The Committee

1. Takes note that Georgia has nominated Ancient Georgian traditional Qvevri wine-making method (No. 00870) for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:

Qvevri wine-making is practised throughout Georgia, particularly in village communities where unique varieties of grapes are grown. The Qvevri is an egg-shaped earthenware vessel used for making, ageing and storing the wine. Knowledge and experience of Qvevri manufacture and wine-making are passed down by families, neighbours, friends and relatives, all of whom join in communal harvesting and wine-making activities. Children learn how to tend the vines, press grapes, ferment wine, collect clay and make and fire Qvevris through observing their elders. The wine-making process involves pressing the grapes and then pouring the juice, grape skins, stalks and pips into the Qvevri, which is sealed and buried in the ground so that the wine can ferment for five to six months before being drunk. Most farmers and city dwellers use this method of making wine. Wine plays a vital role in everyday life and in the celebration of secular and religious events and rituals. Wine cellars are still considered the holiest place in the family home. The tradition of Qvevri wine-making defines the lifestyle of local communities and forms an inseparable part of their cultural identity and inheritance, with wine and vines frequently evoked in Georgian oral traditions and songs.

1. Decides that, from the information included in the file, the nomination satisfies the following criteria for inscription on the Representative List:

R.1:   The knowledge and skills associated with making both wine and the Qvevri jars are widely practised and transmitted informally from generation to generation; ingrained in the everyday life of Georgians, they maintain social and religious significance;

R.2:   Its inscription on the Representative List could contribute to promoting awareness of the intangible cultural heritage through attention to traditional wine-making practices and associated skills and rituals;

R.3:   Past, current and proposed safeguarding measures focus on the improvement of legal frameworks, promotion, transmission, and education; the commitment of the communities and the support of the State Party are clearly demonstrated;

R.4:   Communities, non-governmental organizations and local authorities participated actively in the nomination process and the communities provided their free, prior and informed consent;

R.5:   Traditional Qvevri wine-making was included in 2012 in the national register of intangible cultural heritage, maintained under the responsibility of the Ministry of Culture and Monuments Protection and updated regularly in consultation with the National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation;

2. Inscribes Ancient Georgian traditional Qvevri wine-making method on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity;
3. Recalls the necessity to take care when elaborating nominations to avoid geographic references that might inadvertently diminish mutual respect among communities, groups and individuals or impede dialogue.