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Since
ancient times Georgia is considered to be one of
the basic centers of grape-vine occurrence and recognized
as native land of cultural wine growing, that is proved by the
numerous figures of the botanical, archeological, historical and
linguistic surveys conducted. The century-old history of Georgian
winemaking is rather original. During the excavations, conducted
in Mtskheta,were found big clay wine jags, called
"Kvevri" were found, which are used for making
and storing the
wine nowadays as well. The
wine seeds are found in
the graves of bronze epoch. The ceramics that are found at
excavations of graves in Alazani valley
are dated by the first millennium BC, that testifies that
their owners were
engaged in grape growing. There are also found gold, silver and
bronze subjects for storing the wine, referring to the second and
third millenniums BC and found various vessels for
Feast .
The
culture of grape-vine has a great importance in the history of
Georgia. According to a legend, Nino, the illuminatrix of Georgia
who lived in the 4th
century AD, had a cross made of vine branches tied with her own hair.She came to the southern border of Iberia and
holding the cross in her hands stepped onto the Iberian soil. No
other country in the entire Christian world has ever had such an
amazing symbol of vine and faith. For
many centuries no power could separate Georgian peasants from
their vines though that was the purpose of all enemies who had
waged wars against my people throughout its tragic history. Our
historians — ancient chroniclers who recorded events beginning
from that distant time when the Georgian alphabet was created —
wrote, their hearts aching, about the cruelty and ruthlessness of
Oriental satraps and conquerors with which they wanted to destroy
completely the Georgian vine. For them the destruction of the vine
meant the destruction of my people's faith and hope, the
destruction of the nation itself. One has every right to say that
on the many-century route of its existence the Georgian vine had
gone through the same hellish tortures as the entire Georgian
nation in the course of its tragic history. However, this
long-suffering nation had managed to protect and preserve the
vine, to bring it back to life and to bequeath it to its
descendants for perpetual possession. Saying it differently, the
preservation of the vine meant for the Georgian people the
survival of its own courageous spirit and its patriotic and noble
aspirations.
Probably
this boundless love has also created more than 500 sorts of this
blessed culture.
According
to natural conditions in Georgia the certain grades of grapes
were deduced, that are characteristic to several microdistricts. So
the deduced grades in Kakheti are Rkatsiteli, Saperavi and Mcvane,
in Kartli - Goruli Mtsvane and Chinuri, in Imereti - TSitska and
Tsolikauri, in Guria - Chkhaveri, in Samegrelo - Ojaleshi, in
Racha - Aleksandrouli. The diverse natural conditions of grape
areas in Georgia provided an opportunity of making local
original sparkling, dry and strong - sweet wines. The
characters of different wines and technology of their preparation
depend on netural conditions in defferent zones. The essays of the ancient-Greek historians,
geographers and foreign travelers, and also the numerous
recognition at the international and domestic
exhibitions, show, that Georgian wines always had the large
success.
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II
millennium B.C |
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II,
III millennium B.C |
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II
millennium B.C |
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V millennium B.C |
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III
millennium B.C
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III-IV
century
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III
millennium B.C |
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X century |
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