EurasiaNet's ace Georgia correspondent Giorgi Lomsadze recently filed a great report about the resurgence of wine made using traditional clay vessels known as kvevri, which are buried in the ground while the wine ages. His story, with great photos by Temo Bardzimashvili, can be found here.
In order to dig deeper into what Georgians think of kvevri wine, I sent Giorgi a few questions. Our exchange is below:
As often is the case with artisanal things like kvevri, sometimes outsiders have more of an appreciation for it than locals. Do Georgians care much for this type of wine?
Most Georgians believe that the best wine is the one you get from a man in the village, not from a wine shop. So there is an appreciation of kvevri wine. However, it is not as easily available as wines made by big companies. Kvevri wine you either get from a friend or buy in a few specialized shops.Up until now, was kvevri wine culture being preserved or was it on its way out?
In the Soviet times, the kvevri culture went underground – quite literary. Wineries in Kakheti filled kvevris with earth and fully buried them underground to make way for other types of containers, which were better fit for mass production. Many individual farmers, however, kept to the many-generations-old traditions of kvevri. In a recent trend, wineries started producing kvevri wine as they realize its market potential.When looking at the total Georgian wine industry picture, where does kvevri wine fit in?
Kvevri wine makes for a fraction of the country’s total wine output as it is mostly produced by smaller wineries and individual farmers. Several large companies started making small amounts of kvevri wine too but mostly to cater to tourist interest. Wine industry analysts are saying that kvevri will not go mainstream, as it is expensive and time-consuming process.Do you get a sense that the interest in kvevri wines will help the rest of the Georgian wine industry?
I’d say yes, to a degree. It can help make the Georgian wine more recognizable in terms of flavor, color and history alike. Initially, many Georgian winemakers tried emulate foreign, established brands as a way to sell to international markets. But I agree with many experts who say that Georgian wines’ main advantage is in the way it is different, not similar to other wines.Any other interesting developments in terms of Georgian wines?
Grape picking season is in full swing right now!
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