Georgia – An introduction to the cradle of wine
A true wine lover has surely asked the question before: Where does wine originate?
Countries and cultures have been fighting for the right to call themselves the birthplace of wine for centuries, but archaeologists have found the oldest winemaking facilities in the foothills of the Caucasus mountains, present-day Armenia and Georgia.
The discoveries include grape-pressing basins, fermentation jars, grape seeds, dried vines, and perhaps surprisingly, human blood.
Historians think that the pre-historic people of Transcaucasia, who followed a pagan faith, believed that mixing the “earth’s blood” with that of their own helped them connect with nature. These relics found are 900 years older than the second youngest wine remains found in the tombs of Egypt.
Eight thousand years later, Georgian wine is once again a respected member of the oeno world. The Georgian method of placing the pressed grape juice with the skins and stalks into an egg-shaped clay pot — called the kvevri — and burying it underground for fermentation has been added to the Intangible Cultural Heritage List of UNESCO.
Wine itself is intertwined with Georgian national identity and everyday life. Walking down the cobbled streets of Tbilisi where Persian, Byzantine, and Russian architecture merge with art deco and Soviet-style, every second building is a wine shop offering guided tastings and in-depth explanations of the traditional wine-making methods.
With its Black Sea beaches in the West, Caucasus Mountains in the North, and Kakheti wine region in the East, whether you enjoy a beach break, an adrenaline-filled adventurous hike, or to relax in a wine resort overlooking the vineyards, Georgia caters for all kinds of getaway, and here at SmoothRed we are thrilled to introduce this exciting new destination to you.
Contact the travel team today and we will be happy to design your private journey through Georgia!
