Georgia will reconstruct the Tsinandali Wine Distillery at the museum of poet and translator Alexander Chavchavadze’s house, supervisor of the process Georgy Kharabadze said, News Georgia reports.
The official noted that the program for restoration of the distillery was developed by US architect John Fotiadis and approved by the Georgian Culture Ministry, Department for Protection of Cultural Heritage and local specialists.
The distillery itself, its cellars, reception halls, administrative rooms will be fully reconstructed. The museum will have a hotel of the Radisson Hotel Network. It will be a 4-storey hotel with 100 rooms. About $20 million was granted for the project.
The museum used to be a mansion of Alexander Chavchavadze, father of Alexander Griboyedov’s wife Nina Chavchavadze. The complex includes a park with a chapel where Russian diplomat Griboyedov married Nina, a vineyard, wine distillery and a wine collection. The museum has a unique library, filing cabinet, portraits and personal belongings of its owner.
Alexander Chavchavadze built wine cellars in 1886 and started his own wine production, building the first Georgian wine distillery. The distillery has been operating ever since. Tourists are welcome to visit the place. The cellars hold over 16,000 bottles of wine produced in the late 19th – early 20th centuries.
