The Georgian wine vessel -Qvevri – was granted the status of protected geographical indication, another step that highlights and promotes Georgia’s ancient winemaking culture.
Qvevri became the first non-food product to be added to the State Register of Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications by Georgian National Intellectual Property Center Sakpatenti .
“The Government of Georgia has extensively promoted Georgian Qvevri wine. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has created a Qvevri standard that incorporates Georgia’s culture and heritage. We have worked closely with the Georgian National Intellectual Property Center Sakpatenti, and Qvevri became the first non-food product in Georgia to gain this geographical indication. This will further promote Georgian Qvevri wine, both locally and abroad,” said Levan Davitashvili, Minister of Agriculture and Environment Protection of Georgia.
In 2013, the Georgian traditional method of making wine in Qvevri was awarded the status of a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, which indicates the uniqueness of this method and shares a message to the world that the wine is a part of ancient Georgian culture.
The Ministry of Environment and Agriculture has detailed the registration criteria of Qvevri , including raw materials, production technology etc. Adherence to these characteristics will be another step towards improving the quality of Georgian wine.
The protection of Qvevri as a geographical indication is especially important for Georgia, with the oldest 8000-year tradition of winemaking.
Today, Qvevri wines are produced by almost all Georgian wine companies, as the share of Qvevri wines in exports grows rapidly from year to year. Internationally, several individual winemakers produce wine in Georgian Qvevri, including in Italy, the USA, France, Spain, Japan, Slovenia, and other countries.