Discovering Wine Legacy Of Georgia Now In Kakheti: A Journey Through The Birthplace Of Wine

Sunday, July 27, 2025

When nan official tourism website for Georgia raves that “In Georgia, each roads lead to wine,” it’s difficult to not beryllium enticed. And truthful I americium driving into nan Kakheti region, not knowing wherever I americium going and afloat of anticipation for nan legendary vino civilization of nan country. Situated astatine nan intersection of Asia and Europe, Georgia has a very absorbing operation of cultures. And there’s nan vino — red, amber, rosé and achromatic wines that encapsulate Georgia’s age-old ways of life.

The Birthplace of Wine successful Georgia

Georgia is considered nan birthplace of vino and its winemaking practices going backmost much than 6000 years. For immoderate context: While past civilizations were still whittling devices retired of rocks, Georgians were fine-tuning nan creation of winemaking. Today, much than 500 autochthonal grape varieties turn here, and nan Kakheti region is nan halfway of Georgia’s vino production. Just a fewer hours from Tbilisi, nan region provides a uncommon chance to acquisition age-old customs, firsthand.

Wine civilization successful Georgia, though steeped successful tradition, whitethorn ne'er beryllium much evident than successful a statue overlooking nan superior metropolis of Tbilisi that stands arsenic possibly nan champion metaphor for nan country: Kartlis Deda (Mother of Georgia), opinionated connected Sololaki Hill. One manus is holding beard and nan different is holding a vessel of vino to correspond Georgia arsenic a powerful federation and gives vino anybody that wants it. In Kakheti, vino is each pervasive, from clusters of grapes adorning chromatic tablets to nan smell of fermentation which perpetually wafts successful nan air.

Qvevri: Preserving an Ancient Tradition

The infinitesimal I deed Kakheti, I brushwood a cluster of gigantic clay pots connected nan broadside of nan road. These are qvevri, accepted clay vessels for winemaking, which person been employed for nan past 8,000 years. Shards of pottery successful nan region are dressed up pinch grape motifs, and residue study connected immoderate of these has assuredly confirmed nan beingness of wine.

The qvevri method is still flourishing today, pinch galore vintners still employing these clay vessels, which get buried successful nan crushed – ensuring cool, somesthesia stableness perfect for fermentation. This winemaking method has been added to nan UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists, stressing its premier domiciled among taste assets of Georgian taste identity.

The Kakheti Wine Route

Motoring done Kakheti, I’m passing signposts each mates 100 meters advertizing tours of vineyards and vino tastings. This area is location to hundreds of small, family-run wineries — maranis — that connection their ain unsocial sensation of Georgia’s winemaking history. During nan precocious summertime harvest season, my guide, Mirian Takvarelia, tells me, these wineries are booked retired by visitors who want to spot nan accepted wine-making process successful action. But I’ve elected to enactment astatine nan Lopota Lake Resort & Spa – an opulent property complete pinch a vineyard and its ain winery. Exploring Georgia’s Grapes

I sensation various wines, served pinch food and walnuts pinch them. My standout is an amber wine, made pinch achromatic grapes whose skins person been fermented. This method adds aggravated and robust flavours to nan vino – a awesome transverse betwixt nan crispness of achromatic while retaining nan coagulated building of red. The amber vino is simply a existent revelation: a existent practice of nan famously orange-hued juice successful which shrimp-colored grape skins are near to macerate and impart their colour and flavor.

Exploring Kakheti’s Wine Culture

The adjacent fewer days I walk to get to cognize Kakheti a small amended and nan vineyards. I caput to nan elevation municipality of Sighnaghi, Georgia’s “City of Love,” to locomotion nan 18th-century fortified walls. I sensation section cheeses and churchkhela, a Georgian saccharine of nuts and grape juice, successful Telavi’s bustling market. At nan Alaverdi Monastery, I gape astatine murals that were painted hundreds of years agone while monks still make vino present successful nan aforesaid measurement it has been made for generations.

I besides scope retired Tsinandali Estate, nan erstwhile residence of nan poet-prince Alexander Chavchavadze, pinch its stone depository — a postulation of complete 10,000 bottles of vintage wine.

Rtveli Harvest Festival: A Sip to Remember

The Rtveli Harvest Festival, 1 of Kakheti’s astir joyful occasions, takes spot betwixt mid-September and nan extremity of October. Visitors to nan show tin get a sensation of nan winemaking life arsenic they prime and process grapes pinch nan thief of section wineries. At Lopota Lake Resort, guests are invited to return portion successful nan typical vino making festival, and to spot each shape of nan vino making process pinch their ain eyes.

In nan evening I feast for illustration a emblematic Georgian astatine nan resort’s Kakhetian Corner restaurant. The repast consists of nan khinkali (soup dumplings) and pkhali (vegetable, walnut dip) and each of it paired good pinch memorable amber wine.

Conclusion: A Philosophy of Wine Life

Sitting, Sipping my vino nether a entity stained lilac and roseate I image Kartlis Deda, ever-present pinch her vessel of wine, welcome. For Georgia, vino isn’t a drink, it’s a awesome of hospitality, tradition, culture. And arsenic I’m hanging out, I’m struck by nan truth that, successful this moment, vino is not conscionable a drink, but it’s an acquisition that brings maine person to nan psyche of Georgia.