On now: about 20 Sept to 19 Oct 2026
Rtveli
The Georgian grape harvest in Kakheti: whole families pick, press and ferment the wine in buried qvevri jars.
When is Rtveli in 2026?
Rtveli 2026 runs from 20 September to 19 October 2026. The date follows the moon or a local calendar, so it can move by a day. Other years: 2027, 20 September to 19 October 2027; 2028, 20 September to 19 October 2028.
About Rtveli
Rtveli is the grape harvest of Georgia, centred on the eastern region of Kakheti and lasting from the second half of September into October. Families and villages come together, often with relatives from the city who return to help, to pick the grapes by hand. The grapes are crushed in a wooden trough, the satsnakheli, and the juice, skins, stalks and pips are poured into a qvevri, a large clay jar buried in the ground, in which the wine ferments and ages. Georgian winemaking in qvevri, which is about 8,000 years old, was inscribed by UNESCO. Harvest days end with a supra, at which the winemakers' songs, chacha spirit and fresh churchkhela are served and toasts are drunk to the vines. The dates shown are approximate.
Rtveli dates: 2026, 2027, 2028
| Year | Rtveli date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 20 September to 19 October 2026 |
| 2027 | 20 September to 19 October 2027 |
| 2028 | 20 September to 19 October 2028 |
This date follows the moon or a local calendar and can move by a day, so check with a local source nearer the time.
What is eaten
- churchkhela
- chacha
- mtsvadi
- wine
Also part of it, and being written: Qvevri (The buried clay wine jar.), Kakheti (The wine region.), Georgian wine (The ancient wine tradition.).
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background: "Georgian wine" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.