Glossary

chacha
Georgian brandy or grappa, made from grape pomace: Georgia’s national liquor; also, grape skins

churi
A western Georgian term sometimes used for qvevri

gaumarjos
The word Georgians used to say “cheers” when toasting; literally, “to victory”

ghvino (or gvino)
The Georgian word for wine

klerti
Grape stems

madloba
Thank you

maghlari
An ancient Georgian cultivation method in which grapevines are trained to grow up tree trunks; literally, “raised”

marani
A Georgian wine cellar

orgo
A qvevri lid: traditionally made of wood or stone, now commonly glass or metal

qvevri
Georgia’s ancient winemaking vessel: egg-shaped, made of terra-cotta clay, commonly up to 1,500 liters in capacity, buried in the ground for natural temperature control

Rkatsiteli
Georgia’s most prominent white grape variety

Saperavi
Georgia’s most prominent red grape variety; a teinturier grape that yields dark red wines

satsnakheli
A traditional trough-shaped winepress made from a hollowed-out log or carved from stone

supra
An extravagant, multi-course feast in which the table is covered with dishes; literally, “tablecloth”

tamada
The toastmaster at a Georgian feast

teinturier
A type of red grape that has red pulp, or flesh, in addition to red skins; Saperavi is a teinturier grape