The Shumi Winery #154
The cultural mission of Shumi
Shumi is located in Georgia, in the center of viticulture and winemaking, Kakheti. We share the oldest and richest cultural heritage in the world that our ancestors have been building for millennia. Georgia is the oldest settlement on the European continent, as evidenced by the excavated remains of people who lived here 1.8 million years ago.
Georgia is recognized as the cradle of viticulture and winemaking, which has an 8000-year tradition of wine making. This is proved by the fact that the oldest cultivated vine pips, clay wine vessels, Qvevri’s tartaric acid precipitated in fragments and cultural vine dust, Qvevri and Qvevri wine-making technologies have been found on the territory of Georgia. Many words related to viticulture and winemaking in Georgian, including “wine”, which was spread in the language of the peoples of Europe from the Georgian language. In 2013, UNESCO inscribed the ancient Georgian Traditional Qvevri wine-making method in the Representative list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The mission served by the company Shumi – to introduce Georgian culture, vines and wine to the world, to share and popularize the historical past and the latest innovations created in Shumi.
Traveling to the history of Georgia
In Shumi, visitors have the opportunity to travel to the history of Georgia and get acquainted with its culture. Here they will meet the heroes and gods of Georgian mythology depicted in stone frescoes and painted with Saperavi, Georgian alphabet, the largest private collection of vines in the world, where they will get acquainted with the varieties of vines created by folk selection for millennia and taste them. The first wine museum in Georgia, where the exhibits discovered during archeological excavations are preserved (the oldest of them is 6000 years old), an Ethnographic Pavilion, where they will learn about Georgian eno-gastronomic traditions and take part in various interesting master classes, the traditional Georgian Supra with Tamada and polyphonic songs performed by the ensemble Shumi in various rituals, such as the Opening of Qvevri and the Ritual of Lazare.
Innovating and sharing knowledge
Shumi not only introduces Georgian culture and traditional winemaking to the world, but also contributes to the creation of new ones. For example, the sparkling wine “Shobili”, which combines 8,000 years of Georgian winemaking and 400 years of French champagne history, ice wine “Barbale”, which is made from using the variety of 102 species of grape in Qvevri, “Zigu” – an exclusive drink, the specifics and technological features of which make it an absolutely unique and original drink rich in nutrients, Churchkhela “Tsinandali” and others.
Famous Georgian scientists work in Shumi and create modern scientific works in Georgian viticulture – winemaking. The Shumi collection vineyard and winery are used for their experiments. They also share their knowledge with future generations in the teachings organized by Shumi. Among the students are both Georgian and foreign young people who come to Georgia to raise their knowledge and practice.
Shumi also often invites well-known foreign experts and scientists to conduct seminars for students and employees of various educational institutions.
Shumi actively participates in local and international projects. One such project is the establishment of a Qvevri Cellar-museum at Plumpton College in the United Kingdom. The cellar not only has the function of a museum, but also informs students and interested parties about the history of Georgia and Georgian vines and wine, the method of making Georgian wine in a Qvevri. Within the framework of the project, the students of Plumpton College are going through the practice of making wine in a Qvevri in Georgia, in Shumi.
Travel to the history of Georgia – visit Shumi!
Reviews
This place is amazing!
Our tour guide was a friendly and very professional man, he showed us around explaining everything about this winery, the traditional Georgian wine making history and culture and after the tour answered all our questions! There was nothing he didn’t know.
After the tour we decided to do a wine tasting and were offered a perfect combo to taste the difference between the European method and the Georgian one. Again we got a very interesting explanation of each wine. It was so tasty and interesting that we decided to come back in the evening for a Khinkali master-class.
In the evening at the master-class we had a very nice lady showing us everything. It was a friendly and funny way to see how the Khinkalis are made and to find out about some traditions of Georgia and Kakheti itself.
It was really an amazing experience and I would suggest it to everyone!
Took the tour and tastings there. Awesome experience. The local guide called Giga who spoke fluent English gave us an interesting lecture over Georgia’s millennial history of making wine. The tastings had reasonable prices as well. We had the chance to taste some of the best wines they produce including the traditional Georgian method so-called “Qvevri” wines.
It is with pleasure that I think back to the wonderful days of filming at the Shumi winery in Tsinandali. Thanks to the exceptional location of the winery, right in the heart of Georgian viticulture, you gave me a deep insight into the Georgian method of winemaking.
The “Qvevri method” is absolutely unique in the world and goes back to an ancient tradition of winemaking. It is not for nothing that Georgia is called the cradle of wine.
You opened up a whole new world to me with your special attitude towards wine. You gladly explained to me all the steps of winemaking according to the “Qvevri method”, carried out by your winemaker Giorgi Khatiashvili. Not least because of this, it has become a beautiful film story.
For this I would like to thank you and all the staff once again. You have certainly made an important contribution to film history that sheds a special light on Georgia. I think my film is a declaration of love to an interesting country with an exceptionally beautiful landscape and its wonderful people.