I can barely put into words how much I love Georgia. Seriously. It’s hands down my favorite country. The food, the wine, the people, the landscape, it truly has it all. I have had it on my bucket list for years. I even wrote my master’s thesis on wine and tourism in Georgia (did you know it’s the birthplace of wine!?) hoping I would get to go and do some field research during the summer of 2020. Of course, as you know, that didn’t happen. I finally got to visit this year for my birthday and it was everything I could have hoped for and more! Plus, my (now) fiance proposed there!! It’ll definitely always have a special place in my heart and I am so excited (lies. I’m positively giddy) to share about my favorite wineries in Georgia.
Before you read further
Let me give you the TL;DR of what kind of wineries you’ll find in this post so you can make sure it matches your travel style before you keep reading.
I’m someone who is extremely interested in wine and how it ties to both the history and the culture of a country. For me, it was very important to be able to taste as much local qvevri wine as possible (the traditional way of making Georgian wine). The wineries you’ll find listed here all make traditional qvevri wine. Some of them also have European style wines as well but I urge you to keep an open mind and learn about qvevri wine and try as many varieties as you can.
I also wasn’t interested in any of the large wineries. I wanted an intimate experience so that I could learn as much as possible and support small family wineries. A lot of the wineries you’ll find in this post are ones where I got to meet the winemaker himself/herself. I’m not saying larger wineries aren’t worth visiting. You just won’t find them in this post.
Ready? Keep reading for a list of my favorite wineries.
Quick overview of our trip
We went to Georgia in late April and the weather was pretty mild. We occasionally needed a light jacket but overall I think it was a great time to visit Georgia.
From the United States, we flew on Qatar Airways to Doha and then connected to Tbilisi. We spent a few days in Tbilisi and then spent 4 days exploring wine country. We ended our trip with a trip to Kazbegi and then returned to Tbilisi for a couple more days.
I cannot emphasize enough how much I love Georgia! We’re going to talk a lot about wine in this post so I’ll skip that part and instead talk about the food and the people. The food is out of this world and SO vegetarian friendly. Every single meal I ate in Georgia was so good that I had to stop myself from closing my eyes and moaning a little (don’t judge me). And Georgian hospitality is on another level. Everyone we met was kind and so willing to share their beautiful culture with us, especially Georgian winemakers.
Winemaking history
While I encourage you to read about the history of Georgia in general (or take a walking tour when you get to Georgia), we’ll just stick to winemaking history for the purposes of this post.
Georgia is considered the ‘cradle of wine’ as the first known wine has been traced back to the region in 6,000BC. The traditional method used qvevris, large, egg-shaped clay vessels for wine fermentation, maturation, and storage. The qvevri is among the earliest examples of winemaking technology in the world. Pretty neat, right? The qvevri is buried below ground with only the rim visible above ground. These vessels are large enough for a person to climb down into, which is necessary to clean it.
We’re not just talking about thousands of years of winemaking history here. We are talking about something that is embedded into Georgian culture, pride, and identity to this day. You can’t think of Georgia without also thinking of a qvevri. This is what makes wine tourism here so special.
Wine during Soviet occupied Georgia
What’s even more remarkable is that this ancient winemaking technique was almost lost. When the Soviet Union took control of Georgia, winemakers lost their land or had to give up their grapes and the Georgian wine industry was altered, seemingly forever. Qvevri-made wine did not fit the Soviet Union’s economic goals, given how long it takes to produce. Steel tanks replaced qvevris and officials uprooted more than 500 local grape varieties. Neither the quality of grapes nor the quality of wine mattered, a stark contrast to the beautiful tradition of qvevri wine.
I share this piece of the history because the reemergence of qvevri wine post Soviet occupied Georgia is a beautiful tribute to centuries of tradition and the country’s history. This technique could have easily been lost and, like the rest of the world, the wine here would have just been made in steel tanks, a true loss for us all.
This was a very very brief history of the wine in Georgia and if you’re interested in learning more, I highly recommend learning from Georgians themselves when you’re visiting. There are so many people who make their own wine, even just for personal consumption.
Do you see why I love Georgian wine so much?
What makes qvevri wine different from steel tank wine?
Now that you know what a qvevri is you’re probably asking yourself how the wine created by this traditional Georgian winemaking technology differs from European style winemaking. Unlike when wine is fermented in steel tanks, everything goes into these massive clay pots: the grape juice, skin, and sometimes even the stems. Ever heard of an amber (also known as orange) wine? That color is created by the skin contact in the qvevri. The flavors of wine aged in qvevri are going to be different than you are used to so be sure to try different grape varieties until you find what you like. I personally love wines made from the Kisi grape.
Kakheti Region
Kakheti is one of the most important Georgian wine regions and is just a couple of hours away from Tbilisi. You’ll find 80 indigenous grape varieties here with the most important being Rkatsiteli (white grapes) and Saperavi (red grapes). The region also produces some well-known international grape varieties, such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir,
Where to stay in Kakheti
The two main areas to stay in are Sighnaghi and Telavi. For our 4 nights we spent one night at a winery (I’ll cover that experience later on in the post), one night in Sighnaghi at a guesthouse, and two nights in Telavi at Communal Hotel, which I recommend.
While Sighnaghi is a charming town, you don’t necessarily need to stay the night there if your main priority is wine tasting at different wineries. I think the best wines are near Telavi and you could easily spend 3 nights there instead. That being said, if you do spend a night in Sighnaghi, I would recommend the Lost Ridge Inn which is a brewery and ranch. They were unfortunately sold out for our dates but we did go there for brews and dinner and it’s a gorgeous, tranquil spot.
How to get around
I would recommend getting a driver for Georgia. We contemplated driving ourselves but didn’t want to add the complexity to the trip. Plus, we wanted someone knowledgeable about the wine region who would be able to take us to non touristy wineries. I wanted to be able to meet local winemakers and learn about their story in an intimate setting aka any big wineries were not what I was looking for.
If you only read one thing in this post, let it be this. Our guide and driver, David, is the reason we had such an incredible experience in Georgia. I’m sure you can find other private tours but I have never met someone who is so knowledgeable about wine. He knew all the best off the beaten path wineries to visit, including wineries where the winemaker only spoke Georgian and he was able to translate for us. We learned so much about him, Georgian wine, local culture, etc. I couldn’t recommend him enough! You can shoot him an email and just tell him what you’re looking for and he can create a tailored experience. His prices are extremely reasonable and again, you won’t find any other guides in the area who knows wine the way he does.
Without further ado, let’s dive into my list of the best wineries!
Manavi
Giuaani Winery
Our first stop in Kakheti was Giuaani Winery in Manavi. This is a winery I found myself when I was doing my research before the trip. We knew we wanted to spend one night at a winery and Giuaani Winery was the perfect place. The grounds are absolutely stunning, the staff is so polite and accommodating, and the rooms are brand new. This is also where my fiance popped the question so it’s extra special to me.
After we checked in, we learned about their winemaking process (they do both qvevri wines and European style wine making) and then we did a wine tasting in their beautiful tasting room followed by a delectable lunch with some live music. Afterwards, we got a glass of wine and just enjoyed sitting in their garden. After Eric got down on one knee on the roof deck (I still can’t believe it!!!), we had a fantastic dinner complete with Pet Nat, which is surprisingly one of my new favorite sparkling wines.
The wine itself is pretty good though you will find better wines near Telavi. I loved their Pet Nat and a few of their qvevri wines. I would recommend spending the night here if you have a night to spare just given the quality of the overall experience and the peacefulness of the grounds. It’s really a great place to sit and stay awhile. If you’re just going to do a wine tasting and then leave, I would skip this winery.
Sighnaghi
We spent one night in the charming medieval town of Sighnaghi and visited two spots for wine tasting.
Okro’s
David recommended we make a stop at this wine restaurant and cellar so, after we walked around the remnants of the walls in Sighnaghi, we stopped here for a wine tasting. They also have a restaurant but we didn’t get a chance to try any of the dishes as the gas had been shut off in the town.
The view from the top of this spot is spectacular and it’s a great way to spend an afternoon. As for the wine itself, this was the first spot I tried a Kisi amber wine and loved it! I still maintain that the best wine is near Telavi but if you’re in Sighnaghi this spot is definitely worth the stop and is a great way to sample different Georgian wines.
Kerovani
We stumbled upon this little gem and I’m so glad that we did. In his previous life, the winemaker was a software developer (like Eric, my fiance!) and decided to try something different. He showed us the qvevris he uses and took us on a little tour of the cellar. We tried all of the wines they had here and some of their dishes (the food was excellent!).
We got engaged the night before and when we mentioned that to the winemaker (I wish I could remember his name!), he was so thrilled for us and brought us a little cake and a glass of brandy to celebrate. While we were doing our wine tasting, another group was having an issue with their Airbnb and the staff helped them find a new spot and even drove them to go get their luggage. After we were done with our tasting, the winemaker drove us over to Lost Ridge Inn and even talked to them so Eric, who is obsessed with beer, could taste some beer right out of the tank. To me, this is one of the best examples of Georgian hospitality and I highly recommend you make a stop at this winery!
Telavi
Berika
David took us to this winery after we left Sighnaghi. I told him we trusted him completely and to just take us to wineries that he loved. It was my 31st birthday and our first stop was at Berika where we met this badass 25-year old woman who was the winemaker. Seriously, I couldn’t ask for a better start to my birthday than to meet such a strong, inspiring woman! It was just us and she had prepared a spread of bread, cheese, and some other snacks. We sat down with her and got to learn about her story, what wines she likes to make, and of course, try her incredible wines with a stunning view of the vineyards the entire time. We even walked through the vineyard afterwards together.
This is why I love Georgia. Where else do you get an experience like this? No one ever rushes you. They genuinely want you to enjoy the wine and take your time savoring it. I couldn’t recommend this winery enough! All of her wine is wonderful but I loved the Saperavi (a varietal that you can loosely compare to a Cabernet Sauvignon) in particular. She even gave me a bottle for my birthday!
Ibero
Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, we went to our next winery, Ibero. We basically went to his house and got a tour of the wine he makes in the cellar attached to the house. We then sat on his front porch where he had prepared quite the spread for us and spent the next few hours sitting together, trying the wine, and learning about his story. He didn’t speak one word of English and yet was so accommodating and kind. David translated for us the entire time.
We learned about the tradition of giving a toast each time you get a new glass of wine. We took turns making heartfelt toasts and it was such a beautiful experience that it’s now something we continue to do in Boston.
In addition to his spectacular wines, he also makes port because his son spent quite some time in Portugal.
After a few hours, we were quite tipsy. David explained that the winemaker would just keep pouring us wine until we decided to leave. Again, we spent an entire afternoon on this man’s porch eating and drinking to our heart’s content. Hands down one of the best experiences I’ve had in my life.
Shalauri Winery
Yet another fantastic winery. This winery is extremely special to us as we got to try wine directly from the qvevri. It was so refreshing and such a unique experience. We then did a full wine tasting (and of course, there were wonderful snacks again!). It was so hard to pick a favorite wine. Like I mentioned, the Telavi area wineries really know what they’re doing. David was our translator again and we had a wonderful morning learning about the winery.
Tbilisi
Dadi wine shop
You can find great wine in Tbilisi as well! We absolutely loved this spot in Tbilisi. They really know their wine here. We just let them take us on a journey. We got 4 glasses of incredible amber wine and delicious cheese. The best part about this spot? The waitress had this adorable little dog who kept walking around and checking on everyone. He took his job very seriously.
Bottom Line
Georgia is a beautiful country with so much to offer everyone, especially wine lovers. You can find every type of wine here: full-bodied reds, amber, and refreshing white wines. Savoring wine is hands down one of the best things to do in Georgia. There are endless possibilities for wine tasting but my advice? Skip the largest wineries and go for the small family wineries. Gamarjost! (cheers in Georgian)
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