Quevri

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According to the Herakles story, Eurystheus hid in a clay jar
An ancient ornate Qvevri for above-ground installation in a building, Georgian National Museum, Tbilisi
In the foreground an empty and in the background several clay amphorae buried in the ground for the production of amphora wine.
Opening of a Quevri in a large cellar
Traditional brush for cleaning the quevri

The Quevri , also Kwewri , (from Georgian ქვევრი = " amphora ") is a clay vessel for the traditional expansion of dry Georgian wines . The term amphora is basically not applicable to a Quevri, as the two typical handles are missing, and it is not used for transport, but only for storage. Historically speaking, the production of wine in the Quevri is the world's oldest form of winemaking . This form of wine production used to be widespread and there are many archaeological finds of the Roman equivalent under the name Dolium . Quevris is available in different sizes, starting from approx. 10 liters for domestic use up to over 4000 liters. The large winegrowers mostly use Quevris up to about 2000 liters.

Georgian traditional viticulture in the Quevri was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013 . Outside Georgia , this process is used again today in some mostly biodynamic farms.

Quevri production

To date, the availability of suitable quevris is an important factor in the production of amphora wine. There are few people in Georgia who make Quevris. The background is the history of Georgia during the Soviet Union . At that time, wine production was one-sidedly geared towards mass production and the specific cultivation of Georgian wine culture was hardly given any attention. As a result, the craft of the Quevri potter has almost died out. Individual initiatives try to get young people excited about this craft regardless of their origin. The still existing Quevri potters are ready to pass their knowledge on to young people, so that all the knowledge of this traditional craft does not die with the old men. The Quevris are made by hand from clay in a process lasting several days, then burned and then impregnated with beeswax to seal the inside.

Wine production in Quevris

The Georgian region of Kakheti is the focal point of the Georgian wine industry . Kakheti wines are produced in the European style in steel tanks and oak barrels, as well as in the traditional Kakheti style in Quevris. According to the state of archaeological finds, the expansion in the Kakheti style is probably the oldest form of expansion in the world. The traditional method of expansion has been used in Georgia since ancient times.

Quevris are buried in the ground and filled with crushed grapes along with the skins, seeds and stems and sealed. The product is stored for months under constant temperatures and largely without oxygen and undergoes a must fermentation . The seal against oxygen supply from above is traditionally achieved with wood ash and birch tar . In addition, a layer of sand can be applied over it, which is kept moist for cooling. Burying it in the ground is a simple method of fermenting the wine at almost constant temperatures. Since a Quevri is buried in the ground, hardly any oxygen penetrates the wine through the pores of the amphora; only micro-oxidation takes place, which is positive for the maturation of the wine. The must fermentation and little oxygen have a significant effect on the taste. In this way, additional tannins and polyphenols are released into the wine, making it very long and full-bodied. This requires a great deal of experience, since the ingredients of the solid components would cause an unfavorable taste if they were not sufficiently ripe.

The place where the Quevris are buried is called "Marani" (მარანი) in Georgian . It can be outdoors or in a building. The location, soil moisture and depth of the Marani influence both the fermentation temperature and the maturation of the wine. At the time of the Soviet Union, this very elaborate method was only used for wine for personal consumption or the black market. Today there are some companies that produce and export their wine using this old, traditional method. The amphora wine in the Kakhetian style is characterized not only by its taste characteristics, which differ greatly from European wine, but also by a higher content of polyphenols.

Mash-fermented white wines have a recognizable orange tone and are slightly cloudy and are also known as orange wine . Mash-fermented Rotweise are also slightly cloudy. After pressing, the mash remains are usually used a second time for the production of chacha , a pomace brandy.

→ see also: Traditional winemaking in Georgia

Definition of terms, organic wine

The terms "Quevri wine" (general), "amphora wine", "Quevri wine in the Kakheti style" are often used in the same context. These wines currently differ considerably depending on the grape variety, philosophy and geographical location of the manufacturers and they take a lot of getting used to for consumers who are at home in European wine culture.

There is no regulation for this wine category in the EU. It cannot be put on the market as a quality wine , but only as a wine (previously table wine). Quevri wine (or the terms listed above) can only be designated as "organic or eco-wine" if it has been produced in a registered ( ecological cultivation association ) and controlled "organic-biological" or " biodynamic " winery. Since “Quevri wine” is a particularly old method of aging, this method is used by some manufacturers of “biodynamic wines”.

See also

Web links

Commons : Quevris  - collection of images, videos and audio files

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  1. ↑ Hugh Johnson: Hugh Johnson's Wine History , Hallwag Verlag, 1989, p 14, ISBN 3-444-10370-0
  2. ↑ G. Binder, S. Ghvanidze: "Georgiens Weinwirtschaft im Umbruch", German Viticulture Yearbook 2012, Verlag Ulmer Stuttgart, ISBN 978-3-8001-7678-6 , pp. 170-184.
  3. ↑ https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/ancient-georgian-traditional-qvevri-wine-making-method-00870
  4. ↑ generation of clay amphoras in Georgia | Page about the making of Quevris
  5. ↑ e.g. kvevri.org
  6. ↑ Robert Steidl: Amphorae Wines - yesterday and today , lecture at the symposium of the Association of Austrian Oenologists and Wine Researchers Orange & Co - new wines inspire consumers - do they inspire experts too ?, December 13, 2013, Competence Center Viticulture of the Higher Education Institute and Federal Office for Wine - and fruit growing, Klosterneuburg
  7. ↑ Hugh Johnson: Hugh Johnson's Wine History , Hallwag Verlag, 1989, p 14, ISBN 3-444-10370-0
  8. ↑ Robert Steidl: Amphorae Wines - yesterday and today , lecture at the symposium of the Association of Austrian Oenologists and Wine Researchers Orange & Co - new wines inspire consumers - do they inspire experts too ?, December 13, 2013, Competence Center Viticulture of the Higher Education Institute and Federal Office for Wine - and fruit growing, Klosterneuburg
  9. ↑ Nina Prasnikar: Study on the composition of commercial orange wines , lecture at the symposium of the Association of Austrian Oenologists and Wine Researchers Orange & Co - new wines inspire consumers - do they inspire experts too ?, December 13, 2013, Competence Center for Viticulture of the Higher Education Institute and Federal Office for viticulture and fruit growing, Klosterneuburg