Danelia's Wine
Our wine is our history, and our history is our pride..
43 Zviad Gamsakhurdia St, Batumi, Georgia
+995 514 637 799
"Our wine is our history, and our history is our pride." — the ancestral tradition of one family across several generations, since 1907.
Brand Origin: In the Samegrelo region of Georgia (the territory of ancient Colchis, present-day Martvili), Nikoloz Danelia (1843–1929) instilled a deep love for the vine in his son, Vladimer (1879–1975), from early childhood, passing down the family's winemaking secrets.
Historical Roots: This branch of the Danelia family is one of the oldest Megrelian dynasties, dating back to the 13th–14th centuries. Modern genetic research (Y-DNA testing, haplogroups G2a and J2) has scientifically confirmed their direct lineage to the ancient Colchian civilization—the very people who laid the foundations of global winemaking millennia ago.
Batumi 1907: In 1907, Vladimer founded the company "Danelia & Co" in Batumi. He crafted a unique trademark and label (1907 Registration No. 39), featuring a honeybee alongside clusters of grapes as a symbol of their centuries-old patrimonial technology. Vladimer placed two wine bottles on the trademark, embedding the talismanic word "Shevdzeli" ("I managed it") in tiny script on their labels, which also served as an ingenious anti-counterfeiting mechanism.
The Occupation Period: Following the Russian-Soviet occupation of 1921, the family’s vineyards, factory, and shops were confiscated. Despite severe repressions and constant peril, Vladimer’s son, Shalva Danelia (1918–2004), managed to safeguard the unique technological formula and the family archives, preserving them for future generations.
Devotion to the Homeland: The brand’s history is inherently intertwined with the struggle for Georgia's freedom. Junket Iason Surguladze (maternal granduncle of Gela Danelia) heroically fell in 1921 during the defense of Tbilisi at Kojori-Tabakhmela, fighting against the invaders. Longinoz Beselia (paternal granduncle of Gela Danelia) was a member of the "Sworn Brothers" detachment led by the national hero, Kakutsa Cholokashvili. Captured and sentenced to death by the occupiers, he managed to escape prison with Vladimer's assistance. He passed away in exile in France and rests at the Saint-Ouen Cemetery in Paris.
Revival: Following the restoration of Georgia's independence (1991), Shalva’s son, Gela Danelia, officially patented the ancestral technology and revived production. Today, the brand is driven forward by his children, Shalva and Nino, while the grandchildren proudly prepare to carry this century-old heritage into the future.
Unique Technology: The brand's exclusivity is defined by its patrimonial method. Treating wine (which naturally contains over 500 biologically active micro-elements) with honey and honeycomb (boasting over 200 beneficial compounds) significantly enhances the wine's stability and expands its health-beneficial properties.
Vladimer Danelia founds "Danelia and Company" and creates its trademark.
Under Soviet occupation, the family safeguards the secret technology and the archive.
Gela Danelia patents the ancestral technology and restarts production.
The fifth and sixth generations continue the tradition, to be taken up in turn by the seventh.
State and International Recognition: In 2019, by decree of the Government of Georgia, the traditional patrimonial technology of crafting "Danelia's Wine" was granted the status of a Monument of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Notably, within the winemaking sector, such prestigious status is shared only by the ancient Qvevri wine-making method.
World Press: Reputable international news agencies, including Agence France-Presse (AFP), L’EXPRESS, The Sun Daily, The Japan Times, Yahoo News, and others, published features on the uniqueness of Danelia's Wine under the headline: "Georgia returns to the roots of its winemaking renaissance."
This Order grants the status of a "Monument of Intangible Cultural Heritage" to the traditional patrimonial technique of making Danelia wines (4 sections).
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