Unique Qvevri technology

The winemaking in Qvevri is unique and that is why UNESCO assigned the status of National Monument of Intangible Cultural Heritage to “The ancient Georgian tradition of Qvevri winemaking” in 2013. Qvevri is a unique vessel for making and storing wine. As it was said above, the ancient Qvevri-like vessel discovered in Georgia dates back to the 6th - 5th millennia BC. Winemaking in Qvevri means keeping the wine on its own chacha during the alcoholic fermentation as well as afterwards. Winemaking technology is different in different parts of Georgia. For example, the total amount of chacha takes part in alcoholic fermentation in Kakheti, while the Imeretian rule of winemaking implies adding not the total but a third part of chacha to the sweet grape juice. To determine the duration of how long to keep wine in chacha, great importance is paid to grape varieties, alcoholic fermentation duration, environmental conditions, etc. In the case of white grapes, the wine is left on the chacha until spring while the red wine is kept usually only during alcoholic fermentation. In order to keep the wine well, the Qvevri lid is covered with additional clay or mud. The "burial" of wine and its "birth" in spring remind us of the eternal cycle of death-revival, which must be the basis of early Solar beliefs