Giorgi Maisuradze (Shemokmedi Tea)

Giorgi says that his philosophy is a meticulous attention to detail combined with the courage and open-mindedness to experiment, an attitude which is steeped in the history of this factory. Back in the Soviet period, Shemokmedi Tea was the name of a famous experimental tea factory on this same location, researching novel methods in tea production; Giorgi's father-in-law was the director.  When Giorgi decided to restart tea production in 2011, not much was left of the facility, but he kept the old name as an homage to the history of the area, and some of the original Japanese equipment has survived till today.

These days, Shemokmedi produces between 5-8 tons of tea per year, depending on weather conditions and demand. Like most Georgian tea makers, Giorgi says he has the capacity to do much more, if there would be enough demand – the Gurian countryside is still full of unplucked tea, even after decades of tea plants being replaced with other crops.

Shemokmedi has its own plantation in Nagomari, one of the most scenic tea fields in Georgia (it's the background image of the main page of this website!) Here, humid air from the Black Sea meets the slopes of the Lesser Caucasus mountains below Bakhmaro, and the constant breezes and moderate temperatures create an ideal environment for tea. Giorgi says that the terroir provides rich flavor and a distinct lightness and sweetness to the tea. Besides this, Giorgi also buys raw tea leaves from small family plots around nearby villages; he estimates that he provides an income to around forty families with this.

Giorgi sends most of his tea for export. His biggest customers are in Germany and Poland, but he sends a bit to Russia and the UK, mostly for cafes.