GEORGIAN- “Qvevri”  Clay Pot Wine

Unique Phenomenon

Georgia is the The only country in the world where wine-making methods that were developed up to 8,000 years ago have not been abandoned but remain in many ways the best practice.

Wine made today in the traditional Georgian method follows the same process Georgians developed to make wine more than 8,000 years ago. This tradition of wine-making in clay pots—or Qvevri—is so tied to the culture, UNESCO recognized it as essential to humankind’s cultural heritage in 2013. This distinction did more than identify these ancient clay pots as important historical artifacts; it acknowledged the enduring power of a living tradition.

Despite modern technological advancements, these egg-shaped pots – known as amphora in other wine-making regions – range in size from 200 to 10,000 liters, and are painstakingly hand-crafted of local clay by Georgians who have inherited their craft from their fathers and their fathers’ fathers. Moreover, many of the Qvevris used in Georgia today are artifacts themselves, having been in use for decades if not centuries. Although they’ve been used for thousands of years, Qvevris are not antiquated technology. In fact, their use applies advanced science that to this day remains unchallenged. It is the most natural method of all that have survived to our time. Human involvement in the process of making wine is minimal: Mother Nature does everything for the manufacturer. Due to the special shape of the vessel, as well as the use of raw materials, the wine turns out not only to be delicious, but also good for the health, as it contains anthocyanin.

Before use, Qvevri is carefully cleaned and coated with beewax before juice is added, Grapes are crushed, then fermented skin-on for several months in buried earthenware vessels called Qvevri  and then completely sealed to further prevent contamination and oxidation. Prolonged contact with the skins produces wines that are rich in tannin, which lend depth and dryness, plus great stability and structure. Because Qvevris are buried underground, where the earth’s temperature remains fairly consistent, they provide a controlled environment for fermentation. And the vessels’ unique pointed shape allows sediment to collect at the bottom, while the wine moves freely around the wider center. After fermentation, wines are transferred to another Qvevri to age, acquiring even greater dimension.

Many Georgians consider the traditional Georgian way of making wine to be an inseparable part of their cultural identity and inheritance. Now, this method is serving as a catalyst for global interest in Georgian viticulture.

Qvevri is a reminder that wine-making in Georgia is not a borrowed tradition. It is a skill that transcends generations with a deep understanding of wine-making’s power to transform a country’s history—and inform its future.

With its variety of grapes and wine-making practices in Qvevri, Georgia offers the wine-drinker an unparalleled range of tastes: some unique, some familiar, and some nearly impossible to describe.