Qvevri wine explained
Georgia ferments wine in clay vessels buried in the ground — an 8,000-year-old method, and the source of its amber 'orange' wine. Here's how it works and where to taste it.
What a qvevri is
A qvevri is a large, egg-shaped clay vessel buried up to its neck in the ground, where grapes ferment and age at the earth's steady temperature. Georgia has made wine this way for around 8,000 years, and UNESCO added the qvevri method to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2013.
Amber (orange) wine
When white grapes are fermented on their skins in qvevri — skins and pips left in — the wine takes on colour and tannin, becoming 'amber' or 'orange' wine. It's deeper and grippier than a modern white, and it's the style Georgia is now known for worldwide.
Where to taste it
Kakheti in the east is the heart of the wine country, where small family maranis (cellars) still make qvevri wine and pour it over a supra feast. A Kakheti wine day is one of our most popular, and we can fold a tasting into almost any itinerary.