Qvevri Obtains Status of Protected Indication of Origin

Qvevri has obtained the status of a protected indication of origin. Qvevri is the first nonfood product registered in the State Registry of Indication of Origin, the Agriculture Ministry of Georgia reports.

Mindia Davitadze, head of Sakpatenti, the national center for the protection of intellectual property, has transmitted the due certificate to the Agriculture Minister of Georgia Leval Davitashvili.

“Qvevri wines gain momentum both in Georgia and abroad and this product attracts more interest. Therefore, Qvevri that shapes the different quality wines requires more attention. UNESCO’s recognition has increased our responsibility. The Government of Georgia has provided a huge job for popularizing Qvevri wines. The Government has created the standard of Qvevri based on historical memory and heritage. We have tightly cooperated with SakPatenti and Qvevri has become the first nonfood product in Georgia that has obtained the status of indication of origin. This decision will wider popularize Qvevri wines both in Georgia and foreign countries”, Levan Davitashvili noted. Noteworthy that in 2013 UNESCO recognized the Georgian traditional methods of making wines in Qvevri as the monument of intangible cultural heritage.

The registration data comprise detailed information on Qvevri shapes, sizes, dimensions, raw materials for production, the technology of production of Qvevri, and other properties. Protection of the mentioned specifications is an additional step for improving the quality of Georgian wines. Today, almost all Georgian winemaking companies produce Qvevri wines and the ratio of Qvevri wines in total wine exports grows from year to year. At this stage, various winemakers make wines at Georgian Qvevri in Italy, the USA, France, Spain, Japan, Slovenia, and other countries.