Description

šŸŒæ Velvet Tea (also known locally as Teamo,) based in the village of Gezruli near Chiatura in Georgiaā€™s Imereti region, is an organic tea cooperative founded in 2016 by Koba Shekiladze and eight other locals. They cultivate and process tea at around 690 meters above sea level, taking advantage of the area's pure mountain climate to produce high-quality, certified organic teas.Ā šŸŒ± Company is operating across 22 hectares, Velvet Teaā€”or the Velvet Tea Cooperativeā€”employs over 25 people. The brand "Teamo," meaning "I love you" (Italian), reflects their commitment and affectionate approach to crafting tea. They combine traditional hand-picking methods with modern manufacturing machineryā€”such as withering, rolling, drying, sorting, and packaging equipmentā€”acquired through support from the EU and GRETA project partners from Sweden and Austria.

šŸƒĀ Their tea includes green twisted tea, classic black tea, and blueberry-leaf tea. All are organic-certified by Caucascert (certified around 2017ā€“2021) and are featured on the EU Tea Route. Beyond production, Velvet Tea is exploring agritourismā€”envisioning experiences where visitors may pick, process, and taste tea on-site, perhaps even staying overnight on the plantation.Ā šŸŒæĀ What Youā€™ll Do on the Velvet Tea Tour:

šŸƒ Walk Through the Tea Garden: The tour begins with a stroll through Velvet Teaā€™s organic plantations. Here you learn about: how tea bushes thrive in the mountain microclimate, the varieties grown in the region (black, green, wild, and herbal blends) and sustainable cultivation practices that respect the local ecosystem

šŸ‚Ā Tea Harvesting Insight: Guides often show how tea leaves are hand-picked, emphasizing careful selection of tender shoots that define quality flavors. Youā€™ll hear about the farmā€™s history, its revival from Soviet-era neglect, and how modern organic methods blend with tradition.

šŸ”„Ā Processing Demonstration: After the garden walk, visitors typically see ā€” and sometimes participate in ā€” aspects of the tea processing workflow. This includes: withering and rolling, drying techniques, sorting and packaging and this part of the tour reveals how fresh leaves become finished teas ready for drinking.

šŸµĀ Tea Tasting: The highlight of the experience is the tea tasting session. Youā€™ll sample a variety of Velvet Teaā€™s handcrafted teas, enjoying the delicate aromas and flavors that reflect the unique terroir of Chiaturaā€™s highlands. Many visitors find the black teas smooth and mild with peachy sweetness, and green teas gentle and balanced.

šŸžļøĀ Scenic & Cultural Immersion: The tour isnā€™t just about tea ā€” itā€™s a cultural immersion into rural Georgian life. The village setting, mountain views, and chance to engage with local tea farmers make the experience rewarding beyond the cup itself.

šŸŒ¾Ā Unlike larger commercial attractions, this tour gives you a close-up look at artisan tea production, connecting you directly with the farmers and their craft ā€” from seedling to steaming cup.

āœØ Summary:Ā The Velvet Tea Tour in Chiatura offers a blend of hands-on tea exploration, sensory tastings, and cultural storytelling, all set against the backdrop of Georgiaā€™s verdant highlands ā€” a must-visit for anyone curious about the countryā€™s growing tea heritage.

šŸ—ŗļøĀ Nearby Highlights: A short journey of around 10ā€“15 km brings you to the Katskhi Pillar, a 40 m natural limestone monolith hosting the medieval Katskhi Monastery atop its summit, home to a solitary monk.Ā šŸ›ļø Also donā€™t miss the Chiatura Mining Museum in a reclaimed mine building, where dusty machinery and interactive exhibits tell the story of the valleyā€™s manganese-rich roots.

ā›Ŗ Temple architecture continues with the Darkveti Church of St George on a mountaintop above Mghvimevi, a single-nave 10thā€“11th-century basilica with carved masonry that marks medieval Georgian sacred design andšŸŒ‹ For those drawn to nature, a brief drive west brings you to Karst regions like Sataplia, with its dinosaur footprints and caves ā€” though that ventures a bit further out.

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  • Velvet Tea Company

Velvet tea cultural tour

    šŸŒæ Velvet Tea (also known locally as Teamo,) based in the village of Gezruli near Chiatura in Georgiaā€™s Imereti region,...

    60.00 GEL

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      Description

      šŸŒæ Velvet Tea (also known locally as Teamo,) based in the village of Gezruli near Chiatura in Georgiaā€™s Imereti region, is an organic tea cooperative founded in 2016 by Koba Shekiladze and eight other locals. They cultivate and process tea at around 690 meters above sea level, taking advantage of the area's pure mountain climate to produce high-quality, certified organic teas.Ā šŸŒ± Company is operating across 22 hectares, Velvet Teaā€”or the Velvet Tea Cooperativeā€”employs over 25 people. The brand "Teamo," meaning "I love you" (Italian), reflects their commitment and affectionate approach to crafting tea. They combine traditional hand-picking methods with modern manufacturing machineryā€”such as withering, rolling, drying, sorting, and packaging equipmentā€”acquired through support from the EU and GRETA project partners from Sweden and Austria.

      šŸƒĀ Their tea includes green twisted tea, classic black tea, and blueberry-leaf tea. All are organic-certified by Caucascert (certified around 2017ā€“2021) and are featured on the EU Tea Route. Beyond production, Velvet Tea is exploring agritourismā€”envisioning experiences where visitors may pick, process, and taste tea on-site, perhaps even staying overnight on the plantation.Ā šŸŒæĀ What Youā€™ll Do on the Velvet Tea Tour:

      šŸƒ Walk Through the Tea Garden: The tour begins with a stroll through Velvet Teaā€™s organic plantations. Here you learn about: how tea bushes thrive in the mountain microclimate, the varieties grown in the region (black, green, wild, and herbal blends) and sustainable cultivation practices that respect the local ecosystem

      šŸ‚Ā Tea Harvesting Insight: Guides often show how tea leaves are hand-picked, emphasizing careful selection of tender shoots that define quality flavors. Youā€™ll hear about the farmā€™s history, its revival from Soviet-era neglect, and how modern organic methods blend with tradition.

      šŸ”„Ā Processing Demonstration: After the garden walk, visitors typically see ā€” and sometimes participate in ā€” aspects of the tea processing workflow. This includes: withering and rolling, drying techniques, sorting and packaging and this part of the tour reveals how fresh leaves become finished teas ready for drinking.

      šŸµĀ Tea Tasting: The highlight of the experience is the tea tasting session. Youā€™ll sample a variety of Velvet Teaā€™s handcrafted teas, enjoying the delicate aromas and flavors that reflect the unique terroir of Chiaturaā€™s highlands. Many visitors find the black teas smooth and mild with peachy sweetness, and green teas gentle and balanced.

      šŸžļøĀ Scenic & Cultural Immersion: The tour isnā€™t just about tea ā€” itā€™s a cultural immersion into rural Georgian life. The village setting, mountain views, and chance to engage with local tea farmers make the experience rewarding beyond the cup itself.

      šŸŒ¾Ā Unlike larger commercial attractions, this tour gives you a close-up look at artisan tea production, connecting you directly with the farmers and their craft ā€” from seedling to steaming cup.

      āœØ Summary:Ā The Velvet Tea Tour in Chiatura offers a blend of hands-on tea exploration, sensory tastings, and cultural storytelling, all set against the backdrop of Georgiaā€™s verdant highlands ā€” a must-visit for anyone curious about the countryā€™s growing tea heritage.

      šŸ—ŗļøĀ Nearby Highlights: A short journey of around 10ā€“15 km brings you to the Katskhi Pillar, a 40 m natural limestone monolith hosting the medieval Katskhi Monastery atop its summit, home to a solitary monk.Ā šŸ›ļø Also donā€™t miss the Chiatura Mining Museum in a reclaimed mine building, where dusty machinery and interactive exhibits tell the story of the valleyā€™s manganese-rich roots.

      ā›Ŗ Temple architecture continues with the Darkveti Church of St George on a mountaintop above Mghvimevi, a single-nave 10thā€“11th-century basilica with carved masonry that marks medieval Georgian sacred design andšŸŒ‹ For those drawn to nature, a brief drive west brings you to Karst regions like Sataplia, with its dinosaur footprints and caves ā€” though that ventures a bit further out.

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      General overview of our tea cultural route

      šŸŒĀ The term European Cultural RouteĀ refers to a project that crosses one or more countries or regions organized around a community whose historical, artistic or social interests are clearly European. šŸƒĀ Our tea cultural routeĀ covers all Georgian tea regions: Guria, Samegrelo, Imereti regions, Adjara and Tbilisi. šŸ«– The route tells the history of the development of tea culture in Georgia and its importance in both local and international markets.

      šŸ‘„Ā The participants of the route are:Ā Georgian bio tea companies, associations, tea houses, museums, cafe-bars and so on that will tell their stories and offer a variety of services to the visitors: šŸµ tasting of several types of tea, šŸ›ļø historical excursion, šŸŒ± getting acquainted with the picking, processing process and so on.

      šŸ“‹Ā Requirements for beneficiaries:Ā First of all, they must have a story that sets them apart from others (Make your story, sell your story), šŸŒ¾ "Farm to table" concept, šŸš¶ interested persons will be able to visit tea companies and taste on the spot, šŸŒ with the help of our web-site. They also need to implement appropriate standards, šŸ¤ take asocial responsibility, šŸ—ļø have a adequate infrastructure for visitors and so on šŸƒ

      Information about company, address and contact

      šŸŒæ Velvet Tea (Teamo)šŸ“ Gezruli, Chiatura ā€“ Imereti Highlands, Georgia - Velvet Tea (also known as Velveti or Teamo) is an organic tea initiative based in Gezruli, Chiatura, in Georgiaā€™s Imereti highlands. Founded in 2016 by Koba Shekiladze and a small team, the cooperative revived old tea plantations and now grows, processes, and packages tea at about 650ā€“690 meters above sea level. ā›°ļøšŸƒ

      šŸ“ Address: Address of Velvet Tea (Teamo) ā€“ Village Gezruli, Chiatura Municipality, Imereti, Georgia

      šŸ—ŗļø Google Maps: Location link on Google map ā€“ https://maps.app.goo.gl/YpA6Ayxcz94hTcnn8

      šŸ“ž Mobile Phone +995 577 95 48 75

      šŸ’¬ WhatsApp +995 599 04 44 14

      šŸ“˜ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Teamo-100086261562531/

      šŸ“§ Email: velvettea2016@gmail.com: kobashekiladze1963@gmail.com: nukrishekiladze@gmail.com

      šŸŒ± Visit Velvet Tea (Teamo): We invite you to visit Velvet Tea (Teamo) in the beautiful highlands of Chiatura, where centuries-old tea traditions are being revived with passion and care. At our estate in Gezruli village, you can walk among the tea bushes, see how tender leaves are hand-picked and crafted into delicate black, green, white, and herbal teas, and experience the natural beauty that makes this region so special. šŸƒāœØ After the tour, we welcome you to taste our teas and take home your favorites, so you can enjoy the smooth and gentle flavors of Velvet Tea long after your visit. šŸµšŸ’š

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