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Before I left Tbilisi, Georgia, I had the opportunity to go on a wine tasting tour with Eat This! Tours in Georgia. As always, I try to be as honest here as possible. So when I say I don’t normally drink wine, I’m not lying. The thing is, after spending a week in Georgia (and doing a few other wine tasting experiences in Tbilisi), I know how important wine is to the Georgian people, economy, and culture.

Because of this knowledge, I decided there wasn’t a more appropriate tour to do while in Georgia than a wine tasting. The great thing about taking a tour with Eat This! Tours is the small group size along with genuine experiences. However, not every tour is exactly the same, but I will tell you about my experience on the Kakheti Winter Wine Tour. So this tour runs from November to March, but has a similar tour from April to October called Vines and Villages. You can get 5% off any of their tours with code sopha5. Click here to see all of their tour options and pricing.

Where to Stay in Tbilisi

I stayed at this incredible Air B’n’B that I have to share because I loved it so much! The location was ideal for walking, it’s on a quiet street, and in a safe area with multiple security measures. The host is very responsive as well, and was very accommodating when I extended my trip. If you aren’t into Air B’nB, the Radisson Blu is an incredible hotel with great views. For something less expensive, but still nice in a great area, The Best Western is the perfect option.

The Wine Tasting Tour

As I said above, the tour was run by Eat This! Tours in Georgia. I highly recommend booking through them because it made everything so simple. The day before the tour, I was asked for the address of where I was staying and the van picked me up about a block from there the next morning. Typically, the van will pick you up at your hotel!

Since you will have a driver who knows a lot about wine and the history of Georgia, it makes this tour extra special. It gives a great background to what you will learn at the wineries when you get there, plus it passes the time on the road. 

Note: If you’re prone to getting car sick, be sure to take your medications/bands/patches along. I did fine in the back seat of the 8 passenger van, but the roads in Georgia aren’t exactly straight! 

Giuaani Winery

The first stop was at Giuaani winery. They are considered a medium sized winery by Georgian standards, making 30,000 bottles of wine per year. We started out with a tour of the property, which includes an outdoor pool, fire pits, 14 rooms to accommodate guests, and a small square of vineyard. During the harvest time in September, guests can take a master class and learn the art of winemaking from picking to bottling. 

After touring the property, we were taken into the warehouse where the wine-making happens. This is where bottling and labeling happen. Plus, all the different machines, qvevris (clay pots where wine is fermented – a Georgian technique) and their chacha containers are there. Chacha is a Georgian liquor made by distilling the leftover skins and stems after the wine is made. It’s around 50-60% alcohol content, so beware!

The Wines

Next, we went back to the main dining and bar area and were seated at a beautiful table with 4 wine glasses each. We ended up actually tasting 6 wines, plus their home-made chacha! Their Amber wine was my favorite that I’d had my entire stay in Georgia. The amber wines are special to Georgia because they are made in the qvevri with the skins, seeds, and stems of the grapes. They can be quite dry, which isn’t my favorite, but the Rkatsiteli Qvevri wine is one to take note of! 

Not only did we have wine here, but we were served an array of traditional Georgian food. Some of which I hadn’t tried the previous week. They told us what to eat with each wine pairing, which made the whole experience even better! But the kubdari was my favorite – it is a take on the traditional khachapuri, but is with beef instead of only cheese. My kind of food!

Kerovani Winery

Our second winery was in Sighnaghi, a gorgeous town near the Caucasus mountains. Sighnaghi is a small village, but is a popular area for tourists to go because of the history and the proximity of the Caucasus Mountains. Kerovani winery is a smaller family winery, but has so much genuine heart behind their business. They produce about 3000 bottles of wine per year. And they are working on creating a guest house so people can stay at the winery and get a more genuine experience.

Starting out, we got to see one of the tanks where they make their chacha. If you are catching on, you’ll notice none of the leftovers go to waste in the wine-making process in Georgia. After learning more about the process of making chacha, we went inside the marani; the wine library/cellar. This is where the qvevris are, as well as bottles from every year they have been making wine, and their bottles of Pet-Nat fermenting upside down. 

We tasted 4 wines here all with distinct differences from the first stop. The Pet-Nat was my favorite for sure! It was one of the best wines I’ve ever had in my life. I wanted to take 10 bottles home, but I had no space in my luggage. They do ship, but only to continental Europe. We tasted some delicious traditional Georgian snacks with the wine here, lighter than the first stop, which was appreciated because we had a big dinner to go to at our last stop!

Burjanadze Wine Cellar

And so, last, but certainly not least, we were invited into a Georgian family’s home to taste their home-made wines and participate in supra. Supra is a Georgian dinner tradition with a toastmaster, tons of wine, and a feast of delicious home made Georgian food. Burjanadze Wine Cellar is a true family affair. Not only does the family make wine at their house, but the brother and sister-in-law have their own wine-making business as well. In a year, they bottle about 2000 bottles of wine. Though 500 of those go to friends and family as gifts or are used at their own table.

I did a couple of supras during the week in Tbilisi, and they were very nice, but it was nothing compared to this experience. Being invited into the home of locals is one of the most incredible experiences no matter where you go, but the Georgian people are some of the most hospitable and kind people I’ve ever met. 

Supra

When we arrived at the house, there was a barbecue going with the leaves, stems, and trimmings of the grape vines with chicken roasting. Not only that, but the mother was making a traditional Georgian treat called gozinaki, usually only made for Christmas. It is finely chopped walnuts mixed with Georgian honey and then smooshed into a flat block and cut into pieces for eating. It was so delicious! The family put so much time and energy into cooking for us. It made the whole experience that much more genuine. We even had mulled wine!

The toastmaster is usually the head of the household or whoever will be most entertaining as the host. Georgians start by toasting God, then it goes to the ones who couldn’t be there, then to the people in the room. It was very emotional, many of us were crying at one point or another. Honoring those who we miss and embracing our memories of them. 

Besides that, the family sang for us. It was such a heartwarming thing to see, and really made me miss my family. After a few songs in Georgian, they sang some Guns and Roses! I’m not joking. And after we finished eating, grandfather and grandson played the piano together. I can’t express how amazing the whole experience was.

So if you’re still wondering if you should book the trip to Georgia, I’m telling you to stop wondering. You won’t regret it! And be sure to incorporate some of the wine culture in your stay with Eat This! Tours Georgia. And don’t forget my discount code: sopha5. For more things to do, check out Georgia’s travel site!

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