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Georgia is officially the birthplace of wine — archaeological evidence from Gadachrili Gora (near Tbilisi) shows continuous wine production for 8,000 years. UNESCO recognizes the qvevri winemaking technique as Intangible Cultural Heritage (2013).
**The qvevri method:** clay vessels (300-3,500 liters) buried in ground. Grapes crushed with stems and skins, fermented in qvevri, sealed, left 6 months. Contact with skins creates deep color and tannins.
**Amber wine:** Georgia's signature — white grapes fermented with skins produce orange/amber wine with tannin structure like red. Rkatsiteli qvevri is the classic — nutty, dry, with a slight astringency.
**Grape varieties (500+ native):**
- **Saperavi** — the great red. Deep, dark, tannic. Kakheti origin.
- **Rkatsiteli** — most planted white. Amber (qvevri) or fresh (steel).
- **Kisi** — aromatic white, apricot and honey notes.
- **Mtsvane** — floral white, "green" in Georgian.
- **Khikhvi** — rare white from Kakheti.
- **Aleksandrouli, Mujuretuli** — Khvanchkara semi-sweet red (Stalin's favorite).
**Wine regions:**
- **Kakheti** (east) — 70% of production. Telavi, Sighnaghi, Kvareli towns.
- **Kartli** — around Tbilisi.
- **Racha-Lechkhumi** — semi-sweet reds.
- **Imereti** — Chkhaveri, different qvevri technique (less skin contact).
**Tastings:** Sighnaghi Bodbe area, Telavi wineries, Alaverdi monastery (still make qvevri). Prices 30-80 GEL per person.
**Chacha:** grape brandy, 40-60% alcohol. Homemade in every family. Never refused.