Qvevri - Ancient Georgian wine vessel decorates UN Geneva office
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Qvevri, a large, ancient Georgian winemaking vessel has today been placed in the courtyard of the United Nations (UN) Geneva office to mark the organisation’s 70th anniversary.
As a gift from Georgia, the vessel will permanently remain in the UN office courtyard with an accompanying signboard giving viewers information about its history and purpose.
Glad that part of #Georgian cultural identity, wine vessel was placed in @UNGeneva as our contribution 2 70th anniv. pic.twitter.com/RcxjTmtaQW
— Mikheil Janelidze (@JanelidzeMkh) March 1, 2016
An official ceremony of placing the qvevri in the yard of the Geneva office was held today. Georgia’s Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze and UN Director General Michael Moller spoke at the event, which was also attended by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius and other guests.
Sunny morning in @UNGeneva's Ariana Park for the donation of the #Qvevri#wine vessel by @GeorgiaGeneva#UNOGCulturepic.twitter.com/bvcjCIthji
— Pascal SIM æ² å¸æ¯å¡å° (@Pascal_Sim) March 1, 2016
"Georgia is a cradle of wine and making wine in a qvevri has an 8,000 year history,” Janelidze told the audience.
A qvevri is a large clay amphora-like vessel that’s traditionally buried in the ground up to its neck, in which wine is fermented and stored in regions of Georgia but especially in Kakheti, east Georgia.
Photo by the Press Office of Georgia's Foreign Minister.
Qvevri wine-making is an ancient Georgian tradition that has been passed down the generations that even today remains widespread around the country.
In 2013 Georgia’s unique traditional method of fermenting wine in qvevri was registered on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list of the UN educational, scientific and cultural organisation (UNESCO).
The qvevri, placed at the Geneva office, was made in one of Georgia’s most famous pottery-making villages, Makatubani.
At today’s event guests sampled Georgian wine and watched a documentary film by Merab Kokochashvili about Georgian winemaking.
Qvevri wine-making is an ancient Georgian tradition that has been passed down the generations that even today remains widespread around Georgia.
A 3D printed Georgian wine-maing vessel, a qvevri, has been shortlisted among the finalists of the Future Agro Challenge global championship. The championship will be held in Thessaloniki, Greece, on September 7-11. Technology entrepreneur, researcher, developer David Mizandari will represent the Georgian team.