Chacha (Georgian: ჭაჭა ch’ach’a [tʃʼatʃʼa]) is a Georgian pomace brandy, clear and strong (ranging between 50% alcohol for commercially produced to 85% for home brew), which is sometimes called “wine vodka”, “grape vodka”, or “Georgian vodka/grappa”. It is made of grape pomace (grape residue left after making wine). The term chacha is used in Georgia to refer to grape distillate. It may be also produced from unripe or wild grapes. Other common fruits or herbs used are figs, tangerines, oranges, mulberries or tarragon.
The Kakheti region, which is in the easternmost part of the country, accounts for 75% of all vineyards (approximately 33,000 hectares) in Georgia.
Traditionally only a homebrewed drink of Georgians, it is today commonly produced by professional distillers and most wineries who include it in their product range.
The type and flavor of the different varieties of local chacha can differ depending on the region in which they are produced. For example, chacha made by producers in the Kakheti region tend to have more of an oak flavoring than chacha made in the capital city of Tbilisi.
In 2005 the government of Georgia enacted new intellectual property legislation called the “Law on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications of Goods” (the AOGI Law). This law primarily allows for the registrations of appellations of origin (AO) and geographical indications (GI) for wines, spirits, and mineral waters originating in Georgia. Many of Georgia’s famous wines that make up the grape pomace were registered as AOs internationally through the Lisbon System for the International Registration of Appellations of Origin. On 13 December 2011, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Government of Georgia registered “chacha” as the first GI in the country.
The city of Batumi, second largest city of Georgia has implemented a unique campaign based on the power of the chacha brand. In the center of the city, a 25-meter tower was built in 2012 that house an observation deck, clock, pools, and tourist information center. Outside the chacha tower is an ornate water fountain, which for 10 – 15 minutes once per week flows with chacha made from local distillers instead of water.
Source: Wikipedia
