February 24, 2026
Ancient grapes, modern debates
Georgian wine culture dates back, uninterrupted, approximately 8k years
8,000 years of wine, 48 hours of comment chaos: Georgia’s grape flex sparks spicy debate
TLDR: Georgia claims an unbroken 8,000-year wine tradition, including UNESCO-recognized qvevri clay-pot methods. Comments exploded into pride vs. skepticism, EU politics, cross-border rivalry, and a wild anthropology tangent—raising a bigger question: why aren’t these storied wines more visible on global shelves?
Georgia just dropped a vintage mic: its wine culture has been rolling for 8,000 years, from stainless steel tanks to ancient clay pots called qvevri, even earning a UNESCO heritage nod. Lasha Tsatava, a Georgian pro with a shiny WSET diploma (that’s a respected wine qualification), paints a picture of amber wines, buried vessels, and hundreds of native grapes—and the internet promptly uncorked the drama.
Strongest reactions? Pride meets skepticism. One foodie sings the praises of Georgian feasts, while another points out EU political “backsliding” as a buzzkill for wider fame. A Tbilisi fan swears the city is a must-visit but wonders why your local shop doesn’t stock Georgian bottles—cue the “great wine, terrible distribution” chorus. Then an Armenian voice lobs a “maybe this is BS” grenade, igniting a cross-border rivalry that’s as old as, well, wine.
Humor flew fast: someone compared qvevri to a “buried terracotta hot tub for grapes,” and the amber tiers (intro, full-on, combo) got rebranded as difficulty modes for your palate. And the wildest tangent? A commenter veered into ancient anthropology with a hot take about when “white people” became white—sending everyone from sommeliers to historians into spit-take mode. It’s culture, clay, and clapbacks—served room temp.
Key Points
- •Scientific evidence dates Georgian winemaking to 6,000–5,800 BCE, indicating roughly 8,000 years of continuity.
- •Georgia uses both modern vessels (stainless steel, oak) and traditional qvevri for wine production.
- •Qvevri are underground clay vessels; UNESCO recognized the method as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013.
- •Amber wine, made from white grapes fermented on skins in qvevri, is the fastest-growing category in Georgia.
- •Georgia has over 500 indigenous grape varieties, contributing to its distinctive wine diversity.