Georgia is famous for its warm hospitality, delicious food, and exquisite wine. With a winemaking history stretching back 8,000 years, Georgia is hailed as the birthplace of winemaking. Wine traditions and rituals are deeply rooted in the lives of every Georgian, adding richness to their everyday experiences. According to tradition, the proper way to drink wine is to imbue values and meaning into the process. This involves making a toast, or as we say, saying a „sadgegrdzelo,“ which means „prolonging days“ or wishing for extended happiness and prosperity. Toasting isn’t merely a casual “Cheers.” It’s a structured order that dictates the sequence of toasts. Typically, the first toast is dedicated to “friends, friendship, parents, love, peace,” and so forth. Participants often share poems, anecdotes, or anything else that adds a touch of meaningful insight to the occasion. After a toast is made, the glass of wine must be consumed entirely; no one will refill your cup until the wine is completely drunk as we say – bolomde! The cup I designed takes inspiration from winemaking vessels and aims to highlight the tradition of wine drinking in my culture, with its form dictating that wine should always be drunk to the very end.
