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Red wine Uka
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Udha 2018 by UKA Winery is a red blend that stands out of the crowd and carries the spirit of Albania's wine-growing regions. It takes its name, which in Albanian means "road," from connecting various vineyards around the country, assembling in one bottle all the richness of Albania's winemaking tradition.
This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Kallmet, and Shesh i Zi all coming together to produce a harmonious and well-balanced wine. Each of the varietals hails from organic vineyards spread all over Albania and brings a taste representative of the country's diverse terroirs.
Aromas and Flavour Profile
Ruby-red colored, in the glass, this wine exudes bold aromas of dark berries, laced with spices and cedar, with a subtle nuance of oak aging. Full-bodied, with silky tannins, it persists to a lingering finish. Blended with international varieties, the native gives Udha a particular character, balancing the earthy entity of Kallmet and Shesh i Zi with the fruit-forward nature of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Production Method
The grapes come from organic vineyards. They are handpicked and moved to the cellar in 20kg crates. Cryo-maceration for 48 hours improves flavour extraction. Fermentation, at controlled temperatures in stainless steel tanks, takes 8 to 12 days. Afterwards, it is aged in oak barrels of 500 liters for 8 months before finally aging 1 year in a bottle, insuring a refined and structured wine.
Food Pairing Suggestions and Serving Temperature
Served at 14-16°C, it pairs exquisitely with Udha 2018, grilled red meats, game dishes, and aged cheeses. Full-bodied with a suave finish, it turns out to be an apt partner for rich courses on its own.
Uka Winery is located in the center of Albania in the rural areas of the capital Tirana. It was established in 2005, founded by Flori Uka (winemaker), the first generation of the family in wine production. After 5 years of working in different wineries in Friuli/Veneto and 2 years of studying at the University of Udine and Conegliano in Enology, Flori returned to Albania to follow his dream of rediscovering Albania's wine values. Albania is rich in indigenous varieties and viticultural history. A history suppressed by the Ottomans and the dictatorship system. Today the new generation of winemakers is discovering the true values of this map unknown to the rest of the world. In Albania almost every rural family grows grapes. In several areas indigenous varieties are grown that have existed for hundreds of years. The vision of the Uka winery is to collect these grapes from different families throughout Albania to take the maximum potential of the same varieties. Following a cooperative-like system, Flori works with nearly 200 families throughout Albania who have indigenous grape varieties with an area of less than 1 hectare. Thus it is possible to search for the true potential of the terroir to express the maximum of our values in the wine. The purpose of the winery is to create a database of indigenous areas and varieties that are expressed to the fullest in our wines. We see our winery as a future wine museum where winelovers from around the world can come and taste Albania in a glass.
