History of Georgian Wine

HISTORY OF GEORGIAN WINE

Georgia is rightly called "The cradle of wine", reaffirmed by UNESCO in December 2013, when the oldest Georgian method of winemaking in Qvevriwas inscribed in the representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of the humanity. Several years ago archeologists have foundgrape pips that date to VI millennium BC in the ruins of the Dangreuli Gora, Marneuli Valley, Kvemo Kartli region, south of Tbilisi.According to the morphological and ampelographic features, the pips belong to the Vitis Vinifera Sativavariety of vine.

From this time on, the culture of viticulture and winemaking did not discontinue in Georgia. It has been constantly evolving,butstill managing to maintain its ancient nature and traditions. That is why Georgia is considered to be the country of 8000 harvests; the country where wine was made in the pre-Qvevri vessels as early as in Neolithic period.

Georgia boasts more than 500 varieties of indigenous grapes, nearly one-sixth of the world’s grape varieties, including endangered varieties found nowhere else on Earth. 

Winemakers employ several winemaking techniquesto create Georgian wine.Traditional Georgian method of fermenting wine in clay qvevri,European technology andhybrid approach that incorporates elements of each.  

It must be mentioned that the word winehas the same origin in all European languages. As the linguists suggest, it comes from the Georgian word "ghvino". Vinum, Wine, Vin, Wein, Вино, etc.