• A fun fact inspired by a recent Globle answer

• Answers to last week's games

• Sponsorship and survey

The best Georgian wines are 8,000 years old

When you think of the world's first glass of wine, you might envision it being consumed on a Greek island, or at a vineyard in Italy. However, architectural evidence shows grape cultivation and large scale wine production began in Georgia (Globle answer for July 26) as early as 6,000 BC. The word for wine may even come from the Georgian word ghvino.

Stone Age farmers in Gadachrili Gora, near Tbilisi, Georgia, loved grapes, and used their imagery to decorate pottery. Pollen analysis of the hills nearby show evidence of grapes being grown there. We know these grapes weren't just a sweet snack - chemical fingerprints of wine residues have been found in pottery fragments from the area. This, along with the decorations and carbon dating, indicate that the region was host to the world's first winemakers.

Early wines were seasonally made without preservatives, while later wines were made with herbs or pine resin to prevent spoiling and vinegary tastes. The evidence of wine during an age when we still used stone and bone tools tells a story of people who were not just surviving, but experimenting and innovating. 

Georgia is still home to a rich winemaking tradition, with over 500 local grape varieties. Large wine vessels, similar to the early ceramic jars, are still used. These are named qveri, after a Georgian word meaning “that which is buried,” since the jars were stored underground. Modern qveris can store up to 3,500 litres of wine. Larger qveris can even fit a person inside - and that's exactly what winemakers do when it comes time to clean them out.

Georgian winemaking in qveris is recognized as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage legacy. It's a living tradition that still thrives in Georgian villages today, with knowledge handed down across generations through families, friends and neighbours.

Answers to last week's games

Monday, July 22 to Sunday, July 28.

Linxicon

The following are the shortest paths from last week:

• #161 sky -> television -> psychological

• #162 executive -> organisation -> direction -> angle

• #163 dare -> bravery -> leadership -> administration

• #164 shade -> color -> paint -> write

• #165 stress -> conflict -> territory -> district

• #166 fall -> fallen -> wounded -> soldier -> commander

• #167 scholarship -> graduation -> celebration -> reaction -> react

• #168 Play now!

Forgeous

Play Forgeous for July 29.

Sponsor