Tsinandali is the estate of the Chavchavadze family, Georgian aristocrats who made it one of the great houses of the Caucasus in the 19th century. Prince Alexander Chavchavadze was a poet, general, and enthusiastic vintner who established what is generally considered the first European-style winery in Georgia here in the 1830s, moving away from traditional qvevri fermentation toward French techniques and barrel ageing.
The estate is now open as a museum and working winery. The manor house has been carefully restored with period furniture and family portraits. The winery itself produces Georgian classics under the Tsinandali label — its white blend, made from Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane grapes, is probably the best-known Georgian wine outside the country. The grounds include a formal botanical garden with cedars and exotic trees planted by Alexander Chavchavadze's successors in the 19th century.