Traditional Georgian red and white winemaking involves crushing the grapes, then pouring the juice, and the skins, stems, and pips (known as 'chacha') into a Qvevri, buried underground and lined with beeswax, then covered and sealed for fermentation and ageing. Depending on the type of wine, decanting and bottling can happen after few months, at which time the chacha (collected on the bottom of the vessel) is later distilled into brandy.
Among the world's earliest examples of winemaking technology, and native to Georgia, Qvevri (or Kvevri) are egg-shaped earthenware pottery vessels resembling an amphora without handles, used for the fermentation, storage and ageing of traditional Georgian wine. It is designed to be buried with only its rim visible above the ground.
The clay used to manufacture a Qvevri is carefully chosen. It must contain limestone, along with the impurities of precious metals like gold, silver and copper, as these characteristics react with the wine, strengthening the walls of the Qvevri and acting as a natural antiseptic.
The making of these vessels is an artisanal art form that few families do. The ancient knowledge has been handed down throughout the generations. They specifically choose perfect clay for creating them because that will determine the characteristics of the wine mineral content. On average, it takes around three months to mould, dry and harden a Qvevri jug. Their capacity can range from 100 - 3,500 litres and is buried underground to keep temperatures consistent during the wine fermentation process.
