New Georgian Wine Discovery Weekend
A three-day introduction to qvevri wine, from Tbilisi to Sighnaghi
For travellers with limited time and a serious interest, this weekend distils Georgian wine to its essentials without rushing any of it. It begins in Tbilisi on Friday evening with a structured tasting that explains why this small country claims the longest unbroken winemaking tradition on record — roughly 8,000 vintages — and what qvevri fermentation actually does to a wine. Saturday is spent in Kakheti: a morning cellar visit near Telavi, lunch and amber wine on a terrace in Sighnaghi overlooking the Alazani Valley and the high Caucasus beyond, and an afternoon walk through the walled town. Sunday returns you to Tbilisi with a morning in the old town, from the sulphur domes of Abanotubani up toward Narikala fortress, before a farewell glass and onward travel. It runs every weekend of the year; the wines change with the seasons.
The programme.
Friday: Tbilisi Tasting Evening
Arrive independently in Tbilisi and meet your host in the early evening at Tbilisi Wine Atelier. A two-hour guided tasting covers six wines across qvevri and European styles, mapping grape, region, and method. Dinner afterwards at a wine-focused restaurant in the old town, pairings included.
Saturday: Kakheti and Sighnaghi
Depart early over the Gombori Pass. A morning cellar visit near Telavi includes a walk through the marani and a tasting drawn from buried qvevri. Continue to Sighnaghi for a long lunch at a terrace marani above the Alazani Valley, then explore the town’s walls and lanes before returning to Tbilisi.
Sunday: Old Town and Farewell
A guided morning walk through old Tbilisi: the brick domes of the Abanotubani sulphur baths, the climb toward Narikala fortress, and the balconied lanes of Kala. The weekend closes with a farewell glass of amber wine and recommendations for bottles to carry home. Independent departure from midday.
- Two nights in a four-star hotel in central Tbilisi, twin or double
- Guided six-wine tasting at Tbilisi Wine Atelier on Friday evening
- Full-day Kakheti excursion with private vehicle and driver
- Cellar visit and qvevri tasting near Telavi
- Terrace lunch with wine pairings at a Sighnaghi marani
- Guided old town walk on Sunday morning
- English-speaking wine host throughout
- International flights and arrival transfers
- Personal travel and medical insurance
- Saturday and Sunday dinners
- Wine purchases beyond scheduled tastings
- Gratuities for hosts and drivers
- Late checkout or additional hotel nights
Nino Kapanadze
Wine Expert & Sommelier · Georgian, English, French
Nino holds the WSET Diploma and has spent fifteen years inside the Georgian wine world — first in the cellars of Kakheti, then building tasting programmes for importers across Europe and Asia. She is one of the recognised authorities on Georgia's qvevri appellations and the country's five hundred indigenous varieties, and leads the trade tastings and masterclasses around WinExpo and the natural wine fairs. Her sessions are precise and unhurried; she would rather a guest understand six wines properly than taste twenty in passing.
Certified venues on this journey.
In the same spirit.
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Rtveli Harvest Community Week
Join a Kakhetian family estate for rtveli, the autumn grape harvest, and take part in every stage of qvevri winemaking — picking, pressing, sealing the vessels — closing the week with a harvest supra under the vines.
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