Historic vineyards in southern Georgia giving first harvest after 400 years
The last time when grapes were harvested in Meskheti was in the end of the 16th century. Photo: Vardzia Terraces/Facebook.
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After a 400-year-long break, restored historic terraced vineyards in mountainous Meskheti is giving its first grape harvest.
The last time when grapes were harvested in Meskheti was in the end of the 16th century. Since then the oldest vine varieties and the Meskhetian terraces have been destroyed.
Ancient Meskheti was formerly the home of stonewall terraces meant for vineyards and orchards. The area was famous for its unique grapes that made one of the best wines in the country.
The restoration of Meskhetian terraces began several years ago and covered 23 hectares of land. This was a joint project of the state and private sector and aimed to bring the ancient Meskhetian wine-making tradition back to life.
In 2015 Georgian businessmen Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze and the collector of Meskhetian vine species Giorgi Antadze joined forces to restore the 12th century old terraces which were built during the Queen Tamar era.
In 2016 Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili joined the initiative and planted several unique species of Meskhetian vine on the newly restored terraces.
As of today 12 terraces are being restored where 25 rare and unique vine varieties are planted.
It is planned to build another 11 terraces in Meskheti.
About 155 tonnes of grapes have been picked in Georgia’s western Racha region as of September 30.
The grape harvest continues actively in Georgia’s eastern wine region of Kakheti, where as of today, about 142,000 tonnes of grape have already been processed.
The 2018 grape harvest is in full swing in Georgia’s wine region of Kakheti. This will be the first grape harvest in the last 10 years that has not been subsidised by the state.
The government of Georgia has decided not to subsidise the grape harvest this year, announces the Minister of Environment Protection and Agriculture Levan Davitashvili.
Over 230,000 tonnes of grape have been processed during the grape harvest of 2018 and the income of 22,000 grape growers exceeded over 300 million GEL, announces Agriculture Minister of Georgia Levan Davitashvili, who says this result is a record high.
Wine growers in Georgia will be able to sell grape varieties of Kindzmarauli and Mukuzani during the 2019 grape harvest only if they prove that these grape varieties are really grown and picked in their place of origin.
National Wine Agency Chairman Levan Mekhuzla says that Georgia may face a challenging grape harvest season this year.