Viticulture in the Western Caucasus Provinces by Théophile Deyrolle

Abstract

In 1869, Théophile Deyrolle, a young French entomologist and painter, traveled to Western Georgia. During his trip he collected samples of vines and fruit trees, with the aim of sending them to France. Based on information gathered during his trip, the same year, Deyrolle published an article titled “Viticulture in the Western Caucasus Provinces” in the “Journal of the Imperial and Central Horticultural Society of France”. This is the first article on Georgian viticulture to appear in the European scientific press. The author describes the various forms of vineyard that are common in Georgia, the grape harvest, the making of wine in the kvevris (the buried earthenware vessels used for the fermentation and ageing of wine). At the same time, this is a critical article, in which Deyrolle tries to clarify and refine the information mentioned by other French travelers. The author does not hesitate to give his opinion on Georgian wines either. At the end of his article, Deyrolle gives a list of the most popular Georgian grape varieties, some of which are unknown today. Here we present the translation of this article from French into Georgian, as it represents a valuable source in the study of the history of Georgian viticulture.