Wine and Georgian

drink and lunch after mass

Georgians are proud of their 7000 years (or some said 8000 years) wine making history, probably the first wine making country in the entire world. Every family have their own homemade wine and chacha (hard alcohol made with stems and skins of grapes or local fruits sometimes). These homemade wine and chacha could be wild and raw, but you may find really good ones if you are lucky. The thing is, they don’t really need good wine with the way they drink. If they are having a feast or gathering, named as ‘supra’, guests gathered at a long table, with a toastmaster, or ‘Tamada’ saying a poem, or toast with a long speech every time and drink bottom up after each toast, then accompany with a piece of bread or grilled meat or for chacha or vodka, accompanying a sip of water or soft drink. And that could go on all night. We only saw them gathered in a restaurant having such big feast and unluckily haven’t been to one at home during our month stay in Georgia.

home-made chacha distillation

home cellar in Kutaisi

Georgians are very generous about alcohol too. Many a time, we were walking down the street, bumped into some gathering, usually guys, in a flee market, a wedding preparation, a construction site, or even in front of a grave, we were invited to join and were offered chacha or homemade wine. Once, in Kutaisi, we even got a whole two liter of wine when we were passing someone’s garden. All I could say is, Georgians are extremely hospitable. We are told that it’s normal for a Georgian man to drink 10 litres of alcohol for one evening!