In the land of wine - "Vaktanguri"

Georgians have a special method for producing wine, which takes place in stone vessels. Its preservation is done in terracotta jars buried in the ground. Even today many houses in the country have a wine cellar - the so-called "marani" - with grape presses and terracotta jars placed underground. These wine jars are called "kvevri" and are protected only by the stone tiles with which they are sealed. Unlike the European method of wine production, which involves separating the grape juice after pressing, Georgians keep the juice and the grapes together for some time before separation. This is what gives Georgian wine its aroma and its special strength. Wine is an inseparable part of the traditional Georgian feast. At the Georgian table the toasts are made by the head of the table, or "tamada", and the wine is drunk from terracotta cups or from horns called "kantsi".

It is impossible not to finish the glass at every toast, and one must also say a few words of circumstance related to the theme of the proposed toast. Folk songs are also frequently sung at the table. For the most important toasts, called Vaktanguri after the name of a Georgian king, goat or cow horns are used and one can even drink a litre of wine in a single toast. Beware those suffering from cirrhosis!!!!!! The main wine-growing regions are Kakheti in eastern Georgia and the province of Imereti, where you can taste the different wines.