The age-old family tradition of winemaking had been interrupted long ago, owing to the blame, 'The smell of candles emanates from your cellar, Andronike!' The very cellar that once served as a church function was dismantled during the communist era. It is this historical backdrop that bequeaths the name 'Vin de Kortua' to the family wine cellar, a legacy initiated by the great-grandfather of the cellar's founder, Andronike Kortua.
'As a child, I pondered why the aroma of candles was deemed unfavorable. Why was the cellar demolished? Where did the ancestral vineyard vanish to?' recalls Lazare.
Nearly a century has transpired since, and the Kortua family has undertaken the task of reviving their heritage, tracing back to the sole surviving vine of Chvitiluri.
Today, within the 'Vin de Kortua' wine cellar, father and son, Lazare and Giga Kortua, extend the opportunity for visitors to savor wines crafted from approximately ten Megrelian grape varieties. These include Kamurishi, Okumeshi, Tutashi, Torokuchkhi, Chvitiluri, Shkhucheshi, and Paneshi. Additionally, they offer wines like Chinuri, Gorian Green, Tavkveri, and Shavkapito, produced from grape varieties cultivated in the ecologically pristine environs of Mchadijvari village in Kartli.
Beyond the tasting experience, visitors can purchase wines on-site and partake in the grape pressing festivities during the autumn season.
In 2022, with the backing of the European Union under the SECTORs project, the 'Vin de Kortua' winery was outfitted with modern equipment essential for the winemaking process.
Location: #105 Lazi Street, Zugdidi
