Study on Georgian winemaking. Focus on Qvevri wines. Professional Internship Report

Vinifera Euromaster - European Master in Viticulture and Oenology Engineering / Instituto Superior de Agronomia. Universidade de Lisboa /EMaVE

The following Professional Internship Report, within the MSc. in Viticulture and Enology (Vinifera EuroMaster), concerns a professional internship developed on the topic of Georgian winemaking, with focus on Qvevri wines, supported by Erasmus+ traineeships programme. During the internship period, from March to June 2020, the practical work was carried out at several wineries located in Georgia. The report aims to present the observations and conclusions regarding: (1) Georgian wine and viticulture sector; (2) research on Georgian wine oenological and chemical profile; (3) current position of the Georgian wine sector on the market. Archeological excavations traced the first wine evidences to Georgia, in 6000 B.C., positioning the country as the “cradle of wine”. The use of qvevris, Kakhetian winemaking method, the 525 grape varieties collection, has attracted attention on Georgian wine sector. Despite the growing interest, there are few studies researching particularities of Georgian wines. According to the scientific literature, compared to the conventional wines, the red qvevri wines have a similar total phenolic content, while the white qvevri wines, due to the prolonged skin maceration of up to 6 months, have 5-10 times greater total phenolic content. The mineral composition of the qvevri wines is within the normal range of values. Regarding the classical oenological parameters, the only unusual observations are recorded for the high pH values. The Georgian wine sector is passing through a period of adaptation and modernization. In the last years, it was recorded an increase in production and export. The wine production increased 2.3 times from 2010 until 2019, and in the first 9 months of 2019, 65.2 million bottles of wine have been exported to 53 countries. Georgian wines represent both a product seeked by wine enthusiasts and a model that could provide valuable insight regarding the potential of national grape varieties and winemaking practices

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