WINE & GOURMET TOUR

There has been wine in Georgia almost as long as there have been Georgians. Georgia cannot be imagined without wine.

Georgians have a special method of making wine in stone presses and then storing it in clay vessels sunk in the ground. Even today many houses in the country have a wine cellar - the so-called “marani” with a wine-press and underground clay jars - “kvevri”.

Wine is an inseparable part of the traditional Georgian feast. At Georgian table toasts are made by a toast-master or “tamada” and wine is drunk from a clay cup or a horn called a “kantsi”. Folk songs are also frequently sung at table.

In this tour you travel to the wine-growing region of Kakheti in East Georgia and the province of Imereti where you can taste different wines. You will see for yourself how wine is made and stored in Georgia and of course you will soon become acquainted with the traditions of the Georgian table - making toasts and drinking wine from special vessels.

Georgian cuisine is something you are certainly going to love! What makes Georgian food so delicious? Well, fresh ingredients, elaborate recipes, a great variety of fruit and vegetables and, of course, great cooks!

Each part of Georgia has its specialities, but certain traditional dishes are prepared all over the country. Georgians like their meals hot and spicy. Most dishes are cooked with walnut, garlic and lots of herbs.

Jams and sauces are made from almost every fruit. What shouldn’t you miss while you are here? It would make a long list, so we will name just a few of the typical traditional dishes:

Khachapuri - cheese baked in pastry. Depending on the cheese and the region, there are three different types of Khachapuri - Imeruli, Acharuli and Achma.
Pkhali - a spinach or beetroot paste with garlic and walnuts.
Khinkali - dumplings with minced beef or pork.
Satsivi - turkey or chicken served in a walnut and garlic sauce.

Churchkhela - a Georgian sweet made of nuts threaded together and coated in grape juice and flour.

During the tour you will be able to try traditional Georgian dishes and wines from different regions. You will see how they are prepared, get the recipes and even try cooking for yourself.

Day 1: Deparure for Tbilisi
Day 2: Tbilisi
Tbilisi sightseeing program. Lunch and dinner in traditional Georgian restaurant with delicious food and wine.
Day 3-4: Wine trip in Kakheti
An unforgettable wine trip to Kakheti – the main wine-growing region of Georgia where we can learn everything connected with viticulture and wine-making. We visit a unique 300-year old wine-cellar in a farmer’s house where people still keep wine the same way as their ancestors did centuries This traditional wine-cellar also has a big wooden wine-press.

We also visit wine factories and tast different kind of wines and see the unique collection of old wines.
We then travel to a local village and get to know the way people live here. We visit the vineyard and participate in grape harvest (if it’s September or October). We can see how locals make wine and famous Georgian vodka – “chacha”.

Here we get a chance to see how bread is baked, how different Georgian dishes are prepared and even cook them ourselves. At lunch alongside with other dishes we will have a Georgian delicacy “mtsvadi” – meat barbequed on fire of vine branches.

At lunch we enjoy delicious home-made food and Kakhetian red and white wines and “chacha”.
In Telavi we visit a food market where stalls are loaded with fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, spices and drinks.
Staying in private houses in Telavi would be a great experience for us as we learn local traditions and customs. Dinner is served on the veranda for us to admire superb views of the Great Caucasus mountains. According to the Georgian tradition “tamada” will lead our feast and propose toasts.

Day 5-6: West Georgia

Imereti (West Georgia) is one of the biggest and beautiful regions in West Georgia. Local wines are very different from Kakhetian wine. The climate is hotter in Kakheti, so grapes ripe earlier and are sweet. That’s why Kakhetian wine is very strong, whereas the wine in Imereti contains less alcohol and is a bit sour.
In Imereti we visit a local village located on mountain slope and see century-old wine-cellar. We will see how local dishes are cooked. Here people use clay pans “Ketsi” where they make “Khachapuri”, “Mchadi” and roast chicken. Guests also see how to prepare the Georgian delicacy pig roasted in a bakery and see how Georgian bread is baked. Of course tourists can attend the process of making all these dishes. We will have a traditional Georgian feast in a wine-cellar. It will be an unforgettable experience!
Day 7: Departure