Tsinandali

Tsinandali is a village in Telavi Municipality, Kakheti, on the Alazani plain 79 km east of Tbilisi. It is known for the family estate of the poet and general Alexander Chavchavadze (1786-1846): an Italianate palace, a decorative garden and a cellar where Georgian and European winemaking traditions were first combined. The estate's oenotheque holds more than 16,500 bottles, and in 1888 the cellar passed to the Romanov family. The house-museum opened in the mid-20th century and was fully restored in 2007 in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institution. Tsinandali is also an appellation for dry white wine, and since 2019 the estate has hosted an annual classical music festival. The 2014 census recorded 2,675 residents.