The first wine made on the red planet will be a white.

At least, that's what researchers in Georgia, the world's oldest wine-making country, are hoping.

As Nasa and Elon Musk race to put people on Mars, this tiny nation nestled between Russia and Turkey is seeking to provide the refreshment at the end of their trip.

Its IX Millennium project is trying to develop techniques to grow wine grapes and bring a little legendary Georgian hospitality to the inhospitable conditions of our fellow planet.

Early testing has shown that the white wine grape rkatsiteli, one of the 525 varieties in Georgia, is the most resistant to ultraviolet radiation, an important consideration for an atmosphere 100 times less dense than earth's.

Next the scientists need to test the grape's response to subzero temperatures and high carbon monoxide levels. “We plan to research all possibilities which can make an astronaut sit on Mars and drink Georgian wine,” said Nino Enukidze, dean of the Business and Technology University, which started the project with the Georgian Space Research Agency, the National Museum and a startup called Space Farms.