🍇 Summer Sips Around the World: The Ancient Wine Culture of Georgia 🇬🇪

Wine is more than just a drink: it’s a story, a connection, and a celebration of culture. This summer, we’re traveling (by glass) around the world to explore how wine has shaped the history and hearts of different regions. Today, we journey to one of the oldest winemaking cultures on Earth: Georgia.

The Cradle of Wine

Archaeologists have traced winemaking in Georgia back over 8,000 years, making it the birthplace of wine. Nestled between the Caucasus Mountains and the Black Sea, Georgia’s natural environment, rich soil, high-altitude vineyards, and diverse microclimates makes it an ideal location for viticulture. In fact, the Georgian word for wine, gvino, is believed to be the root of the word wine in many languages.

Qvevri: Tradition in Clay

One of the most fascinating elements of Georgian winemaking is their use of qvevri: large clay vessels buried underground to ferment and age wine. This method is so unique and culturally significant that it’s been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Unlike steel tanks or oak barrels, qvevri allow for natural temperature control and micro-oxygenation, resulting in earthy, complex wines with depth and soul.

Amber Wine: The Original Orange

Georgia is also known for its amber wines (sometimes called orange wines). These are white wines made using red wine techniques, fermenting the juice with grape skins and seeds. The result is a bold, structured, tannic white wine with a rich amber hue and flavors of dried fruit, nuts, and spices. If you’ve never tried amber wine, Georgia is the place to start.

Wine as a Way of Life

In Georgia, wine is deeply woven into everyday life. Every celebration: births, weddings, holidays features supra, a traditional feast led by a tamada (toastmaster), where wine flows freely and toasts can last for hours. Toasts in Georgia are more like stories or fables. But even outside celebrations, sharing wine is a sign of hospitality and kinship. It’s not uncommon for Georgians to greet guests with homemade wine and stories that stretch back generations.

What We Can Learn from Georgia

At Tierra Luna Cellars, we’re inspired by the way Georgians honor their winemaking past while continuing to innovate and share their traditions with the world. There’s something powerful about drinking wine that carries the weight of centuries and yet still brings people together in the here and now.

As you enjoy your next glass of Nova Stella or Stella Z, take a moment to reflect on the global story of wine. Whether it’s fermented in stainless steel or buried in clay, wine always brings us closer to the land, to our history, and to each other.

Let’s Try It Together 🍷📖

Pick up a glass of Tierra Luna wine (maybe our bold Cuatro Stellas or crisp Nova Stella) and join us in the Georgian tradition of toast-storytelling. In Georgia, every toast is more than a clink of glasses; it’s a mini-story, a reflection on life, love, or legacy. So let’s raise our glasses and try it together:

“Let me tell you a story,” the tamada might begin. “Once, a vine grew alone on a rocky hill, battered by wind and sun. Others said it wouldn’t survive. But it dug deep, held strong, and one day bore the sweetest fruit. That vine is like the people at this table: rooted, resilient, and full of potential. So I toast to strength in adversity, and to the sweet rewards of patience. Gaumarjos!”

At Tierra Luna, we believe every bottle carries a story of earth, of effort, of family. So tonight, tell a story with your toast. And make it count.