Science-based Georgian Qvevri winemaking technology.
Qvevri, or kvevri as the name is also written, are large, egg-shaped terracotta clay pots used for the fermentation and maturation of wine. Grapes are partially pressed before they enter qvevri for fermentation. Depending on the climate of the region, skins and stems may also be included Fermentation begins after a few days and continues for anywhere between two and four weeks until the solid mass of skins and stems, or cap, sinks from the surface of fermenting juice. During fermentation, this cap is “punched down” twice daily to increase its impact on wine. Once the cap finally falls, the skins and stems are removed for red wines, while whites are left in contact. At this point, qvevri are covered with stone lids, and malolactic fermentation, the process in which tart-tasting malic acid is converted to softer-tasting lactic acid, begins soon after. Wines are left to mature for around six months, during which time lees and solids fall into a section at the base of the vessel where their contact (and impact) is minimal. At the end of the process, wine is transferred to a freshly cleaned qvevri or another storage vessel until bottling. Occasionally, it is bottled right away.
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