Georgia operates the oldest continuous winemaking tradition archaeologically documented. Pottery shards excavated in Kvemo Kartli and Kakheti between 2012 and 2017 contain tartaric acid residues carbon-dated to 6000 BCE. This predates the next oldest evidence from Iran by approximately 600 years. The qvevri method defines Georgian wine production. Winemakers ferment grapes in large clay vessels buried underground. A typical qvevri holds 300 to 3,000 liters and maintains temperatures between 14 and 18 degrees Celsius year-round due to earth insulation. The vessels cure with beeswax interiors before use. Georgian vintners ferment white grapes with full skin contact for three to six months, producing amber wines with tannin structures resembling reds. This technique disappeared from European winemaking by the 17th century but continued uninterrupted in Georgia. UNESCO inscribed qvevri production and wine culture on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2013. Approximately 8,000 families in Kakheti maintain household qvevris. The Alaverdi monastery in Kakheti has produced wine continuously since the 11th century using 30 qvevris holding 900 liters each.
Georgia cultivates 525 indigenous grape varieties according to the National Wine Agency database updated in 2019. Commercial production centers on approximately 50 varieties. Saperavi provides the dominant red grape, grown across 30 percent of vineyard acreage in Kakheti. The name translates to "dye" due to pigmented flesh that produces wines reaching 13.5 to 14.5 percent alcohol. Rkatsiteli covers 43 percent of total vineyard area. This white variety oxidizes minimally and produces both qvevri amber wines and modern steel-tank whites. Mtsvane grows primarily in Kakheti and contributes acidity when blended with Rkatsiteli. Kisi, Khikhvi, and Kakhuri Mtsvivani remain localized to specific Kakhetian microclimates. Western Georgia grows Tsitska, Tsolikouri, and Krakhuna for lighter wines. The Racha region produces Aleksandrouli and Mujuretuli for Khvanchkara, a naturally semi-sweet red that contains 10.5 to 12 percent alcohol and 30 to 80 grams per liter residual sugar. Soviet demand drove Khvanchkara production to 500,000 bottles annually by 1985. Current output reaches approximately 100,000 bottles per year from 400 hectares.
Kakheti produces 70 percent of Georgian wine volume from 43,000 hectares under vine as of 2022 Agricultural Ministry data. The Alazani Valley floor contains the densest plantings between Telavi and Kvareli. Vines grow at 300 to 800 meters elevation on alluvial soils with clay and limestone substrates. The Greater Caucasus range blocks cold northern air while the Gombori ridge separates the valley into distinct zones. Tsinandali subzone near the village of the same name produces wines from Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane that the noble Chavchavadze family commercialized beginning in 1814. Kindzmarauli subzone south of Kvareli grows Saperavi on slopes facing the Caucasus that yield semi-sweet reds through arrested fermentation at 30 to 50 grams per liter sugar. Mukuzani subzone produces dry Saperavi aged minimum three years reaching 12.5 to 13.5 percent alcohol. Napareuli occupies terraces near the Alazani riverbed. Western Imereti produces 15 percent of national volume from Tsitska and Tsolikouri grown on 10,000 hectares. Racha-Lechkhumi accounts for less than one percent of production from 250 hectares but holds protected designation for Khvanchkara and Tvishi. Kartli supplies mass-market wines from 12,000 hectares around Gori and Mtskheta.
The Georgian Wine Association counted 1,370 registered wineries in 2023. Industrial facilities number approximately 40, processing grapes from contracted smallholders. Teliani Valley operates the largest modern winery with 25 million liter capacity in Kakheti. Kindzmarauli Marani produces six million bottles annually in Kvareli. GWS (Georgian Wine and Spirits Company) consolidated several Soviet-era facilities and exports 90 percent of production to former USSR markets. Approximately 200 small wineries opened between 2012 and 2023 focusing on qvevri wines and natural methods. Pheasant's Tears in Sighnaghi established 2007 by American painter John Wurdeman produces 35,000 bottles yearly from 15 hectares using 23 qvevris. Iago's Wine in Chardakhi ferments in 40 qvevris holding 1,200 to 2,500 liters each. Lagvinari near Sighnaghi makes skin-contact wines aged up to eight months in qvevri. Our Wine near Manavi operates from a 16th-century marani (wine cellar) with qvevris installed before 1750. Approximately 50,000 households make wine for home consumption, collectively producing an estimated 50 to 70 million liters annually that never enters commercial channels.
Georgia exported 107.4 million bottles of wine in 2022 according to National Wine Agency figures. Russia received 69.3 million bottles representing 64.5 percent of total exports. Ukraine purchased 8.4 million bottles, China 7.7 million bottles, Poland 4.8 million bottles, Kazakhstan 3.5 million bottles. The 2006 Russian import ban halted exports completely for seven years, forcing diversification to 63 current destination countries. Russia resumed imports in 2013 initially at 12 million bottles, expanding to pre-ban volumes by 2018. Prices average 2.80 to 3.50 USD per bottle wholesale across the Russian market. European Union exports reached 5.2 million bottles in 2022 with Germany, Poland, and Lithuania as primary destinations. Chinese imports grew from 200,000 bottles in 2015 to current levels following targeted marketing that emphasizes the 8,000-year history. Domestic consumption reached approximately 60 million bottles in 2022 from a population of 3.7 million. Per capita consumption approximates 16 bottles annually, though informal production makes accurate measurement difficult.
Chacha serves as Georgian grape pomace spirit distilled after wine pressing. Producers ferment grape skins, seeds, and stems for 30 to 45 days, then distill once or twice to reach 40 to 65 percent alcohol. Industrial chacha accounts for approximately 30 percent of spirits sold domestically. Sarajishvili, established in Tbilisi in 1884, produces the most distributed commercial brand at 40 percent alcohol. Home distillation remains legal and widespread. An estimated 40,000 households operate stills annually, producing 10 to 15 million liters that circulate through informal networks. Village chacha typically reaches 50 to 60 percent alcohol. The Racha region produces chacha from Aleksandrouli and Mujuretuli pomace that locals consider superior due to aromatic grape varieties. Kakheti makes chacha primarily from Saperavi and Rkatsiteli skins. Some producers age chacha in oak barrels for six months to three years, creating a spirit resembling grappa. Villages in Tusheti and Pshavi add local herbs during distillation. The government attempted taxation and regulation of home distillation in 2017 but withdrew proposals after rural opposition.