Temi
by
Kathy Sullivan
Summary: Temi is a community created for vulnerable people living in Georgia. The focus of Temi is “to empower” and protect the residents. Farming and making wines provides a lifestyle for vulnerable people who can achieve a level of independence at Temi. The Temi community is a nonprofit and charitable organization.
Temi is a community created by Nikoloz Kvashali for socially vulnerable people. Temi in Georgian means community. Our first visit to Temi inspired us. The community is a home and workplace for many people who might have had no future. The focus of the Temi community is on farming, all of which is organic. Nikoloz and others realize the potential of these people when they are in a community that protects them. His goal is “to empower” these vulnerable people.
Nikoloz Kvashali purchased the property in 1990. The original building was built in 1914. The land consists of 23 hectares with seven hectares of organic vineyards. The property, with several buildings is located in an area of Georgia that is considered a wine tourism region.
Currently several buildings are on the property including a dormitory for the residents, a large greenhouse, a carpenter’s workshop, a marani (wine cellar), a laundry facility and the 1914 building. More than 100 people are involved at Temi. The greenhouse is very large and spring plantings had already begun in late March. In early spring we saw eggplant, dill and parsley among the thriving plants.
In the future Nikoloz hopes to add a restaurant to Temi. A restaurant onsite would attract more visitors as well as create more job opportunities for the residents.
Nikoloz’s Hope for Sustainability
For Nikoloz, his focus is that the revenue from wine tourism will go into the community. In the future he hopes to increase the number of vulnerable people in the community. Other potential revenue may come from wine, bread, carpentry, and the future restaurant. In the meantime, donations are needed to get Temi to the point of self-sufficiency.
The Marani
The marani has 12 qvevris with a capacity of between 2½ and 3 tons. There are another 12 qvevris, also between 2½ and 3 tons capacity, in the unroofed extension of the marani already buried underground. In the future there is hope to build a third area that will have smaller capacity qvevris buried. The tasting room is in the main house. We enjoyed tasting the wines from the marani with Nikoloz while enjoying the sunshine and views from an upper level patio.
Wines
We tasted two wines while at Temi. The Rkatsiteli 2012 was a dark gold to amber color. The aroma and taste offered notes of daisies and roses with a hint of yellow stone fruit. The finish had bold, chewy tannins. This wine was produced with six months of skin contact. The wine was racked off the chacha into a clean qvevri for nine to twelve months of additional aging before bottling. Saperavi 2012 was a dark purple with a ruby rim. The wine was fermented and aged on chacha for two months. Afterwards it was racked off the chacha to a clean qvevri for additional aging. The aroma was of black fruits and the taste had notes of black berries. The finish was very fruity with very bold tannins.
While Temi is growing and trying to become self-sufficient, it is in need of donations. Unlike the welfare system in the United States, many of the people living at Temi have no source of income. For anyone interested in donating contact: contact@temi-community.org. Currently the Temi community has some ways to earn money including with wine tourism and the sale of handmade wood furniture. In the future they hope to bake more bread and sell it locally.
In my opinion, the Temi community is a wonderful prototype for vulnerable people throughout the world. To create more communities like Temi requires hard work and capital but is a goal worth pursuing.
Temi
Gremi Village, Kakheti, Georgia
42°00'57.0"N 45°40'29.0"E
http://www.temi-community.org
Article Written April 2014
