Eastern Black Sea: Qvevri Wines on the Georgian Frontier

On the border of two ancient wine worlds, in buried clay, 2,000 bottles a year are made the way people have made wine here for 8,000 years.

On the border of Türkiye and Georgia, in the humid mountains of Artvin province, a family of four siblings is making wine in buried clay vessels — just as people have in this corner of the world for 8,000 years.

Category: region · 6 min read · Published 2026-06-28 · Altevin Blog

• Artvin province sits on the Türkiye-Georgia border, where two of the world's oldest wine cultures converge
• Mesashuna is the first officially licensed winery in the Eastern Black Sea region
• All wine made in buried qvevri clay vessels — a Georgian tradition over 8,000 years old
• Georgian heritage varieties Saperavi and Rkatsiteli are grown here on this terroir
• Only 2,000 bottles per year total across both wines
• Humid, mountainous climate unlike any other Turkish wine region

Where two wine cultures meet

The Eastern Black Sea is not a wine region most people have on their radar. It is humid and mountainous — not the typical image of wine country. But the Artvin province, on Türkiye's border with Georgia, sits at the edge of what is arguably the oldest continuous winemaking tradition in the world. Georgia, just over the border, is the birthplace of the qvevri method — clay vessels buried underground for fermentation and ageing — a technique with over 8,000 years of documented history.

Mesashuna Winery, in Borçka, Artvin, is the first officially licensed winery in Türkiye's Eastern Black Sea region. It was founded by four siblings using this ancient Georgian method, on this specific piece of land, because this is where the two traditions naturally converge.

The wines of the frontier

Mesashuna grows two Georgian heritage varieties: Saperavi (deep red, structured, dark fruit and mineral, fermented 4½ months in qvevri, released October 2025) and Rkatsiteli (amber wine, 20-day skin maceration in qvevri, dried apricot, honey, tea, textured and complex). Both wines are produced with absolute minimal intervention: no commercial yeast, no enzymes, no fining, no filtering.

Production is 2,000 bottles per year total. These are wines from a very specific place and a very specific method — and tasting them is genuinely different from anything else on a European wine list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Eastern Black Sea wine production significant?

It is small but historically significant. Mesashuna is the first licensed winery in the region — but the land has been used for winemaking for thousands of years given its proximity to Georgia.

What is Rkatsiteli wine like from Mesashuna?

An amber wine made from 20-day skin maceration in qvevri. Dried apricot, honey, tea, and a striking tannin structure from the skin contact. Unlike any white wine from Western Europe.

What is Saperavi from Mesashuna like?

Deep red, structured, dark fruit and mineral — fermented 4½ months in qvevri with sun-dried stems. Dense but precise, with long aging potential.