Best Georgian Wines Under £20: Great Bottles on a Budget (Copy)
What to Bring to a Party When Everyone Else Is Bringing Champagne?
Let’s face it: when you are asked to bring over a bottle of bubbly, most people reach for Champagne or perhaps Prosecco if they’re feeling practical. It’s a safe choice, instantly recognisable, and guaranteed to sparkle in the glass. But, well, if you want to stand out without overspending, you could pour something just as festive, plus with an exciting, a bit exotic story!
Why Sparkling Wine Is Always a Good Idea for a Party
Sparkling wine simply makes everything feel more festive. The bubbles lift aromas and carry flavour, while also speeding up alcohol absorption, meaning the mood warms up faster and the laughter comes easier. It’s naturally food-friendly too: the acidity and freshness pair with salty snacks and refresh the palate between courses.
The most important thing is, of course, that a glass of fizz feels light and social, exactly what a good party should be.
Champagne’s fame rests on centuries of tradition and precision, but parties are about pleasure and surprise, not just status. A bottle of sparkling that sparks conversation is always more fun to share, and Georgia, the world’s oldest wine culture, now produces several styles of bubbly that are very enjoyable.
Pet-Nat — the natural charmer
Pet-Nat (short for pétillant naturel) is the ancestral method of sparkling winemaking, when the wine is bottled before fermentation finishes, so the bubbles form naturally.
There’s been a lot of talking around pet-nats recently - it has been dismissed by the critics and loved by natty wine lovers. Generally, the misconception surrounding it is that it’s always a hazy drink, lacking bubbles, and full of sediment.
Many Georgian producers have embraced it with flair, using native grapes like Tsitska, Tsolikouri, Chinuri, and even Saperavi for lively, fresh wines that are often not cloudy and hazy (while the fermentation is finished in the bottle, many disgorge their petnats to make them easier to drink).
To put it shortly, don’t dismiss them as rustic curiosities. Georgian pet-nats today are beautifully clean and aromatic, with gentle fizz and notes of citrus, apple blossom, and herbs. They shine with finger food, canapés, and charcuterie—exactly what you’ll find at most parties.
Try:
Georgian fizz for modern tastes
If Pet-Nat is the bohemian artist, Charmat (tank method) sparkling is the social butterfly. Fermented in pressurised tanks, it’s fruitier, cleaner, and more consistent—think of it as Georgia’s answer to Prosecco, but with local grapes.
Try:
Bagrationi 1882 - Brut
Traditional method — serious bubbles
Georgia also has its own take on the méthode traditionnelle (the same used in Champagne), using the local varieties, of course. Think about it as a Georgian answer to cremants.
Sometimes, the base wines are fermented in qvevri. Clay vessels give more texture and structure to the wine before the secondary fermentation in a bottle.
Try:
Shumi - Shobili (if you were wondering about the qvevri-fermented base!)
Ori Marani - Nino (a marriage of Georgian and French techniques)
We are sure that your friends will be pleasantly surprised with one of those bottles. Let the Georgian bubbles bring you a lot of joy!
