Family cellar of George Grigolashvili in Mtskheta: wine with history
By Anastasia Pavlova
“MyGeorgia”travel agency
photos by author
I love to visit Mtskheta – it is heartfelt and peaceful for me here. For its 2,5-thousand-year history this town seems to have bustled, struggled enough for being “the most important” and now exists in a quiet and measured way, with proper pride.
And also in this town there is a little place where my feeling of comfort just goes beyond the limit. It’s a wine cellar similar to thousands of others all over Georgia but still it’s unique. The cellar is run by a good acquaintance of mine - George who is old enough to be my grandfather (he will turn 74 this year) but I will not have the heart to call him so! In his smiling sparkling bright-blue eyes a strong and stately Georgian keeps appearing, a master of sports of the USSR in rowing (yes, this was in his life too), a lady's man and a great speaker.
This respectable señor having just incredible charisma goes in for winemaking for already half a century. Out of the traditional varieties of the Georgian grapes – Rkatsiteli and Saperavi –Georgy makes something absolutely unbelievable. The thing is that in his little cellar there are no wines newer than 10 years; he seasons all his wines in oak casks. That’s why the output is not just a heady drink in a glass but the entire history – with sophisticated nuances, aromas and mood. The history of the family cellar of Grigolashvili intertwines closely with the history of Georgia. In XVIII century, the ancestors of George’s wife had owned a significant land lot in Kakheti – 20 hectares in total. There they grew grapes and made wine. It goes without saying that after the October revolution the lands were expropriated. However, the far-sighted descendants kept the ancient documents proving the property right. These documents were a lot of use when Georgia gained independence: thanks to them a part of the land property was restored to the George’s family. On these “old new” lands grapes grow again today, and the winemaker not only cultivates the widespread varieties of Rkatsiteli and Saperavi at that but has also made a stab at the unique aboriginal Khikhvi. I hope we’ll taste it soon!
The wines of the family cellar of George Grigolashvili are the most favorite ones in my collection and the winemaker himself has already become my good friend. I often pass by his place with my tourists and observe how interested they look when listening to his stories about wine and how a 10-year-old Saperavi opens their hearts in a new way. Then all of them send by all means greetings to the winemaker and ask to store up a bottle or two for them.
Should you find yourself in Mtskheta – drop in at the George’s place without fail and you will suddenly discover a new world of the Georgian wine and at the same time you will win a good friend.
Having passed through the Svetitskhoveli gates, turn left. On your right hand side there will be a small bazaar. Go straightaway along it until the very end, shops will be over soon but you keep going and in a little while, you will see a sign to the right to “Wine cellar”. That is it, the wine cellar of George Grigolashvili.
Whereabouts:
