Tsinandali

Tsinandali is another storied village in the heart of Kakheti, famed not only for lending its name to a celebrated white wine but also for its pivotal role in the cultural and historical narrative of Georgia. Nestled on the slopes of the Gombori mountain range, just 10 kilometers from Telavi and perched at 560 meters above sea level, Tsinandali is a place steeped in symbolism.

This village marks the starting point of Georgia’s Europeanization, the birthplace of modern Georgian winemaking, and the site of the earliest and most enlightened forms of Georgian-Russian integration. Today, Tsinandali is home to a museum, a lush park, a wine cellar, and a tasting hall—all echoes of its storied past.

The land of Tsinandali was gifted to Garsevan Chavchavadze by King Heraclius II in recognition of his instrumental role in forging Russo-Georgian relations. Alongside Prince Ioane Bagrationi, Chavchavadze signed the Treaty of Georgievsk in 1783, pledging allegiance to the Russian Empire while securing autonomy for Georgia. His only son and heir, Alexander Chavchavadze, was born in 1786 in Saint Petersburg, where Garsevan served as Georgia’s plenipotentiary minister at the court of Catherine the Great.

Raised in the orbit of the Russian Imperial court, young Alexander was christened by Catherine II herself and Emperor Alexander I. He received a first-class education—initially at an elite private boarding school in St. Petersburg, followed by the prestigious Page Corps. However, his loyalty to Georgia was never in question: after returning to Tiflis, he participated in the 1804 rebellion against Russian rule. For this, he was exiled to Tambov under surveillance for three years. Yet, by imperial decree in 1805, he was readmitted to the Page Corps, graduating in 1809.

The campaigns of the Patriotic War of 1812–1814 served as both a crucible and a classroom for the young prince. He emerged fluent in German and French, and during the capture of Paris, he served as aide-de-camp to General Barclay de Tolly. His military career extended beyond 1812. During the Russo-Turkish War of 1828, he led the conquest of Bayazet and Mush. But Prince Alexander was not only a soldier—he was a poet of rare distinction.

Infused with the rational skepticism of Voltaire, the tender lyricism of Persian verse, and the valorous rhythm of Georgian folk songs, his poetry mirrored his complex identity: a European-educated Georgian nobleman rooted in ancient tradition. He also translated Pushkin, Goethe, Hugo, Saadi, Voltaire, and Corneille into Georgian, contributing to the literary blossoming of his homeland.

In 1835, Alexander Chavchavadze constructed his grand estate in Tsinandali. The interiors reflected European elegance, and the surrounding English garden was planted with imported flora—not only trees and shrubs from Britain but also magnolias and other subtropical species. British gardeners were also brought in to care for the grounds, which remain resplendent to this day.

His ambitions did not stop at architecture and landscape. Chavchavadze invited skilled European winemakers and established Georgia’s first winery to produce wine using European techniques, effectively laying the foundation for the country’s industrial winemaking tradition. Tsinandali became a vibrant hub of social and political life, attracting the crème de la crème of Russian and Georgian society. Among its guests were luminaries like Pushkin, Lermontov, the Decembrist poet Odoevsky, and Alexandre Dumas père.

His eldest daughter, Nino Chavchavadze, became the wife of the Russian diplomat and poet Alexander Griboyedov. Tragically, in 1846, Prince Alexander met an untimely death when a carriage accident hurled him from his seat. His son, David Chavchavadze, inherited the estate, but dark days followed.

In 1854, the forces of Imam Shamil invaded Kakheti. The Tsinandali estate was looted and burned, and 24 members of the Chavchavadze household were taken captive—including David’s wife and six children. Shamil demanded an exorbitant ransom. His initial intent was to exchange the captives for his son Jamaluddin, who had been held in Saint Petersburg as a political hostage, a living token of loyalty. The imperial treasury declined a direct exchange but granted David Chavchavadze a loan against the estate and all his possessions to pay the ransom.

The attempt to rebuild the estate brought only further ruin. By 1886, the property, along with the surrounding villages, was sold to the Russian imperial family. Renovations began under the supervision of architect Alexander Ozerov. The palace was transformed into a summer residence for the Russian royals and took on much of the appearance it still holds today. A new wine cellar capable of storing 150,000 vedros (buckets) was erected on the site of the original marani (wine cellar).

Following the 1917 revolution, the estate was repurposed as a hotel. It wasn’t until 1946, with the advocacy of the Georgian poet Giorgi Leonidze, that the Alexander Chavchavadze Museum was finally established.

The estate is easily visible from the highway—just 410 meters away. A 300-meter alley leads from the road to a parking area and entrance gate. The main building presents as an elongated structure with its northeastern facade oriented toward the Caucasus Mountains. The northern corner is adorned with a colonnaded gallery. While it is frequently described as built in the Italian Renaissance style, there are noticeable Eastern influences. Perhaps the original construction had more Renaissance character, and Ozerov later modified it. Georgian architectural motifs are few—unsurprising, as the building was reconstructed after 1881 during the height of Russification, when national elements were discouraged. As the property of the Emperor himself, it was subjected to strict ideological design principles.

After exploring the house museum, be sure to visit the historic wine cellar, which has survived intact to this day. It was here that Georgian wine was first bottled, and it was here, in 1886, that the now-legendary “Tsinandali” wine was born—a blend of Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane grapes native to Kakheti, which would go on to win acclaim at international exhibitions.

Afterward, descend into the estate’s enchanting garden, a lush green labyrinth of manicured hedges, with the Tree of Wishes standing at its heart.

And if fate brings you to this historic home and its vineyard legacy, do not miss the chance to walk a little farther—to the “Shumi” Winery just across the road. There, along the highway, you’ll discover an extraordinary collection of grape varieties growing in the open air.