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Georgia Cradle of Wine

When it comes to Georgian culture and customs, it is impossible to ignore Georgian wine, Technologies of its installation and storage. The information provided here is not a sales prospectus, it is for informational purposes only, To introduce you and give the crypto community an idea about the rich tradition of Georgian wine production.

As a result of excavations in Kvemo Kartli in Georgia, near the village of Shulaveri, a large clay wine vessel, a pitcher, containing wine grape pods and waste, was discovered, As a result of research, it was determined that this residue is 8000 years old and is much older than the age of wine found in other countries, therefore Georgia is the cradle of wine.

Georgia Cradle of Wine

When it comes to Georgian culture and customs, it is impossible to ignore Georgian wine, Technologies of its installation and storage. The information provided here is not a sales prospectus, it is for informational purposes only, To introduce you and give the crypto community an idea about the rich tradition of Georgian wine production.

As a result of excavations in Kvemo Kartli in Georgia, near the village of Shulaveri, a large clay wine vessel, a pitcher, containing wine grape pods and waste, was discovered, As a result of research, it was determined that this residue is 8000 years old and is much older than the age of wine found in other countries, therefore Georgia is the cradle of wine.

Georgia is the homeland of wine

The ancient Georgian method of making Kvevri wine has no analogues in the world. It is scientifically proven as an ancient technology and Georgia is officially recognized worldwide as the homeland of wine, which has at least 8,000 years of continuous winemaking tradition, besides this method is natural and environmentally friendly.

The pods, which were discovered in Georgia as a result of archaeological excavations, belong to the world's earliest, at least 8,000-year-old cultivated vine species. It was bred as a result of the cultivation of wild vines, and this process took place where wild vines grew naturally, and Georgia is included in this area.

The Alazni Valley in Kakheti is a continuous vineyard stretching for 100 kilometers, and as scientists confirm, this vineyard has been continuously tended by generations of Georgian winegrowers living on this land for about 8 thousand years or more.

Georgia is one of the richest countries in the number of grape varieties. 525 of the 4,000 grape varieties known in the world are Georgian. This is the result of millennia of experience of Georgian winegrowers.

Georgia - the homeland of wine

The ancient Georgian method of making Kvevri wine has no analogues in the world. It is scientifically proven as an ancient technology and Georgia is officially recognized worldwide as the homeland of wine, which has at least 8,000 years of continuous winemaking tradition, besides this method is natural and environmentally friendly.

The pods, which were discovered in Georgia as a result of archaeological excavations, belong to the world's earliest, at least 8,000-year-old cultivated vine species. It was bred as a result of the cultivation of wild vines, and this process took place where wild vines grew naturally, and Georgia is included in this area.

The Alazni Valley in Kakheti is a continuous vineyard stretching for 100 kilometers, and as scientists confirm, this vineyard has been continuously tended by generations of Georgian winegrowers living on this land for about 8 thousand years or more.

Georgia is one of the richest countries in the number of grape varieties. 525 of the 4,000 grape varieties known in the world are Georgian. This is the result of millennia of experience of Georgian winegrowers.

Georgia has the oldest wine tradition in the world

Ancient tartaric acid was discovered here and cultivated vines were first grown here, according to an article published in the Journal of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America on November 13, 2017. "Early Neolithic wine of Georgia in the South Caucasus".https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1714728114 which is dedicated to this discovery and everything is described in detail in it.

Of the original 525 grape varieties in Georgia, 437 are still grown, however, very few people know that the ancient traditions of winemaking are still alive in almost every family in Georgia and we still continue to make wine in the ancestral tradition.

According to the Georgian tradition, when a warrior went to war, he carried a branch of a vine with him so that after his death a vine would sprout as a new life. During the invasions, the enemy destroyed everything and did not even want the vineyards, because for us, wine is associated with our faith and the blood of Jesus, so our ancestors tried their best to Neither wine nor faith was lost.

Making traditional Georgian wine

Of course, in Georgia, we sometimes use the modern method to make wine, but we don't forget the old method. Modern methods are known to everyone, so I will tell you about the tradition of making wine using the old method.

Grape harvesting in Georgia generally begins in September and continues until the end of autumn. After harvesting, the grapes are brought to a storage room, which Georgians call a cellar (a structure for storing and storing wine), then the wine is squeezed in a wine press (a vessel for pressing grapes), which is shaped like a boat, carved out of wood or a large stone, which has a groove for the release of grape juice. We stand in this press and We press and crush the bunches of grapes with the movement of our feet, the juice flows into the groove and flows through it through special channels or pipes into a clay vessel buried in the ground, which is called a pitcher, and the volume of which reaches from three to 8000 liters.

With one of the methods, we throw grape residues into the pitcher along with the juice, the wine made with this method has a different flavor and high alcohol content, while the wine made only on the juice comes out with a different flavor and lower alcohol content, and it is easier to drink.

When the pitcher is filled with grape juice and dregs, a stone cover is placed on top to prevent contamination. After that, the fermentation process begins, which lasts from 10 to 14 days. During the fermentation process, the wine must be stirred at least 4 times a day so that the wine does not spoil and turn sour, and it is important to control the temperature, that is why the pitcher is embedded in the ground to maintain the exact temperature. What is needed to get the best and high quality wine.

Pitcher

Pitcher

The pitcher has a shape that distributes the juice and grape residues in it as follows: on the first level, that is, the level that is buried deep in the soil in the tip, there is the level of the pod, then there is the level of pressure, then the level of natural pressure, then the level of fermentation and the upper level of fermentation in the neck of the pitcher, After fermentation, the pitcher's head is hermetically sealed.

After that, the miracle of the kvevri begins, which turns the grape juice into wine, since the kvevri is embedded in the ground, it maintains the exact temperature that is needed to make high-quality wine, and distinguishes the wine of the kvevri from all other wines made in the same way.

The pitcher is sealed for several months, until the beginning of March, after the opening of the pitcher, the wine is shot in another vessel, the most acceptable is a glass vessel, and then the shooting operations begin. and sealed. Vodka, which we call chacha, is made with the remaining residue.

In 2013, the Georgian traditional method of making Kvevri wine was granted the status of a monument of intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.

Cellar

In Georgia, there are such cellars, with pitchers deep in the ground, where the traditional, national wine-making method has been used for centuries, and the tradition of making it has remained unchanged even today. Kvevri wine has unique properties and a distinctive taste, which distinguishes it from wines produced by modern methods, it is thanks to this unique and distinctive taste that it has gained popularity.

This is how wine from Georgia spread throughout the world, which once again proves that Georgia is the cradle of wine

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