VIDEO: Making #GeorgianWine in a Qvevri. By Terry Sullivan (Wine Trail Traveler)

This video is about Making Wine in a Qvevri in the country Georgia - in twitter: @winetrailtravel

#GEORGIANWINE: The first Qvevri Marani and Museum is opening on the grounds of the Plumpton Agricultural College, Wine department - 7th of April 2 pm

Press release. Written by Mako Abashidze

Building Qvevries in Plumpton, UK, Photo: Mako Abashidze

First Qvevri Marani and the Georgian Traditional Winemaking Museum shall be launched in the UK. This project is supported by the Plumpton Agricultural College Wine Department.

The Museum of the Qvevri History and Traditional Georgian Winemaking is sponsored by the SHUMI Winery.

SHUMI winery is sending the artefacts and the Qvevri winemaking tools for the museum display and shall be curating the exhibition.

Henry Mchedlishvili, Georgian by origin, living in Britain since 90th, founder and the Director of the Artisan Cru winery (first English Qvevri Wine), has started to work on this exciting project 18 month ago. Harvest from 2017 had an excellent results- “Artisan Cru” wines are now listed in London restaurants and boutique wine shops.

“For me it’s a great responsibility and honour to work with the Plumpton College wine department. Plumpton Marani is unique collaboration of traditional Georgian Qvevri method wine production from English grapes.” Henry Mchedlishvili, Founder, Artisan Cru.

The Museum sponsored by the “SHUMI WINERY” and the Marani shall be open for the public visits; guests shall have an opportunity to taste SHUMI qvevri wines as well as an Artisan Cru English Qvevri Wines and the Plumpton wines made from the local grapes.

Main purpose of this project is to promote traditional Georgian winemaking technology in the UK and worldwide and to give opportunity to wine department students to learn about the ancient Georgian Qvevri winemaking history. This project is managed and supported by the British Georgian Chamber of Commerce and the National Georgian Wine Agency.

The official opening of the SHUMI Sponsored museum of the Qvevri and Traditional Georgian Wine Making is scheduled in April 2019.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on 15th of January, 2019, between the Artisan Cru, Plumpton College and The British Georgian Chamber of Commerce.

Principal at the Plumpton College, Jeremy Kerswell visited the Marani, expressed his support and enthusiasm about this project and signed the MoU.




Photo by Mako Abashidze

As a part of this project Plumpton College is planning to launch a winemaking scholarship through which a year 2 Plumpton BSc (Hons) Viticulture and Oenology student will be selected to carry out a vintage in a SHUMI winery in the following harvest. During the Plumpton student’s stay in Georgia, he/she will link up with a Georgian wine student (subject to the SHUMI selection process). The two students will return together to Plumpton by the beginning of October, and make wine in the Plumpton Marani under the supervision of Sarah Midgley, Plumpton’s winemaker. The Georgian student will be invited to attend classes at Plumpton free of charge.

Importance of the project:

Plumpton Marani and the Qvevri Museum is a unique opportunity for the students of the winemaking department to learn about the Georgian qvevri method, which had been added to the world heritage list of the UNESCO.

This is an excellent opportunity to promote and educate students and visitors about the Georgian Traditional Wine making.

Facts about the Plumpton College Wine Department

Plumpton College Wine Department is a leading educational body in the UK.

The transformation of Plumpton from a small agricultural college to a training ground on the international wine map has taken place alongside the growth in both reputation and commercial prospects of English wine.

A high proportion of the undergraduates and postgraduates at the Plumpton College Wine Centre are people seeking to switch careers and move to the wine industry.

History

Plumpton College started offering wine production courses in 1988 with the arrival of Chris Foss, the current Wine Division Manager. Chris’ mother is from Bordeaux and his family had a vineyard in the Entre-Deux-Mers region. When he first arrived, there were only two rows of vines, and Chris started teaching six students in a classroom located in the Poultry Department, making wine in Demi-Johns with bought-in grapes.

The Wine Division now has four principal activities: Four full-time undergraduate courses in wine business and production (delivered in association with the University of Brighton) attended by over 100 students. These are the only undergraduate courses in wine delivered in the UK, and the only such courses delivered in English in Europe. 20% of students come from outside the UK and graduates can be found in many wine-producing areas, all over the world.

The WineSkills industry training project, delivering courses all over the UK to around 500 students a year. These consist of the highly successful Principles of Vine growing and Principles of Winemaking programmes and one-day workshops and masterclasses. The latter are delivered by experts with international reputations.

A commercial wine production facility, Plumpton Wine Estate, producing around 30 000 bottles of wine a year in a fully equipped commercial winery, from 8 hectares of vineyard, much of it recently planted.

More: Traditional Georgian Winemaking Museum and 8,000-year-old heritage introduced in Plumpton. Posted on March 26, 2019 by Tamar Chikviladze

VIDEO: Ancient Georgian traditional Qvevri wine-making method

UNESCO: Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity - 2013
URL: unesco.org/en/ancient georgian traditional qvevri wine making method

Description: Qvevri wine-making takes its name from the distinctive egg-shaped earthenware vessel -- the Qvevri -- in which wine is fermented and stored in villages and towns throughout Georgia. The tradition plays a vital role in everyday life and celebrations, and forms an inseparable part of the cultural identity of Georgian communities, with wine and vines frequently evoked in Georgian oral traditions and songs. Knowledge of this heritage is passed down by families, neighbours and friends, all of whom join in the communal harvesting and wine-making activities. Country(ies): Georgia

© Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia, 2012

Duration: 00:09:59 - Support: DVD (0087000017)


+++


Inscribed in 2013 (8.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity


Qvevri wine-making is practised throughout Georgia, particularly in village communities where unique varieties of grapes are grown. The Qvevri is an egg-shaped earthenware vessel used for making, ageing and storing the wine. Knowledge and experience of Qvevri manufacture and wine-making are passed down by families, neighbours, friends and relatives, all of whom join in communal harvesting and wine-making activities. Children learn how to tend the vines, press grapes, ferment wine, collect clay and make and fire Qvevris through observing their elders. The wine-making process involves pressing the grapes and then pouring the juice, grape skins, stalks and pips into the Qvevri, which is sealed and buried in the ground so that the wine can ferment for five to six months before being drunk. Most farmers and city dwellers use this method of making wine. Wine plays a vital role in everyday life and in the celebration of secular and religious events and rituals. Wine cellars are still considered the holiest place in the family home. The tradition of Qvevri wine-making defines the lifestyle of local communities and forms an inseparable part of their cultural identity and inheritance, with wine and vines frequently evoked in Georgian oral traditions and songs.   

VIDEO: SLOW WINE DOKU - Orange Wines & Natural Wines mit Egon Berger

Wollten Sie schon immer wissen wie Natural Wines & Orange Wines gemacht werden? Warum sind diese Weine so anders, sogar gesund und wie vor tausenden Jahren produziert? 7 Österreichische, biodynamische und Demeter Winzer zeigen den Anbau, biodynamische Präparate, Ernte, Verkostung und lüften Details. Die Weine wurden im Labor auf Ihre Inhaltsstoffe untersucht und der Szenewirt Paul Bodner - Glacis Beisl Wien hat die meisten Positionen an Natural Wines in Österreich auf der Karte - warum will er keine konventionellen Weine mehr an seine Gäste ausschenken? Spannende 25 min vermitteln Ihnen ein Komplettwissen, was es mit diesen trendigen Weinen auf sich hat.

Auftraggeber
Egon J. Berger / Mister Orange
www.orange-wine.net
Import & Vertrieb von Orange & Natural Wines in Österreich
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/berger.egon

Produzent, Filmproduktion, Regie, Schnitt
Pedro Hofmann
VISUAL ACT e.U.
www.visual-act.com
first assistant und unverzichtbarer Filmkollege von Pedro Hofmann
Robert Reithofer
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/robert.reithofer.3

Mitwirkende Österreichische Winzer:

Birgit Braunstein / Phurbach, Burgenland
www.weingut-braunstein.at

Andreas Gsellmann / Gols, Burgenland
www.gsellmann.at

Matthias Hager / Mollands, Kampthal
www.hagermatthias.at

Werner Michlits - MEINKLANG / Pamhagen, Burgenland
www.meinklang.at

Sepp Muster / Leutschach, Südsteiermark
www.weingutmuster.com

Georg Schmelzer - Schmelzers Weingut / Gols, Burgenland
www.schmelzer.at

Ewald Tscheppe - Weingut Werlitsch / Leutschach, Südsteiermark
www.werlitsch.com

#GEORGIANWINE: "Zero Compromise" will be a tasting of natural wines in Tbilisi on May 12. (hvino.com) via @Wine_of_Georgia

(hvino.com) "Zero Compromise" will be a tasting of natural wines in Tbilisi presented by the growers themselves, kicking off at 11 AM on the 12-th of May and continuing to 5 PM.

The wine show will be hosted by 3 natural wine venues - Ghvino Underground   ▼Map, Poliphonia ▼Map , and Azarphesha ▼Map - all within walking distance from one another. Small snacks will be served by all three of these unique restaurants.

"It's the best opportunity for both professionals and the public to get acquainted with the people, traditions, and flavours of Georgian natural wine", - explained John Wurdeman, well-known winemaker and one of the event's organizers. "The cost is 25 lari and for this you get a map of how to find the venues, list of which growers are where, a glass with "Zero Compromise" logo, access to all the wines, and small bites of food from some of the best kitchens in Tbilisi", - said Mr. Wurdeman.

To see the full list of participating winemakers, click on the event's poster to enlarge.

25 gel includes: a wine glass, light Food, loads of wine and an opportunity to meet the growers

Mit Pheasant's Tears Winery, ალექსი ციხელიშვილი,  Iago Bitarishvili, ოქროღვინო - OKRO's Wines ოქროსთან, კორტავების მარანი kortavebis marani, Kerovani Winery, Vino Martville / ვინო მარტვილე, Keti Ninidze, Gogita Makaridze, Amiran Vefxvadze, Simon Chkheidze Wine Cellar/სიმონ ჩხეიძის მარანი, Mariam Iosebidze, Nebi - Aslanishvili Winery, Mzis Tvali, Fredericus Secundus, Do Re Mi, Gotsa Wines, Gotsa Wines, Lagazi Wine Cellar, ლაგაზიძე შოთა, Guja Goderdzishvili, ღვინო ნაოტარი • Naotari Wines, Papari Valley, Giorgi Ghvardzelashvili, Archil Guniava Wine Cellar, Giorgi Kemertelidze, Gaioz Sopromadze Wine Cellar გაიოზ სოფრომაძის მარანი, Gaioz Sopromadze, Mamuka Kikvadze, Dasabami Dasabami, Antadze wines ანთაძეების მარანი, Riravo • რირავო, Nikalas Marani - ნიკალას მარანი, Jakeli Wines, Kakha Berishvili, Chvenigvino Our Wine, Merab Matiashvili, Alapiani's Marani / ალაფიანის მარანი, Nika Bakhia, Junior Marani, Ének Peterson, Ramaz Nikoladze, Iberieli Wine Cellar, Zurab Topuridze, Nika Vacheishvili's Marani, Wine Thieves • • ღვინის ქურდები, Armazi Winery,არმაზის საღვინე, Armazi Distillery არმაზის სახდელი, Paata Bolotashvili, Georgien Wein,

TEDxTbilisi - John Wurdeman - Tradition: How The Ancient Becomes Cutting Edge (tedxtbilisi.com)

(tedxtbilisi.com) John Wurdeman discusses his life's journey seeking out traditional folk music, dance and ways of life and argues that children of more "closed" cultures have more freedom of expression, and in the "freer" world often creativity is limited.

John Wurdeman was born in 1975 into a family of artists in Santa Fe, New Mexico and is himself an artist and painter. He studied painting at the Maryland Institute of Art in 1991 and completed his graduate studies in painting at the Surikov Institute in Moscow in 1998. His works have been exhibited worldwide and form part of multiple museum collections.

John is also an avid ethnographer and has conducted fieldwork in Georgia, collecting Georgian folk music and songs, ceramics, carpets and kilns since 1995. He has given lectures on Georgian ethnography at Princeton, Yale, Cornell, and other prestigious educational institutions.

In 2007, John co-founded Pheasants Tears, a boutique winery focused on traditional Georgian grape varietals and qvevri wine-making methods. His wines are currently available in 10 countries and have become popular in Georgia as well. He also started a side wine tourism business, sharing his love for Georgian wine, food, and music with others.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

#GEORGIANWINE: Georgia: The Land Where Wine Was Born. Documentary by Isabelle Legeron

Georgia - The Land Where Wine Was Born!

Isabelle first became interested in Georgia when she tasted Prince Makashvili (now renamed 'Our Wine') wines at a Slow Food event in France. She had been interested in wines made in clay pots for a while and knew the technology came from Georgia but had not realised how ubiquitous these ancient pots were in the country or in fact that it was probably in fact in one of these that wine was born some 8000 years ago in the south Caucasus.

A chance meeting in 2008 found her exploring the country and eventually filming a documentary about the dying art of the Qvevri (also spelled Kvevri), which helped raise awareness nationally and internationally about the uniqueness of Georgian wine and the plight of its few remaining artisan potters who were acting as custodians of one of the oldest wine technologies in the world.

The film helped contribute to what eventually became a reversal of fortunes for the dying art. Today Qvevris are not only formally recognized by the UNESCO list of Intangible Heritage of Humanity but many Qvevri-makers around the country now have waiting lists of clients, including Isabelle herself who created 2000 bottles of a natural Georgian orange wine in Kvevri.

THAT CRAZY FRENCH WOMAN in Georgia was broadcast on Travel Channel in 117 countries and 20 languages.

Wine lovers have a lot to thank Georgia for.This is where wine production first began, over 7000 years ago.Archaeological remains suggest that as early as 4000 BC grape juice was being placed in underground clay jars, or Kvevri, to ferment during the winter.

Georgia is a land famed for its natural bounty. These days there are over 500 species of grape in Georgia, a greater diversity than anywhere else in the world, with around 40 of these grape varieties being used in commercial wine production.

The vine is central to Georgian culture and tightly bound to their religious heritage. It is common for families throughout Georgia to grow their own grapes and produce wine. Feasting and hospitality are central pillars of Georgian culture, and traditional banquets are presided over by a toastmaster, or Tamada, who proposes numerous toasts throughout the meal, and ensures the wine flows liberally.

more: www.isabellelegeron.com @isabellelegeron

WINE: An Evening of Georgian Wine to be Held in Berlin on 7th August

As part of the the Georgian Culture Days, an evening will be devoted to Georgian wine on August 7 and hosted by Malkhaz Kharbedia, President of the Wine Club of Georgia. He will be talking about the history of Georgian wine, the traditional methods of qvevri winemaking, the current state of Georgian viniculture and other topics. The presentation will be followed by a tasting event as the guests will sample and describe 10 Georgian wines of different styles. The movie by Merab Kokochashvili – “The cradle of wine,” will close the evening program.

more here: georgien.blogspot.de

Malkhaz Kharbedia's blog

Malkhaz Kharbedia [facebook.com] 

2012 Georgian Wine Guide by Malkhaz Kharbedia

FOOD & WINE: Georgian Wine Guide 2013. By Malkhaz Kharbedia - President of the Georgian Wine Club (en.vinoge.com) 

Malkhaz Kharbedia: Nostalgic image of Georgian wines of soviet era should come to an end in Russia 

UNESCO-WORLDHERRITAGE: Ancient Georgian traditional Qvevri wine-making method (unesco.org)

Florian Mühlfried in facebook: Fantastic!! Georgian kvevri-winemaking declared as intangible cultural heritage! Now let's see what this does to the quality of the wine. And what kind of oportunities it offers to research projects.

(unesco.org) Qvevri wine-making takes its name from the distinctive egg-shaped earthenware vessel - the Qvevri - in which wine is fermented and stored in villages and towns throughout Georgia. The tradition plays a vital role in everyday life and celebrations, and forms an inseparable part of the cultural identity of Georgian communities, with wine and vines frequently evoked in Georgian oral traditions and songs. Knowledge of this heritage is passed down by families, neighbours and friends, all of whom join in the communal harvesting and wine-making activities.

Place/country: Georgia,
Series: 2013 inscriptions on the Representative List/Inscriptions 2013 sur la Liste représentative,
Type: Documentary
Duration: 00:09:59
Author/director: Mr. Merab Kokochashvili,
Publisher/producer: Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia,
Published in: 2013