Kakheti Wine
3
Day Itinerary •
Georgia
Three days in the Kakheti wine region gives you the complete extraordinary range of Georgia's oldest and finest wine country, from the hilltop town of Sighnaghi with its extraordinary Caucasus views to the ancient monastery of Alaverdi, the qvevri wine cellars of the Alazani valley and the extraordinary medieval city of Telavi with the Caucasus mountains rising directly above. This route covers the full Kakheti wine road. Sighnaghi and its extraordinary walls, the finest natural wine producers of the Alazani valley, the extraordinary Bodbe Monastery and St Nino's tomb, the ancient Alaverdi Cathedral in its vineyard plain, the Tsinandali estate and the Telavi fortress, all with the finest Rkatsiteli and Saperavi wines at every stop.
Best Time To Visit
May to June or September to October
Getting There
Drive 1.5 hours east from Tbilisi (TBS)
Getting Around
Rental car essential; wine road well signed
Budget Per Day
Approx 40 to 70 USD per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, walking and driving
DAY 1
SIGHNAGHI AND BODBE
MORNING
SIGHNAGHI, THE WINE TOWN OF THE CAUCASUS
Sighnaghi is the finest town in Kakheti and one of the most extraordinary hilltop settlements in the Caucasus, its complete 18th-century walls enclosing stone houses, wine cellars and extraordinary views over the Alazani valley. The town walls circuit takes 45 minutes and passes 23 towers with views of the Greater Caucasus range above the valley. The Sighnaghi Museum houses the finest collection of works by Niko Pirosmani, the extraordinary self-taught Georgian painter who died in poverty but is now considered a national treasure. Museum entry approx 5 GEL. Drive: 15 min drive
MIDDAY
BODBE MONASTERY, TOMB OF ST NINO
The Bodbe Monastery below Sighnaghi is the burial place of St Nino, the Cappadocian woman who brought Christianity to Georgia in the 4th century. The extraordinary church built over her tomb is the most sacred pilgrimage site in Kakheti and the spring below the monastery with its extraordinary healing reputation draws Georgian Orthodox pilgrims from across the country. The monastery garden gives the finest views over the Alazani valley and the Caucasus beyond. Entry free. Drive: 20 min drive
AFTERNOON
PHEASANT'S TEARS AND THE NATURAL WINE ROAD
The Pheasant's Tears winery in Sighnaghi is the most celebrated natural wine producer in Georgia, founded by American artist John Wurdeman who fell in love with the qvevri tradition. The extraordinary wines made in clay jars buried underground are some of the finest natural wines in the world. The tasting room and restaurant are outstanding. The afternoon drive through the Alazani valley gives extraordinary views of vineyards, ancient churches and the Caucasus above. Tasting from approx 15 GEL.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Kvareli caves complex east of Sighnaghi is an extraordinary Soviet-era wine storage facility carved 8km into the mountain, where Kindzmarauli sweet red wine and Saperavi are aged in extraordinary underground galleries at a constant temperature. The cave tour with tasting costs approx 25 GEL and is one of the most remarkable wine experiences in Georgia.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Sighnaghi Coffee with the extraordinary Caucasus view. Sighnaghi has excellent cafes on the main square. | Lunch: Restaurant in Sighnaghi Georgian lamb, walnut sauces and local Rkatsiteli amber wine on the hilltop terrace. | Dinner: Pheasant's Tears, Sighnaghi The finest natural wine dinner in Georgia. Local produce, extraordinary qvevri wines. Book ahead.
DAY 2
ALAZANI VALLEY
MORNING
ALAVERDI CATHEDRAL, THE FINEST MEDIEVAL CHURCH IN KAKHETI
The Alaverdi Cathedral in the Alazani valley is one of the tallest medieval churches in Georgia, an extraordinary 11th-century structure rising from the vineyard plain with the Greater Caucasus directly above. The extraordinary interior frescoes and the working monastery wine cellar producing Alaverdi wine in qvevri jars in the original tradition are both outstanding. The view of the cathedral from the Alazani valley road, with the snow-capped peaks behind, is the most photographed image in Kakheti. Entry free. Drive: 20 min drive
MIDDAY
TSINANDALI ESTATE AND THE GEORGIAN ROYAL WINE
The Tsinandali estate near Telavi is the former home of the Georgian poet Prince Alexander Chavchavadze, the most extraordinary wine estate in Kakheti and the first to bottle Georgian wine in the European style. The estate museum in the 19th-century palace contains a remarkable collection of European and Georgian antiques. The wine cellar has the finest collection of historic Georgian vintages in the country. The estate park is the finest formal garden in Kakheti. Entry approx 10 GEL. Drive: 15 min drive
AFTERNOON
KAKHETI FAMILY WINE CELLARS
The family wine cellars along the road between Tsinandali and Telavi are the finest wine experiences in Kakheti, small producers offering tastings directly from their qvevri jars in earthen-floored cellars. The extraordinary amber Rkatsiteli and the dark Saperavi cost almost nothing and the hospitality is extraordinary. Georgian wine culture places extraordinary importance on sharing wine with guests. Several producers near the village of Napareuli are the finest for the full qvevri tasting experience.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Nekresi monastery complex on the mountain above the Alazani valley is one of the oldest Christian monasteries in Georgia, founded in the 4th century and rebuilt in the 6th. The 20-minute 4WD drive or 1-hour walk to the monastery gives extraordinary views over the entire Kakheti wine region below. Entry free.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Guesthouse in Sighnaghi Georgian breakfast with local honey, churchkhela and fresh bread before the valley drive. | Lunch: Alaverdi monastery Simple monastery food near the cathedral. Extraordinary Alaverdi wine with local bread and cheese. | Dinner: Guesthouse in Telavi Traditional Georgian supra dinner at the guesthouse. Extraordinary hospitality and wine.
DAY 3
TELAVI AND GREMI
MORNING
TELAVI AND THE BATONIS TSIKHE FORTRESS
Telavi is the capital of Kakheti and the finest base in the wine region, its extraordinary Batonis Tsikhe fortress in the town centre containing the museum of Kakhetian history and the remarkably preserved palace of the last King of Kakheti, Erekle II, who unified Georgia in the 18th century. The plane tree in the fortress courtyard is claimed to be 900 years old and is one of the most extraordinary trees in Georgia. The view from the fortress walls over the Alazani valley is extraordinary. Entry approx 3 GEL. Drive: 30 min drive
MIDDAY
GREMI, THE RUINED ROYAL CAPITAL
Gremi near Telavi was the royal capital of the Kakhetian kingdom from the 15th to 17th centuries, destroyed by the Persian Shah Abbas in 1616. The extraordinary Archangels Church still stands on its hill with the royal tower alongside, giving extraordinary views over the Alazani valley and the Caucasus. The ruins of the medieval city below the church contain remarkable domestic and commercial buildings from the Kakhetian golden age. Entry approx 3 GEL. Drive: 1.5 hour drive to Tbilisi
AFTERNOON
RETURN TO TBILISI
The drive from Telavi to Tbilisi takes 1.5 hours through the extraordinary Kakheti landscape, passing vineyards, ancient churches and the final views of the Greater Caucasus before the city. A final stop at the Gombori Pass gives an extraordinary panorama over both the Kakheti valley and the Iori steppe. The return to Tbilisi brings the wine country journey to its end. Stock up on qvevri wine and churchkhela at the Telavi market before departing.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Eniseli family wine cellar near Telavi is one of the finest traditional qvevri wine producers in Georgia, a small family operation producing extraordinary Rkatsiteli amber wine using methods unchanged for 200 years. The family speaks minimal English but the hospitality is extraordinary and the wine costs almost nothing. Ask at the Telavi guesthouse for directions.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Guesthouse in Telavi Final Kakheti breakfast. Buy churchkhela and local honey for the journey home. | Lunch: Restaurant in Gremi area Local Georgian food near the ancient royal capital. Fresh bread, cheese and Saperavi. | Dinner: Tbilisi restaurant Return dinner in the capital. The old town wine bars serve the Kakheti wine you have just visited.
DAY 4
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
DAY 5
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Where To Stay
Sighnaghi, Nights 1-2 Guesthouses with vineyard views. Approx 30 to 60 USD per night. Telavi, Night 3 Guesthouses in the old town. Approx 25 to 55 USD per night. Budget option Family guesthouses throughout Kakheti from approx 15 USD. Include breakfast.
Top Tips
1. Georgian amber wine is made by fermenting white grapes on the skins in qvevri clay jars for six months. The result is extraordinary and unlike any other white wine in the world.
2. The best Kakheti wine experiences are at family cellars, not large estates. Ask at guesthouses for recommendations. Tastings are often free or cost almost nothing.
3. The Rtveli grape harvest in October is the finest time to visit Kakheti. The entire region participates in the harvest and the atmosphere is extraordinary.
4. Sighnaghi is known as the city of love because the Georgian civil registry office is open 24 hours. Couples fly in from across Georgia to marry at midnight.
5. Georgian churchkhela walnut candy strung on grape juice threads is the finest travel snack in the Caucasus. Buy it from the market women at the monastery gates.
6. The Alazani valley below Sighnaghi has the finest view in Kakheti: the entire valley floor covered in vineyards with the snow-capped Greater Caucasus rising directly behind.
Total Budget
40 to 70 USD/day