GURIAN TEA GARDENS

Tea plantations in Guria — history, seasons, and cultivation traditions.

On the first warm spring days in Chokhatauri, tea bushes begin to burst — and this opening of leaves is a family's signal that a new season has begun.

Chokhatauri's tea gardens differ from the large-scale plantations of other regions. These are family-scale plots, typically 0.5–2 hectares, where tea is cultivated by the most handcraft methods. This is a natural form of ecological farming — without chemical fertilisers or pesticides, since many families have not yet obtained official organic certification, but the practice is effectively organic.

The picking season runs from May to September. The most prized — the "first flush" — comes in late spring, before the garden is at full strength. This picking produces the most delicate and aromatic tea.

Visitors can participate in tea picking within the framework of a visit to local family homes. This is one of the most popular agri-tourism experiences around Chokhatauri.

Interesting fact

Gurian tea was once considered the highest-quality tea in the Soviet Union — the "Gruzinsky Chai" brand was built in the first instance on Gurian tea leaves.

Family tea garden in Chokhatauri