White grape variety
Kisi
A rare Georgian variety producing distinctive, honeyed amber wines.
What is Kisi?
Kisi nearly disappeared during the Soviet period and has been replanted. In qvevri it produces some of Georgia’s most distinctive amber wines.
The Vitis International Variety Catalogue, maintained by the Julius Kühn Institute, holds this variety as accession 6283 under the prime name KISI, with berry skin colour blanc and country of origin georgia, and the pedigree "ZAKATALIS TETRI X ?". Checked 2026-08-17.
What it tastes like
This is the envelope across every expression of Kisi, not a description of one bottle. Wide ranges are the honest answer.
| Dimension | Typical | Range | Variation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweetness | low | Consistent | |
| Acidity | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Alcohol | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Body | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Fruit intensity | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Aromatic intensity | medium | Consistent | |
| Oak influence | low | Consistent | |
| Savoury character | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Floral character | low | Consistent | |
| Herbal / green character | low | Consistent | |
| Spice | low | Consistent | |
| Earthy character | low | Consistent | |
| Perceived freshness | medium | Consistent | |
| Texture | medium-plus | Some variation |
Common flavours
Wines made from it
The same grape in different places and different hands. These are where the wide ranges above resolve into something specific.
Where it grows
- Kakheti — Georgia
If you like Kisi, try…
Every suggestion says why it is connected and what will be different.
Closest matches
What is most like this?
Soave Classico
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be more oaky, and fresher.
Rkatsiteli
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be fresher and more acidic, and lighter.
Godello
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be more oaky, and fresher.
Similar but lighter
Something like this, but lighter?
Rkatsiteli
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be fresher and more acidic, and fresher.
Tsolikouri
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and fresher.
Xarel·lo
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be fresher, and more restrained in fruit.
Similar but lower in alcohol
Something like this, but less alcoholic?
Rkatsiteli
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be fresher and more acidic, and lighter.
Tsolikouri
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be lighter, and fresher.
Xarel·lo
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be lighter, and fresher.
Similar but fuller
Something like this, but richer?
Pedro Ximénez
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect it to be sweeter, and softer and rounder.
Condrieu
Condrieu scores closest to Kisi across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect it to be more floral, and softer and rounder.
Viognier
Viognier scores closest to Kisi across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect it to be more floral, and softer and rounder.
What to eat with it
Ranked by WineHQ's pairing engine, which reasons from the structure of the dish.
Fillet steak
Works because the finished dish, not the raw ingredient, sets the target.
Turkey
Works because the finished dish, not the raw ingredient, sets the target.
Mushroom pasta
Works because the dish is rich, and acidity cuts through fat and refreshes the palate.
Bloomy-rind cheese
Works because the dish is rich, and acidity cuts through fat and refreshes the palate.
Brie and soft cheese
Works because the dish is rich, and acidity cuts through fat and refreshes the palate.
Beef stew
Works because the dish is rich, and acidity cuts through fat and refreshes the palate.
What to avoid with it
Dishes the pairing engine scores badly, and the principle that explains why. A short list: most things are fine.
Mexican food
High alcohol will make the dish taste noticeably hotter.
Salmon in a cream sauce
Noticeable tannin is a risk with fish even where the wine is otherwise a reasonable weight.
Pad Thai
A dry wine will taste thin and sour against a sweet dish.
French onion soup
A dry wine will taste thin and sour against a sweet dish.
How to serve it
Temperature
10–13°C
50–55°F · Lightly chilled
About 45 minutes to an hour in the fridge from room temperature, or take it out of the fridge about an hour before serving.
Decanting
Optional — it will not hurt, and may help a little
Dense, full-bodied wines tend to open up and show more aroma after time in a decanter.
Glass
Universal wine glass
A medium tulip-shaped glass handles almost everything well. If you own one set of glasses, this is the set to own — the difference between a good universal glass and a grape-specific one is far smaller than the difference between a good glass and a bad one.
Ageing
Most wines made from this grape are for drinking now, but certain styles reward keeping.
The most highly regarded of the Georgian white varieties for qvevri work, giving amber wines with notable tannin and a distinctive dried-fruit character that develops over several years. Modern fresh versions are for drinking young.
Sources
Sources consulted
- Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) — Julius Kühn-Institut, Institute for Grapevine Breeding Geilweilerhof
- National Wine Agency of Georgia — National Wine Agency, Georgia