RTVELI – GEORGIAN WINE HARVEST AND FESTIVITIES
Rtveli (Georgian: რთველი) is the traditional vintage (the process of picking grapes and making wine) accompanied by celebrations that mark the end of the agricultural cycle for the year. For centuries, viticulture has been of great economic importance to Georgia. Today, there are more than 175,000 acres planted with vines. The vine also has an iconic and religious significance … Continue reading
INTRODUCTION TO TRADITIONAL WINE-MAKING
Thousands of years ago the ancient people of the South Caucasus Region discovered how to transform wild grape juice into wine by leaving it to ferment in clay vessels called Kvevri, which they buried in the ground. It was from Georgia that the method of wine-making in Kvevri spread to Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and the rest of … Continue reading
HOW A GEORGIAN PRINCE SMUGGLED TEA OUT OF CHINA
Georgian tea originated from seeds smuggled out of China by a 19th century Georgian prince. Georgian Prince Miha Eristavi first encountered tea during his travels across China in the 1830s. Impressed with its taste he decided that he would take some seeds back to Georgia. At the time, exporting tea seeds from China was forbidden so the … Continue reading




























































































































