This is exactly what happened in Georgia"s southern Samtskhe-Javakheti region in the 1500s. For centuries, this key winemaking region was home to ancient Georgians who lived in hollowed-out caves in the nearby volcanic rock and constructed terraced vineyards down its slopes. In the 1550s, invading Ottoman Turks destroyed Samtskhe-Javakheti"s vineyards and went on to rule the area for more than 300 years.