🏛️ Ancient Georgian traditional Qvevri wine-making method

The Georgian qvevri method is an ancient way of making wine in clay vessels buried in the ground, called qvevri. It has been on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage since 2013.

A qvevri is a large egg-shaped clay vessel buried in the ground up to its neck. It is placed in a cellar called a marani. Crushed grapes are put into the qvevri: the juice together with the skins, seeds and sometimes stems. The vessel is closed with a lid and sealed airtight with clay. Inside, the wine ferments and then rests for several months. The earth holds an even temperature and the clay lets in a little air. The inner wall is usually treated with beeswax.

From white grapes this way gives amber wine. The colour comes from contact with the skins. The method was born in the South Caucasus and is regarded as one of the oldest ways of winemaking. It is tied to Georgian culture, family traditions and feasts. Many Georgian families still make wine in qvevri for themselves. The UNESCO listing stresses the importance of this know-how to the world, not only to Georgia, and draws attention to traditional methods.