🍷 Qvevri
A huge Georgian clay vessel buried in the ground, where wine ferments and matures.
Qvevri is a huge clay vessel from Georgia. It is buried in the ground almost up to its neck. The wine ferments and matures inside it. This is one of the oldest ways of making wine, and it is still used today.
A qvevri is shaped from clay and fired. Inside, it is usually coated with beeswax. The grapes are pressed in a satsnakheli, and the juice runs into the qvevri together with the skins. This is called skin contact, and it gives amber white wines. The vessel stands in the marani, the Georgian wine cellar, or is buried in its floor.
The earth keeps a steady temperature, so fermentation goes calmly. The qvevri method of making wine is on the UNESCO list.
Qvevri belongs to the clay vessels used for wine. For Georgians it is the main vessel of winemaking and a symbol of Georgia's ancient wine. Sizes vary, from small vessels to ones holding hundreds of litres of wine. After use the qvevri is washed carefully and sealed again.
Links
- Previous step
- 🪨 Clay, 🍷 Satsnakheli, 🍷 Skin contact, 🍷 Ancient Georgian wine (c. 6000 BCE)
- Next step
- 🏛️ Ancient Georgian traditional Qvevri wine-making method
- Packed in
- 🍷 Marani
- Part of
- 🍷 Clay wine vessels
- Wine and milk
- 🧑🤝🧑 Georgians
Frequently asked questions
What is a qvevri?
A large Georgian clay vessel buried in the ground, where wine ferments and matures.
Why is a qvevri buried in the ground?
The earth keeps a steady temperature, so the wine ferments calmly.
Is the qvevri method recognised by UNESCO?
Yes, the Georgian method of making wine in qvevri is on the UNESCO list.