New Wine Festival 2015 in Tbilisi
Sixty wine companies, small cellars and family cellars (with wines of 72 varieties) presented their late harvest wines at the New Wine Festival 2015 held in Deda Ena Park in Tbilisi on 9 May. Georgia About was there to photograph the event. No Georgian event would be complete without a barbecue! Photos by Georgia About.
QVEVRI AND QVEVRI WINE MUSEUM
The Qvevri and Qvevri Wine Museum in the historic village of Napareuli, in Georgia’s Kakheti region, is the first and only museum in Georgia dedicated to Qvevri and Qvevri wine-making. Thousands of years ago the people of the South Caucasus region discovered how to transform wild grape juice into wine by leaving it to ferment in … Continue reading
ETHNIC GEORGIANS IN TURKEY PRESERVE WINE-MAKING TRADITIONS
Communities of ethnic Georgians live in remote villages on the Turkish side of the Machakhela River, which is a trans-boundary river between Georgia and Turkey. Georgian traditions and customs still continue, including traditional wine-making. Photos courtesy of the President’s Administration. CLICK on the logo to visit GEORGIA ABOUT on Facebook and see photos and news about Georgia. Click LIKE on the page and … Continue reading
GEORGIAN QVEVRI WINE-MAKING METHOD ADDED TO UNESCO HERITAGE LIST
In 2013, the traditional Georgian qvevri (kvevri) wine-making method was recognized by UNESCO as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The oval-shaped earthenware vessel – the Kvevri – in which wine is fermented and stored The making of wine in qvevri is the oldest known method of wine production and it was from Georgia that wine-making … Continue reading
THE GRAPE HARVEST
This year’s grape harvest has begun in Georgia. The process of picking grapes and making wine, together with the accompanying celebrations, is called Rtveli (Georgian: რთველი) and marks the end of the agricultural cycle for the year. Rtveli involves almost everyone in Georgia. Wine is produced by thousands of small vineyard farmers (using primarily traditional techniques of wine-making), as well … Continue reading
WINE HOUSE IN KACHRETI
A “Wine Day” was recently held at the Wine House in Kachreti in Georgia’s Kakheti region. The Wine House is a vocational program of “Aisi” Vocational College and provides training to students in the traditional methods of wine-making and also supports local farmers with consultations, and testing, bottling and packing of their wines. In 2011, the … Continue reading
GEORGIAN CHACHA
Chacha (Georgian: ჭაჭა) is a strong spirit made of the grape residue (pomace) left after making wine. Chacha is often made at home in a mini still. By the American definition, it qualifies as “moonshine” but unlike the production of “moonshine” in the United States, distilling chacha is not illegal in Georgia and many families continue the tradition. To most … Continue reading
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
Georgian Recipes 