How is Wine Made in the Qvevri?

Since the groundbreaking archaeological discoveries in 2017, it has become clear—at least according to current knowledge – that the area of present-day Georgia is the cradle of wine. Nowhere else on Earth have older traces of winemaking been found than in this small South Caucasian country.

For at least 8,000 years, people in this region have been turning grapes into wine, and they have done so in clay amphorae. How this works, what winemakers need to pay attention to, and the advantages and disadvantages of amphora wine – all of that you will learn here.

Hygiene in the Cellar, Care When Pressing

Most of what defines the final quality of wine happens in the vineyard, which we cover in another article. Today, we focus on what happens after the grape harvest.

In the cellar, the top priority is hygiene. Not only must the qvevris be meticulously cleaned, but also all other equipment that comes into contact with the grapes or must, such as presses or hoses.

Once the grapes arrive in the cellar – as quickly as possible – they are immediately crushed or pressed. Quality comes before quantity here: it is important to press the grapes gently, with moderate pressure, and to destroy as few seeds as possible to avoid releasing unwanted compounds and flavors.

The must is then transferred into the qvevri, which is filled to a maximum of 80%. If too much must is added, it can foam and overflow during fermentation.

Alcoholic Fermentation with Natural Yeasts

After 1–2 days, the alcoholic fermentation process begins. Yeast cultures convert the sugars in the must into CO₂ and alcohol. Some winemakers trigger this process by adding laboratory-cultured yeast. Our vineyard is healthy enough that we can let the natural yeasts present on our grapes do the work. These can vary from year to year, giving the wine a subtly different character each vintage.

The so-called intensive fermentation lasts about a week. The must heats up, large amounts of carbon dioxide rise visibly as foam, and the qvevri hisses and bubbles. After this phase, the intensity decreases, and the process continues as slow fermentation. Throughout alcoholic fermentation, we regularly push down the cap of skins with a special wooden tool to prevent it from drying out and oxidizing. This also helps regulate temperature and activates the yeasts.

At a certain point – once a specific alcohol level is reached or no sugar remains – the yeast dies and settles at the bottom.

Alcoholic fermentation is now complete, and wine is in the qvevri. The process continues, however. The winemaker then decides whether to leave the wine on the skins or part of them, or to separate it. In our example, we choose the latter and pump the liquid into a smaller qvevri, which we fill completely.

Biological Acid Reduction

Next, we seal the qvevri, but not hermetically. It is important that fermentation gases can still escape. After alcoholic fermentation, the biological acid reduction begins, also known as malolactic fermentation, although biologically it is not truly a fermentation. During this process, the harsher malic acid is converted into milder lactic acid, and carbon dioxide is released.

In Europe, malolactic fermentation is mostly applied only to red wines and intentionally suppressed in white wines to preserve acidity. We allow it to occur in both our red and white wines.

Once no more carbon dioxide escapes, we seal the qvevri hermetically until the following spring.

Over the winter, the wine undergoes natural filtration. All sediments settle at the bottom of the qvevri. We then pump the wine into another vessel, where it matures for at least six more months before bottling. For red wine, we even allow one to two years of aging.

Advantages of Winemaking in the Qvevri

This method offers several advantages. Since the vessel is buried in the ground, it naturally maintains a constant temperature. Energy-consuming heating or cooling devices are unnecessary, giving qvevri wines a better environmental footprint. The constant temperature also positively affects the wine, as does the porous material and conical shape of the amphora.

The relatively long contact with the skins releases many tannins, naturally stabilizing the wine – without adding any preservatives.

The fact that we ferment not only our red but also our white wines on the skins gives them colors largely unknown in Europe: ranging from amber to orange and almost brown. Not only pigments but also a wide spectrum of tannins and other phenols, such as the health-promoting procyanidins, are transferred into the wine.

Conclusion

For the European palate, Kacheti wines – especially the whites –may initially take some getting used to. But once you fall in love with them, there is usually no turning back. They are more aromatic, layered, exciting, and thanks to their natural production, much healthier than European or industrially produced wines.