Georgian Wine
The Cradle of Wine
For 8,000 years, Georgians have fermented wine in Qvevri - egg-shaped clay vessels buried underground - the oldest continuous winemaking tradition on Earth.
Explore Wine RegionsThe Qvevri method
What Makes Georgian Wine Unique
Unlike wines aged in oak barrels or steel tanks, traditional Georgian wine ferments on the skins, seeds, and stems in a Qvevri buried up to its neck in the earth. The clay regulates temperature naturally and gives the wine a distinctive amber color and texture - especially in orange wines made from white grapes.
In 2013, UNESCO inscribed the traditional Qvevri winemaking method on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, recognizing a practice passed down through Georgian families for millennia.
- 8,000 yrs
- Unbroken tradition
- 2013
- UNESCO inscribed
- 525+
- Native grape varieties
Four cellar doors
Wine Regions of Georgia
Every region keeps its own marani. Push a door open and see which room you belong in.
Kakheti
Saperavi · Rkatsiteli
Georgia's largest wine region, producing roughly 70% of the country's wine. Home to Saperavi and Rkatsiteli grapes and centuries-old Qvevri cellars dug into the valley floor.
Kartli
Whites · Rosés
A cooler central region known for elegant whites and rosés, and for its proximity to Tbilisi's wine bars and tasting rooms - the easiest cellar day trip in the country.
Imereti
Light Qvevri style
A distinct Qvevri style using far less skin contact, producing lighter, brighter wines than their Kakhetian neighbours - the gentler side of the clay tradition.
Racha
Khvanchkara
A mountainous region famed for the semi-sweet Khvanchkara - reportedly Stalin's favourite wine - grown on steep, hard-to-reach slopes above the Rioni gorge.
Gaumarjos
Plan Your Wine Tour
From Kakheti’s family cellars to Tbilisi’s natural wine bars, Georgia rewards travelers who follow the vine.
Back to Georgia Overview