Tsivis Kveli
December 2022
Tsivis Kveli is a dairy factory founded by Gocha Gagashvili in Telavi, the wine region and capital of Kakheti, Georgia. Gocha learned the cheese-making trade from his father, Simoni Gagashvili, who worked at a dairy factory in Soviet Georgia until 1991. Gocha’s father believed and instilled in him that milk from cattle raised in the Tsiv-Gombori mountain range, Georgia’s section of the Greater Caucasus mountains, is “White Gold,” and cheese produced from this milk is among the best in the world.
Tsivis Kveli Factory Director, Giorgi Gagashvili, and his Father and Factory Owner, Gocha Gagashvili.
Gocha would experiment with making cheese in his kitchen using 20 liters of milk sourced from farmers with pastures in the Tsiv-Gombori mountain range when possible. In 2008, he officially started his dairy factory in the Telavi village of Kurdgelauri. He derived his dairy factory name, “Tsivis Kveli,” from the Tsiv-Gombori mountain range, “Tsivi,” and cheese in the Georgian language, “Kveli.”
Tsivis Kveli is the largest dairy factory in Telavi and the only Kosher cheese factory in Georgia. The factory manufactures eight spices of up to 100 varieties of cheese from cow and buffalo milk, including Tomme, Pressed, Sulguni, Scamorza, Imeruli, Guda, Chechili, Ricotta, and Cottage. It also manufactures butter and sour cream. Their dairy products are distributed to and sold in the United States, China, Dubai, and Singapore. They are sold at Carrefour Supermarkets, duty-free and local markets, and used in restaurants, hotels, and cafes in Georgia.
The COVID-19 global pandemic significantly impacted the daily operations of the factory. Pre-pandemic milk processing was up to 4000 liters daily. Currently, the factory processes up to 1500 liters of milk daily. There were over 40 full-time employees before the pandemic, and now there are 15.
The factory has been honored with numerous awards and certifications, including the “Georgian Quality” Mark by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia. Companies with the “Georgian Quality” Mark meet quality classifiers such as Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Traditional Products, Georgian Quality, Grass Fed, Hand Made, Stemming from the Highlands, Forest Nurtured, Juice of Immediate Squeeze, Bio Product and Transitioning to Bio Production.
Tsivis Kveli is not only a cheese producer but also a developer of rural agricultural tourism. The company offers cheese-making master classes, tasting, and history tours. The company takes an active part in the exhibitions, fairs, and charity events organized by foreign Embassies in Georgia.