London Qvevri Wine Festival 2019 to take place in October
By Mariam Chanishvili
Monday, September 30
UK wine importers are presenting their products in London for the second time at London Qvevri Wine Festival 2019, which will take place on October 19.
UK Importers of Georgian wine presenting the wines at the festival: Taste of Georgia, GvinoUK, 8000 Vintages, and Proper Natural Wine.
While enjoying Georgian wine and traditional cuisine, the guests will have an opportunity to enjoy a live performance of Georgian dance and plenty of information about Georgia, its ancient traditions of winemaking, culinary culture and the unconditional hospitality.
Guests will have a chance to purchase/order wines at discounted prices directly from the importers, Georgian delicatessen from the Georgian caterers and books about Georgian wine and cookery from the author Anna Saldadze - Apricate Books.
Sarah Abbott MW will offer a master class for those who would like to learn in-depth about Qvevri wines.
Georgia has a winemaking heritage of 8,000 years. Qvevri wine-making tradition was inscribed in 2013 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The tradition of Qvevri wine-making defines the lifestyle of local communities and forms an inseparable part of their cultural identity and inheritance.
“Qvevri wine-making is practiced throughout Georgia, particularly in village communities where unique varieties of grapes are grown. The Qvevri is an egg-shaped earthenware vessel used for making, aging and storing wine. Knowledge and experience of Qvevri manufacture and wine-making are passed down by families, neighbors, friends, and relatives, all of whom join in communal harvesting and wine-making activities,” reads the information provided by UNESCO International Cultural Heritage.
Gradually, Georgian wine is becoming more available in the UK, not just from excellent specialist importers, but also from high-street names including Marks and Spencer, and Waitrose.
The National Wine Agency of Georgia was founded ten years ago and has been critical in Georgia’s mission to diversify markets through improved wine quality, and communication. It is responsible for control and certification of wine production quality, promotion of organized vintage conduction as well as the creation of cadastral department registry of vineyards.
