Living among grapevines in Georgia

Living among grapevines that have thrived since the era of his forebears, it’s no surprise that Givi Chubinidze felt inspired to carry on their legacy. Nestled in the lush valleys of Georgia’s Imereti region, flanked by the Likhi mountain range, unique blue and purple grape varieties like tsitska, krakhuna, and adanasuri have been integral to the local environment and cultural identity for generations. Givi’s family has lovingly cultivated these indigenous grapes and the winemaking traditions associated with them, a practice that has been handed down through the ages. “My ancestors were winemakers,” Givi shares, noting that one of them held the esteemed position of royal wine-cellar keeper for the last king of Imereti in the 19th century. In homage to this lineage, Givi named his wines Nanua after his ancestor. “The main objective of my work and the reason why I am involved in wine production,” says Givi, “is to sustain ties with my ancestors and continue their work.”

Today, Givi not only crafts wines from his harvests but also cultivates and collects around 120 distinct endemic grapevine varieties across his three hectares. In light of a shifting climate, preserving this diversity serves as a strategy for resilience, as certain varieties may adapt better to environmental changes than those previously utilised. Givi holds a deep conviction that Georgian grapevine varieties represent the “treasure, heritage, and history of the country.” To expand the reach of his products, Givi secured a matching grant in 2024 from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) through the European Neighbourhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD). This initiative, funded by the European Union (EU) and the Government of Sweden, aims to bolster rural development by harnessing national agricultural potential and creating economic opportunities for rural communities. Additionally, the program has been focused on enhancing food safety in the region, with further backing from the Government of Sweden and the Czech Development Agency.

Thanks to the matching grant, Givi successfully improved his small-scale wine production by combining contemporary food safety practices with age-old production techniques. “With the financial assistance, I have obtained equipment for storing wines, a vacuum bottler as well as a distilling machine,” says Givi.

With the new distilling machine, Givi is able to advance his production of chacha – a typical Georgian, distilled alcoholic beverage. “My cast iron distiller was old and did not meet the modern food safety standards,” he points out. “Now, I have a copper distiller, which is of much higher quality and avoids any contaminants ending up in my chacha.”

“All of these are important for advancing food safety standards and profitability of my efforts,” states Givi.   

Family Traditions, Modern Safety 

Hosting agri-tourists from all over the world is one of the main sources of income of Givi’s family business, and food safety is of fundamental importance to Givi when it comes to providing the unique experiences of Georgian hospitality and wine tourism in Imereti. As part of FAO’s investment support package, he purchased a fridge and air conditioners.

“It helps me in improving basic food safety standards in the kitchen, which is important because serving guests with high-quality and safe products is fundamental to ensure credibility among customers and to establish a long-lasting relationship with them,” says Givi.

He was also provided with a basic introductory training on implementing Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP). “I received information about how food should be received, produced and transported from a facility,” he says. 

Heritage and hospitality

Givi also involves guests in the local Imeretian wine production-related activities.

“I use traditional methods and technologies, like my ancestors,” he remarks. Givi demonstrates to his guests how tchuri – a clay vessel placed in soil and used for storing wine– is cleaned using sticks made of a particular type of bush that grows in the area.

Some of the visitors get to plant rare varieties of Georgian grapes in Givi’s vineyards and garden.

“Most people have never heard the names of some of the grape varieties that I have in my collection,” Givi points out. “I plant only a few of these varieties and observe how they grow in this soil and climatic conditions to see what types of wine I can produce with them.”

He continues, “I have wines made with grape varieties, which you do not find in stores and wine bars.”

Givi plans to further focus on hospitality services. “I get to know about my guests’ culture and preferred wines, giving me the insight into the types of wines I should produce in the future.”

His goal is to also focus more on exporting Georgian wines, especially to the European market, taking advantage of the preferential trade agreement the parties signed in 2016.

“We have diverse varieties of premium wines in small quantities,” Givi remarks. “Such products are in demand in the European markets where consumers with high purchase power are knowledgeable about niche wines.”

With the equipment purchased through the FAO matching grant, Givi is now more competitive and well-positioned to reach his goals. “The better the equipment and knowledge we have about food safety, the better we will be able to adhere to the highest food safety standards,” he states, “and food safety is integral for increasing competitiveness, including at an international level.”

“Moreover, it is a great honour to have the opportunity of representing your country from your own home,” Givi adds, “and I think that I am doing my country a service, which brings me great joy.”

Under ENPARD, FAO has already provided matching grants to around 300 farmers and producers in Georgia’s regions, supporting them in enhancing food safety standards. Aiming to reduce rural poverty, ENPARD has been implemented since 2013.

Source: The FAO News And Media Office, Rome

– global bihari bureau