Schuchmann is a German family that bought a winery in Georgia in 2008 and continued to produce wine there. The head of the family, Burkhard Schuchmann, had already been in Georgia when he was a young student and fell in love with the country so much that he decided to move there later. Schuchmann winery has 60 hectares of vineyards in three different regions in Georgia. In addition to several different wines, the company also distills chacha, a traditional Georgian spirit. Chacha, made from the remains of winemaking, is distilled twice and cold-filtered before bottling. A 50 cl bottle of traditional clear chacha cost €11.70. There is also an oak barrel aged version available.

The nose is strong, much stronger than the Tvilbino chacha I tested before. In addition to the traditional “grappa” aromas of wine distillate and copper pan, there are also nuances of almond and various spices in the background. The taste is dry and strong. There is probably no sugar or other sweetener added to the distillate to soften and lighten the taste. The taste has wine, fermented grape juice, almond and dried fruit. In the background there is also a slight vegetal note like tobacco or straw.

Schuchmann Silver is a little too strong to be sipped on its own. A small splash of water softens the taste nicely, brings more sweetness and fruity notes. Schuchmann Chacha is a strong and very aromatic wine distillate that can be recommended to grappa lovers. Bartenders could also use it to bring quite original flavors for cocktails.

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