Kvevri - Ancient Wine-making Jugs

Kvevri – Wine-making in the 5th - 6th Century Still Used Today

The country of Georgia is now believed to be the oldest wine-making region of the world beginning in the 5th-6th centuries, as determined through archaeological discoveries. One of the unique winemaking techniques practised in Georgia since early times, and still common in some parts today, is the use of kvevri or qvervi, which are large terracotta clay jars in which the fermentation, maturation and storage of wine takes place.  

 

Kvevri jars are filled with partially pressed grapes (and often with skins and stems), and buried underground, which helps moderate and cool the temperature. After fermentation, wines are left to mature in the jar for around six months, during which time lees and solids fall into a section at the base of the jar. After the ageing is completed, the wine is transferred to clean kvevri.

 

The shape of the kvevri is designed specifically for the winemaking process and made by artisans skilled in the work using techniques passed on generation to generation. The Georgian tradition of making wine in these buried jars is unique worldwide, which is why it was included on the UNESCO Representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The Georgian method has now been recognized and in some cases adopted by other winemaking countries.

​

Source: Cité du Vin, Bordeaux, France. Exhibition on Georgia, 2017. Photos taken at the Exhibition.