Overview

Under Soviet rule, the country of Georgia was known as the Republic of Georgia. The country achieved independence in April 1991. The correct name to use for the country today is “Georgia” or “the country of Georgia.”

In 2008, the Russian government illegally took over two regions of Georgia: Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Both are widely recognized internationally as integral parts of Georgia. Together, these two regions represent 20% of Georgia’s recognized territory. Russia now illegally occupies 20% of Georgian land and continues to illegally advance the “border” meter by meter. When referencing Abkhazia and South Ossetia today, do not refer to them as “breakaway” territories, as they are illegally occupied territories.

The Georgian Law on Occupied Territories of Georgia, adopted in 2008, criminalizes and prosecutes entry into Abkhazia and South Ossetia from the Russian side without special permission. Georgia and several members of the international community—including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Japan, Israel, Australia, China, Italy, France, Brazil, Ukraine, the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Council of Europe, and the United Nations—have recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as occupied territories and have condemned the Russian military presence and actions there.

Current scholarship considers Georgia the birthplace of wine. In 2015 in southeast Georgia, archaeologists discovered clay vessels (qvevri) containing the residue of cultivated grape seeds. Using archaeological, archaeobotanical, climatic, and chemical methods, researchers dated these artifacts to 6000 BCE. A resulting report, “Early Neolithic Wine of Georgia in the South Caucasus,” was published in November 2017 by the National Academy of Sciences (U.S.A.).

The Georgian Law on Occupied Territories of Georgia, adopted in 2008, criminalizes and prosecutes entry into Abkhazia and South Ossetia from the Russian side without special permission. Georgia and several members of the international community—including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Japan, Israel, Australia, China, Italy, France, Brazil, Ukraine, the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Council of Europe, and the United Nations—have recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as occupied territories and have condemned the Russian military presence and actions there.

Georgians have made wine in egg-shaped clay vessels called qvevri continuously for 8,000 years. These large tapered vessels—often 1,000 or more liters—are buried underground to keep temperatures constant during fermentation and aging. Using the traditional method, winemakers ferment the juice and skins together. Skin contact turns what would otherwise be white wines into amber wines with tannins. Winemakers use qvevri to ferment red grapes as well as white.

Qvevri are still made by hand by Georgia’s master qvevri-making families. With the rising popularity of amber and natural wines, the demand for qvevri is on the rise in Georgia and internationally. In 2013, the United Nations added qvevri winemaking to the UNESCO list as "Humanity’s Intangible Cultural Heritage".

In 2021, qvevri was granted Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status. This PGI status legally established Georgia as the place of origin as well as codifies its shape, capacity, raw materials, and production method.