Cradle of Wine - Ujarma, Tsinandali, Gremi

The fortress is one of the most important Georgian architectural monuments of the Early Middle Ages, due to its strategic location and value in the past. It was built in the 3rd century AD, as one of the Georgian kings’ and prince’s main residencies. From 5th through to 6th centuries AD the Ujarma fortress saw its highest prosperity period during the reign of King Vakhtang Gorgasali and his son Dachi.

The manor in the village of Tsinandali is an ancestral estate, a palace of the princely family of Chavchavadze. There are many amazing, beautiful and tragic events in the history of Georgia are connected with this family. Garsevan Chavchavadze was the first owner of the manor. He was sent by Heraclius II to Imperial Russia to negotiate the main treaty between Russia and Georgia at the time, and the 1783 Treaty of Georgievsk has his signature. He was well-educated, and his family was part of the royal rulers of Georgia. His son, Alexander was a poet, military figure, and one of the most famous aristocrats in Georgia at the time. He participated in the war against Napoleon in the campaign to Europe in 1812 through 1814, fighting for the Russian Empire. He arrived in Paris and achieved the rank of general-lieutenant. After tired from the military campaigns, Alexander Chavchavadze decided to leave the capital. He took his family from Saint Petersburg and moved to a quiet village of Tsinandali, where he started his project on the Europeanization of Georgia. He built the palace that stands on the grounds in 1818, though little of the original palace remains.

Standing above the green valley of Alazan, Gremi attracts travelers whose road goes between Telavi and Kvareli. Gloomy and monumental, the castle is one of the most visited tourist points in Georgia. The architectural ensemble of Gremi in the look that it has up to present day was built in the 16th century in the times of King Levan of Kakheti, who announced Gremi the capital of the Kingdom of Kakheti. By order of Levan, a castle and churches were constructed on a small mountain and a rich trading town appeared at the foot of the mountain with a population of over 100 000 people. Levan’s rule was peaceful, thus the Kingdom of Kakheti had reached economic growth and became stronger during his time. Some historical sources note that one branch of the legendary Silk Road was going through Gremi that more or less favored the welfare growth.