Add organization

What is amber wine in Georgia?

Amber wines and the qvevri.

Answered at: Checked at:

Short answer

The Georgian Law on Vine and Wine divides wines by colour into white, amber, rosé and red. The law defines qvevri wine separately: it is fermented and aged in qvevri at least until 31 December after pressing. The law gives no separate definition of amber wine.

Wine shops and wine bars of Georgia faq-cover-wine-and-alcohol.png

Why

  1. The Law on Vine and Wine (Article 14) divides wines by colour into white, amber, rosé and red.
  2. The same law (Article 3) defines qvevri wine as wine fermented and aged in qvevri at least until 31 December after pressing, on full or partial pulp.
  3. The qvevri is an egg-shaped earthenware vessel for making, ageing and storing wine: the juice is poured in with skins, stalks and pips, then it is sealed and buried, and the wine ferments for five to six months.

Details

Article 14 of the law divides wines by colour into four categories: white, amber, rosé and red. Under Article 3, qvevri wine is wine fermented and aged in qvevri at least until 31 December after pressing, on full or partial pulp. The law gives no definition of amber wine by colour or by method. For the vessel itself, see what a qvevri is.

Tip

When choosing a bottle, read the label for the colour category and how the wine was made: the producer may mention qvevri.

What may differ

The law does not define amber wine by colour or by method, so ask the producer how the wine is made.

Common misconception

Qvevri wine is a recent fashion.

What actually happens

No. A qvevri 8,000 years old has been found, and the qvevri winemaking method is on UNESCO's intangible heritage list.

People also ask

  • What is amber wine?
  • What is orange wine in Georgia?

Sources

This answer is for reference. The law names amber wines as a colour category but does not define them; only qvevri wine is defined.

Wine shops and wine bars of Georgia

  • What is the horn Georgians drink wine from called?

    The drinking horn in Georgia is called a kantsi; it is made of animal horn, and the richer ones are decorated with gold and silver.

    Checked at:

  • How many Georgian wines have a protected designation of origin?

    On 11 November 2026 Georgia has 33 protected designations of origin (PDO) for wine.

    Checked at:

  • What is Bolnisi wine?

    Bolnisi is a protected designation of origin for dry white, amber, red and rosé wines from the Bolnisi micro-zone in the south of Kvemo Kartli.

    Checked at:

  • What is Tsarapi wine?

    Tsarapi is a protected designation of origin for dry amber wine from Rkatsiteli, from the Tsarapi micro-zone inside the Kardenakhi micro-zone in the Gurjaani region of Kakheti.

    Checked at:
Help