Republic of Georgia Archives - Dr. Liz Thach, MW

How to Make Wine in a Qvevri – Traditional Georgian Winemaking

(March 2016) Before visiting Georgia, I had only heard the word “qvevri,” but had never actually seen one, except in photos. Though may people mix them up with amphorae, they are different. A qvevri is used to ferment and age wine, and is buried in the ground. An amphora is used to transport wine and is not buried in the ground. Qvevri That Have Been Removed from Marani (Cellar Where They are Buried) The other interesting thing about qvevri is they come in many different sizes. Most hobby winemakers in Georgia (this includes many people who live in the country [...]

Five Day Wine Tour to Republic of Georgia – Getting to Tbilisi

(March 2016) When I received the email announcement of the IMW wine trip to the Republic of Georgia, I responded immediately but was waitlisted for two months before I received the good news that someone cancelled and I could have one of the 20 spots available. Turkish Airlines, with a direct flight from SFO to Istanbul and then another 2 hours to Tbilisi, had the best price, so I booked a flight and found myself pleasantly delighted with the great service, food, and wine on the plane. Their lounge in Istanbul was also amazing, and even included a golf practice [...]