Georgian Wine - National Wine Agency

Qvevri is the first non-food product to be added to the State Register of Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications of Goods. 
The certificate of geographical indication of Qvevri was handed over to the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Levan Davitashvili, by the Chairman of the National Intellectual Property Center of Georgian "Sakpatenti", Mindia Davitadze. "Georgian Qvevri wine is becoming more and more popular both in Georgia and in the international area.  Qvevri, as a product that contributes significantly to the quality of wine, needs more attention. UNESCO recognition has given us more responsibility. The state has done a lot in terms of promotion of Qvevri wine. The Ministry has worked and created the Qvevri standard, that considers the historical memory and heritage we have in this area. We have worked closely with Sakpatenti and Qvevri is the first non-food product in Georgia to have the status of geographical indication. This will further promote Georgian Qvevri wine, both inside and outside the country, ”Levan Davitashvili says.
 It should be noted that in 2013, the Georgian traditional method of Qvevri wine-making was awarded the status of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, which indicates the uniqueness of this method and sends a message to the whole world that wine is an integral part of ancient Georgian culture.
In the registration, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture detailed data - the shape, description, size and capacity, raw materials, production technology and other characteristics of Qvevri, as a clay vessel for winemaking. Adherence to these specifications will be another step towards improvement of the quality of Georgian wine.
"Another name - “Qvevri” has been added to the State Register of Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications of Goods, as a clay wine vessel. The registration procedure was initiated by the Minister, for which I would like to thank him. The registration started last year and passed all the stages successfully,” says Mindia Davitadze.
The protection of the Qvevri as a geographical indication is especially important for Georgia, a country with an 8-thousand-year continuous history of winemaking. Making wine by the Georgian traditional method is connected with the national clay wine vessel - Qvevri. Qvevri-making is another result of the intellect of the Georgian people.
Qvevri wine is produced by almost all Georgian wine companies today, its share in exports is growing from year to year. At this stage, individual winemakers make Qvevri wines in Italy, USA, France, Spain, Japan, Slovenia and other countries.