Qvevri Skin Contact — Kakhetian Method (5–6 Months with Pomace)

The Kakhetian qvevri method is Georgia's most traditional and distinctive winemaking protocol. Large egg-shaped clay vessels called qvevri (also spelled kvevri) are buried to their necks in the earthen floors of wine cellars called marani, where the stable underground temperature regulates fermentation and aging naturally. White grapes, including skins, stems, and seeds, are crushed and poured directly into the qvevri. The must ferments and then rests on the full pomace for at least five to six months before the wine is drawn off in spring. This unified environment, in which fermentation and extended maceration occur in the same vessel, is unlike any other mainstream white winemaking tradition.

• Qvevri are handcrafted from local clay using coil-building techniques, fired in a kiln, and lined inside with beeswax to aid hygiene while preserving the clay's natural porosity
• Burial to the neck maintains stable underground temperatures, providing natural temperature control that slows fermentation and supports a long, gradual maceration
• The Kakhetian method is distinct from the Imeretian method, which uses only about one-tenth of the pomace and omits stems, producing lighter, less tannic wines
• After the cap falls at the end of alcoholic fermentation, the qvevri is sealed with a stone or wooden lid secured with wet clay, allowing malolactic fermentation to proceed naturally

Grapes are harvested and crushed in a traditional winepress called a satsnakheli, and the must, together with all skins, stems, and seeds, is loaded into the qvevri to roughly three-quarters of its capacity. Fermentation begins within a few days using naturally occurring indigenous yeasts, without added yeasts or chemicals. During the active fermentation phase, which typically lasts two to four weeks, the cap of skins and stems is punched down twice daily to promote extraction. Once the cap sinks, the qvevri is sealed. Malolactic fermentation follows spontaneously. The wine rests on the settled pomace through winter, clarifying slowly, until spring, when the qvevri is opened and the wine is racked into a clean vessel for further aging or bottling.

• Alcoholic fermentation occurs with indigenous wild yeasts and without intervention; the underground temperature slows the process, extending it and preserving aromatic compounds
• Extended contact with skins, seeds, and stems extracts significant phenolic compounds, giving Kakhetian amber wines their characteristic tannin structure and deep color
• Spontaneous malolactic fermentation converts malic acid to softer lactic acid, naturally reducing sharpness and adding textural roundness to the finished wine
• The egg shape of the qvevri causes pomace to settle naturally to the narrow bottom, creating gentle self-clarification without mechanical filtration

Extended pomace contact transforms white grape juice into deep golden to amber-colored wine with a textural weight and tannic grip more commonly associated with red wines. Rkatsiteli, the primary white variety of Kakheti, develops flavors of honey, dried orange peel, apricot, and spice when vinified in qvevri with full skin contact, compared to the crisp green apple and quince character of its European-style counterparts. Mtsvane Kakhuri, often blended with Rkatsiteli, retains floral and stone-fruit aromas even with extended skin contact. Kisi in qvevri reveals ripe pear, marigold, tobacco, and walnut. The oxidative environment created by slow micro-oxygenation through the clay walls and the sealed post-fermentation period imparts almond, hazelnut, and beeswax notes. These wines are structured, age-worthy, and firmly savory rather than fruit-forward.

• Color shifts from pale yellow through golden to deep amber or copper as maceration time increases and phenolic compounds accumulate
• Tannin structure, derived from skins, seeds, and stems, gives the wine a drying finish and the body to partner with rich, spiced, or umami-driven foods
• Rkatsiteli in qvevri shows honey, dried orange peel, spice, and apricot; Kisi develops pear, marigold, tobacco, and walnut character in the same vessel
• The wines are intentionally low in primary fresh fruit aromatics; the sensory goal is richness, structure, oxidative complexity, and longevity

The qvevri method is practiced throughout Georgia but is most closely identified with Kakheti, the eastern region responsible for approximately 70 to 80 percent of the country's total wine production. The Kakhetian method, using full pomace and stems, is the most intensive expression of this tradition and produces the deepest, most tannic, and most age-worthy examples. Outside Kakheti, the Imeretian style uses only a portion of the pomace and omits stems, resulting in lighter-bodied amber wines. Since Georgia's independence in 1991, and especially after the 2013 UNESCO inscription, interest in qvevri winemaking has spread internationally, with producers in Italy, Slovenia, Austria, the United States, and elsewhere adopting the method or variations of it for their local grape varieties.

• Kakheti is home to around 80 recorded grape varieties, with Rkatsiteli and Saperavi dominant; white Kakhetian amber wines are almost exclusively made using the full-pomace qvevri method
• The Imeretian method, practiced in western Georgia, represents a moderate alternative, using roughly one-tenth of the chacha and no stems for a shorter maceration
• Pheasant's Tears, founded in 2007 in Sighnaghi by John Wurdeman and Gela Patalishvili, is among the most internationally recognized artisan producers using the traditional qvevri method in Kakheti
• International producers adopting qvevri techniques often shorten maceration or work without buried vessels, producing results that differ significantly from the traditional Kakhetian style

Pheasant's Tears, founded in 2007 in Sighnaghi in the Kakheti region by American painter John Wurdeman and Georgian winemaker Gela Patalishvili, is one of the most internationally celebrated proponents of traditional qvevri winemaking. The winery grows Rkatsiteli, Saperavi, Kisi, Khikhvi, Mtsvane, and many other indigenous varieties on organic vineyards; all wines ferment and age in qvevri lined with beeswax and buried underground. Schuchmann Wines, based in Kvareli in Kakheti, is another significant producer working with traditional qvevri alongside modern winemaking infrastructure. Georgia is also home to numerous small family marani operations across Kakheti that continue the household winemaking tradition that was quietly preserved even during the Soviet era. The post-Soviet revival since 1991, and the growing global appetite for orange and natural wines, has brought Georgian qvevri amber wines to wine lists and specialist retailers worldwide.

• Pheasant's Tears produces all its wines in qvevri without oak or stainless steel; the Rkatsiteli amber wine shows orange rind, apricot, and blossom flower character
• The Khikhvi variety, among the rarest of Kakheti whites, produces qvevri wines with intense floral aromas and dried yellow fruit notes when given extended skin contact
• Kisi, nearly extinct during the Soviet era, has been revived by several Kakheti producers; in qvevri it develops apricot, orange, honey, spice, and nut character with full body
• Georgia has over 500 indigenous grape varieties, around 40 of which are currently used for commercial production; qvevri winemaking is credited with helping preserve and revive many rare cultivars

Maintaining the traditional qvevri method requires skilled craftspeople, cellar infrastructure, and the patience to work across a cycle that ties up vessels for the better part of a year. The craft of qvevri-making itself is concentrated among a small number of family operations in Kakheti, Imereti, and Guria, and demand for new vessels now comes from both Georgian producers and international winemakers. The Soviet era dealt a significant blow to the tradition, as qvevri production was largely abandoned in favor of industrial tanks; recovery since Georgian independence in 1991 has been substantial but remains ongoing. Modern producers outside Georgia often adapt the method by using concrete eggs or unburied clay vessels, shortening maceration, or adding small amounts of sulfur dioxide, departures that alter the final wine style. The 2021 grant of Protected Geographical Indication status to qvevri as a Georgian vessel further codifies the tradition's identity and origin.

• Qvevri-making is a scarce specialist craft, with production centered on a handful of family-owned workshops in Kakheti, Imereti, and Guria
• In 2021, qvevri were granted Protected Geographical Indication status in Georgia, the first non-food item to receive such recognition, legally establishing Georgia as the vessel's place of origin
• The Soviet industrialization of Georgian wine (1921 to 1991) largely supplanted qvevri with industrial tanks; revival since independence has been driven by artisan producers, the natural wine movement, and international recognition
• International producers adapting qvevri techniques typically work without buried vessels or full-length macerations, producing wines distinct in structure and character from the traditional Kakhetian original