Telavi Wine Cellar
Telavi Wine Cellar ( Georgian თელავის ღვინის მარანი ) is a privatized winery and winery in Georgia .
The company takes a pioneering role in increasing the quality of wineries in Georgia. The winery, founded in 1915, was privatized in 1999. They own 450 hectares of their own vineyards, of which 200 hectares are in production (as of 2005). In addition, around 2,000 tons of grapes are bought annually. A hall for the machine park is to be built in the middle of the company's vineyards.
Grape variety mirror
In addition to the typical regional varieties such as Rkatsiteli or Saperavi , Telavi also produces international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon , Merlot or Chardonnay .
Yield limit
In Soviet times, the vineyard yields around 10 tons per hectare. Today a maximum of 7 tons is aimed for. Not everything that the farmers deliver can be expanded and bottled without criticism. But it takes a long time to convince the winegrowers, as suppliers, to switch to smaller harvest quantities. Too much is still being thought of mass instead of class. The reduction of the yield alone does not bring the desired final quality. Suppliers must also learn to take into account physiological maturity. The motto: first come, first buy , is still common in Georgia. As a result, the coveted red wine varieties are harvested first without their coloring properly and the less popular white wine varieties, on the other hand, stick to the end.
The result is tannic, unripe red wines and low-acid, overripe white wines. Even the best oenologist can no longer produce top quality wines from this. Telavi therefore wants to free itself from the dependency on delivering winegrowers and produce the grapes to be processed exclusively in its own facilities.
Another advantage here is the year-round control of the vineyard areas. The flat layers and long rows of vines (around 100 m) offer the best overall conditions for using machines. However, due to the low wage level, manual labor is generally cheaper. Around one worker is expected per hectare.
Oenological methods
Temperature-controlled wine tanks are available, even if they are only insulated with construction foam as an insulation material. The best products are brought to the bottle from a single grape variety, but cuvees made from domestic and international varieties also meet the demands of western consumers.
As a rarity, a self-made ice wine was presented for the first time in 2005, which was picked at −11 ° C.
Own nursery
Riesling vines have been refined since 2005 . The Edelreiser for this come from Germany. The American records SO4 and 5BB come from the company's own mother gardens (12 ha). In total, the company grafts around 1.5 million vines per year. The growth rate is around 50%.
Fringe activities
One project that David Maisuradze intends to put into practice in the near future is the establishment of a company to assemble tanks on site so that only the steel and not the assembled barrels have to be transported into the country. All other auxiliary materials and machines have to be imported, mostly from Italy and partly from Germany. Although there is a glass factory in Georgia, the quality is not yet satisfactory.
Market position
Today Telavi wines are sold to Germany among others .
See also
Viticulture in Georgia , Telavi