Interview with Temo Kortava, Chief Winemaker of “Shilda Winery “.
Temo Kortava first got familiarized with the concept of winemaking 20 years ago, however, before he became a professional oenologist, he was inspired by the affection for wine and vineyards since childhood. His dedication to this work was deeply rooted in his family; Temo is the second generation in the family, following the tradition of winemaking.
After he mastered the profession of winemaking in Georgia, Temo continued to further enhance his knowledge in Ukraine, at the University of Winemaking in Magarach, and in England, specifically at the University of Cranfield. Since then, he worked for several Georgian and foreign companies and created a number of successful products.
It has already been 4 years since young winemaker has been using the experience accumulated in Georgia and abroad in favor of the company “Shilda Winery ” – the company owned by “Smart Capital Group” and creates wines of the highest quality from unique grape varieties.
The phenomenon of winemaking is more meaningful to him than just a profession. He believes that the vineyard is the source of the country’s main values.
“Georgia, as the cradle of winemaking, with 8,000 years of vintage traditions, grants us with the advantage and imposes a great responsibility as well, while embracing new, untapped markets, considering that every tasted drop of wine represents our homeland.
It take a lot of work, brainstorming and responsibility when it comes to the sacred ritual of grape harvesting. Together with my team, I realize how much each grape vector gifts us with”.
According to the winemaker,” Shilda Winery” is the only company in Georgia with an energy-efficient enterprise. As a result of equipping the facility with energy-efficient machinery, the consumption of power is saved and the management of technological process is amplified.
“Nowadays, energy efficiency is the most important precondition for sustainable development. It has already been several years, since we have been able to obtain the highest quality wine by means of contemporary equipment, with energy-efficient benefits. This has a positive impact on the quality of the wine of “Shilda Winery” as well as on the environment”.
In addition to wine, the enterprise produces Georgian brand – grape vodka and Chacha. “Shilda” products have received numerous awards at prestigious international competitions, such as Decanter, Mundus Vini, International Wine Challenge and others.
The young winemaker also shared his future plans with us. Experimental wines are made each year in the enterprise. The mentioned process has already resulted in three new products that already gained popularity. Temo makes a promise to create many interesting wines and new flavors in the future.
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