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Guguli is a young cognac brand owned by the company of the same name, located in the Georgian city of Bolnisi. The company’s products are exported to Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, France, Spain. The exclusive distributor in the Russian Federation is Forward Management Group.
Brand history. The company “Guguli” was established relatively recently, in 1996. However, the starting point of the history of the enterprise is considered to be 1908 – the date of the founding of the winery “Union” in the German settlement of Ekaterinenfeld (now the city of Bolnisi) in the Borchaly district. The plant was built by the efforts of the partnership of the same name, which united more than forty colonists-vine growers. Emmanuel Almendinger became the first director of the company, in 1918 this post passed to his son Ernst.
Viticulture and winemaking were traditional types of economy for the German settlers, which they were engaged in in their historical homeland – in Württemberg. And after resettlement, adaptation to new living conditions, experiments with different cultures, the colonists returned to the cultivation of vineyards. At the same time, they grew foreign and local varieties of grapes, used Georgian traditions and European technologies in winemaking. According to the data of 1912, vineyards in the Ekaterinenfeld colony occupied 600 acres and belonged to 680 owners.
The wine produced at the factory was in great demand, which allowed the company to open its own wine cellar in Tiflis, build an alcohol distillation shop, and later the Almendinger I. cognac factory. The production of alcohol products in a short time brought great profits, by 1913 the company reached its highest rise. The Union cooperative opened branches in many cities of the Russian Empire and sold wines and cognacs through them. The partnership was active until the early 1930s, had a large turnover, maintained schools, a chemical laboratory, and provided scholarships for talented young people to study.
In 1941, the activities of the union “Union” was terminated, the plant became the property of the government. Over the next few decades, table wines, port wine, Madeira and cognac spirits were produced here. The modern stage in the history of the plant began with the formation of Guguli LLC, which became the successor to the Union community. The enterprise has reconstructed and modernized production facilities, increased its own raw material base, and planted young vineyards.
In 2007, having presented a well-thought-out business plan and reliable financial guarantees, LLC “Guguli” received a long-term target loan from the Georgian government for the purchase of grapes. The funds were allocated as part of a project to support companies whose priority was to be the production of alcohol as a raw material for cognacs and brandy.
The assortment portfolio includes the Guguli line, vintage cognacs Colchis, Bouquet of Georgia, traditional chacha, table wines, wine and cognac spirits, which the company supplies abroad. In accordance with the license agreement, the Kolkhida and Old Kakheti cognacs produced by Guguli LLC are also bottled at the Belarusian plant Minsk-Kristall.
How to distinguish a fake
The Guguli brand has been produced since 2014 and relatively recently appeared on the Russian market. When buying, you should pay attention to the features of design and packaging inherent in the products of the plant:
- cognac is bottled in tall bottles with a long narrow neck and a depressed bottom;
- the label is distinguished by high-quality printing with gold embossing, it depicts scenes of the grape harvest;
- the cork cap is made of plastic, stylized as a tree;
- must have an excise stamp.
Types of cognac Guguli
“Guguli 3 years”, 40%
The youngest cognac of the line, produced from high-quality cognac spirits of average age for at least three years. Aromatic woody-fruity, with a predominance of shades of ripe peach, figs, dates, oak bark. Rancio tone, light chocolate and vanilla notes are felt on the palate.
“Guguli 5 years”, 40%
The blend contains 5-year-old cognac spirits from the eastern and central regions of Georgia, made from Rkatsiteli, Tsolikauri, Chinuri grape varieties. The aroma is warm, not alcoholic, with a powerful woody-balsamic note. The taste is dominated by confectionery shades: chocolate with fudge, vanilla, walnut kernels, giving a slight astringency. It gives the impression of a very dense drink that envelops the palate and tongue. The aftertaste lasts a long time, revealing spicy nuances of ginger, Yemeni cinnamon, white pepper.
“Guguli 7 years”, 40%
Aged cognac, made on the basis of distillates from the best wine-growing regions of Georgia. To obtain aromatic and rich in taste alcohols, slow-ripening grape varieties with high acidity are used, which grow on unique calcareous soils. The bouquet is dominated by tones of forest flowers, white raisins, “chocolate” dried apricots. Full-bodied on the palate, with bright nutty, vanilla and jam notes. The finish is long, with hints of prunes, leather and tobacco leaf. The magic of taste is well shaded by a Dominican cigar.
KV Colchis, 40%
It is made from aged cognac spirits of an average age of at least 7 years. The name of the drink was in honor of the ancient Georgian kingdom, first mentioned by the ancient writer Aeschylus and well known for the myth of the Golden Fleece. The design of the label plays on this theme: it depicts the ship of the Argonauts. In the complex aroma, spicy tones are distinguished, reminiscent of the smells of steppe forbs, nuances of dried figs, candied pear, and sandalwood. The taste is dry, with a light tannin dominant, bright fruity scale against the background of notes of roasted coffee beans.
Bouquet of Georgia, 40%
Blended from 4-year-old distillates. Cognac wine materials are produced from autochthonous grape varieties. The aroma is soft, with a good balance of vanilla and woody tones. It has a bright and structured taste: tannins create a pleasant astringency, the presence of dark fruit notes gives the drink richness and depth. It will be a worthy accompaniment to traditional Caucasian dishes.
