For roughly eight thousand years wine has been made in Qvevri, (pronounced kwevri) or huge clay pots built to contain hundreds or even thousands of litres of liquid. Traditionally, the enormous vessels are filled with juice, sealed with beeswax, and buried in the earth to provide a cool and stable environment for fermentation.
The unique conical design of Qvevri helps to sift debris down to the point at its base. For this reason, wine made in these gigantic vessels typically require no further fining or filtering. The ceramic material of the Qvevri offers another benefit to the finished wine. It imparts virtually no flavor during fermentation, allowing all the inherent subtleties in the fruit to be fully highlighted.
The country of Georgia has the oldest and most venerable tradition of Qvevri making in the world. its survival now largely depends upon the skills of a dwindling handful of aging artisans. Only with continued demand for these unique vessels and the remarkable wines they produce will we keep this ancient winemaking tradition alive.