing. More of it means riper fruit: higher sugar and eventual alcohol, lower acidity, softer tannin. A cool year keeps more acidity, and in late varieties such as Saperavi the tannin can stay green.
- days above 35 °C
- Days above 35 °C are the other side of warmth. In that heat the vine closes its stomata and ripening stalls, berries get sunburn and aromatics are lost: a hot year is not the same as a warm one.
- September rain
- September rain falls in the month of rtveli in Kakheti. Water before picking dilutes the juice and thins concentration, while damp starts grey rot; the winery has to choose between ripeness and healthy fruit. For qvevri it matters twice over: the wine ferments on the skins, and damaged skins end up in the bottle.
- Spring frost: a minimum of −2 °C or lower after 10 April
- Spring frosts (a minimum of −2 °C or lower after 10 April) hit young shoots. The crop comes out smaller and the second flush ripens unevenly — this is about how much wine there is and how uneven the lot is, not about its taste. The threshold is deliberately strict: a night at zero in early April happens every other year in Kakheti and does no harm to buds that have not yet opened.
These are general facts of viticulture, not our conclusions about these wines: the same weather ends differently at a winery that sorted its fruit and at one that picked everything.
The numbers, year by year
| Year | Kakheti | Kartli | Racha-Lechkhumi | Imereti | Samegrelo | Wines in catalogue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | season under way | season under way | season under way | season under way | season under way | 0 |
| 2025 | 1,4860 mm | 1,4780 mmfrosts | 1,6190 mm | 1,9100 mmfrosts | 1,9100 mm | 91 |
| 2024 | 1,5510 mm | 1,5540 mm | 1,7910 mm | 2,1390 mm | 2,1650 mm | 387 |
| 2023 | 1,5040 mm | 1,4820 mm | 1,6550 mm | 1,9780 mm | 1,9480 mm | 314 |
| 2022 | 1,5900 mmfrosts | 1,4850 mmfrosts | 1,6110 mm | 1,9160 mm | 1,8840 mm | 390 |
| 2021 | 1,5630 mmfrosts | 1,5190 mm | 1,6680 mm | 1,9440 mm | 1,9100 mm | 229 |
| 2020 | 1,5290 mmfrosts | 1,5000 mm | 1,6670 mm | 1,9920 mm | 1,9880 mm | 217 |
| 2019 | 1,6920 mm | 1,5420 mm | 1,6870 mm | 1,9690 mm | 1,9820 mm | 162 |
| 2018 | 1,6650 mm | 1,6360 mm | 1,8310 mm | 2,1370 mm | 2,1670 mm | 110 |
| 2017 | 1,6510 mmfrosts | 1,5000 mmfrosts | 1,6360 mmfrosts | 1,9360 mm | 1,9220 mm | 60 |
| 2016 | 1,5270 mm | 1,4480 mm | 1,5210 mm | 1,8520 mm | 1,8300 mm | 56 |
| 2015 | 1,5890 mm | 1,5700 mm | 1,7690 mm | 2,0270 mm | 2,0360 mm | 55 |
| 2014 | 1,6640 mm | 1,5720 mm | 1,7340 mm | 2,0330 mm | 2,0500 mm | 40 |
| 2013 | 1,3750 mm | 1,2900 mm | 1,3730 mm | 1,6900 mm | 1,6890 mm | 40 |
| 2012 | 1,7080 mm | 1,5870 mm | 1,6980 mm | 2,0870 mm | 2,1050 mm | 28 |
| 2011 | 1,4320 mmfrosts | 1,3720 mmfrosts | 1,4410 mmfrosts | 1,6840 mm | 1,6660 mmfrosts | 28 |
| 2010 | 1,7170 mm | 1,6730 mm | 1,8440 mm | 2,1230 mm | 2,1470 mm | 25 |
| 2009 | 1,3360 mmfrosts | 1,2670 mmfrosts | 1,3640 mmfrosts | 1,6960 mm | 1,7020 mm | 24 |
| 2008 | 1,4780 mm | 1,4090 mm | 1,4740 mm | 1,7630 mm | 1,7450 mm | 18 |
| 2007 | 1,4930 mmfrosts | 1,4940 mmfrosts | 1,6070 mm | 1,9540 mm | 2,0010 mm | 20 |
| 2006 | 1,6460 mmfrosts | 1,6150 mmfrosts | 1,7120 mm | 1,9530 mm | 1,9050 mm | 8 |
| 2005 | 1,4120 mm | 1,3580 mm | 1,4750 mm | 1,7860 mm | 1,7780 mm | 6 |
| 2004 | 1,3360 mm | 1,2760 mm | 1,3520 mm | 1,6410 mm | 1,6120 mm | 8 |
| 2003 | 1,3040 mm | 1,2880 mmfrosts | 1,3830 mm | 1,6700 mm | 1,6420 mm | 2 |
| 2002 | 1,3370 mmfrosts | 1,3150 mmfrosts | 1,4340 mmfrosts | 1,7640 mm | 1,7540 mm | 0 |
| 2001 | 1,4640 mm | 1,4020 mm | 1,4720 mm | 1,7850 mm | 1,7650 mm | 0 |
| 2000 | 1,6010 mmfrosts | 1,4410 mmfrosts | 1,4590 mm | 1,7980 mm | 1,7640 mm | 1 |
| 1999 | 1,3920 mm | 1,3670 mm | 1,4870 mm | 1,7860 mm | 1,7580 mm | 0 |
| 1998 | 1,6120 mm | 1,5240 mm | 1,6660 mm | 1,9730 mm | 2,0200 mm | 0 |
| 1997 | 1,2940 mmfrosts | 1,2470 mmfrosts | 1,3090 mmfrosts | 1,5920 mmfrosts | 1,5770 mmfrosts | 0 |
| 1996 | 1,2670 mm | 1,2470 mm | 1,4300 mm | 1,7100 mm | 1,7600 mm | 0 |
| 1995 | 1,3430 mm | 1,2970 mm | 1,4070 mm | 1,7030 mm | 1,6670 mm | 0 |
| 1994 | 1,2620 mm | 1,2650 mm | 1,4380 mm | 1,7950 mm | 1,8730 mm | 0 |
| 1993 | 1,1640 mmfrosts | 1,1180 mmfrosts | 1,2270 mmfrosts | 1,5070 mmfrosts | 1,5210 mmfrosts | 0 |
| 1992 | 1,0600 mm | 1,0740 mm | 1,1810 mmfrosts | 1,4790 mm | 1,5170 mm | 0 |
| 1991 | 1,4060 mm | 1,3790 mm | 1,5250 mm | 1,7910 mm | 1,7740 mm | 0 |
| 1990 | 1,2330 mm | 1,1890 mm | 1,2910 mm | 1,5550 mm | 1,5520 mm | 0 |
| 1989 | 1,5310 mm | 1,3980 mm | 1,4580 mm | 1,7310 mm | 1,7260 mm | 0 |
| 1988 | 1,2460 mm | 1,1920 mm | 1,3010 mm | 1,6080 mm | 1,5950 mm | 0 |
| 1987 | 1,2570 mmfrosts | 1,2020 mmfrosts | 1,2520 mmfrosts | 1,4920 mmfrosts | 1,5210 mmfrosts | 1 |
| 1986 | 1,3800 mm | 1,3630 mm | 1,5040 mm | 1,7900 mm | 1,7860 mm | 0 |
| 1985 | 1,2980 mm | 1,2020 mm | 1,3490 mm | 1,6220 mm | 1,5960 mm | 2 |
Each cell: season warmth (°C·days) and September rainfall. The frost mark means a minimum of −2 °C or lower after 10 April.
Source: ERA5-Land reanalysis (Copernicus Climate Change Service) via the Open-Meteo archive — a gridded model, not weather stations in the vineyards. Years are compared with the mean of the previous ten, not with the 1991–2020 climate normal: the climate has shifted, and against that normal 14 of the last 20 years would read as warmer than usual — true about warming, but not about the year. This is not a rating of wine and not a drinking window: the weather explains what the season was like; what ended up in the bottle depends on picking and on the winery's work.