Georgia – The Country Where Wine Was Born

Transfer to the hotel – walking tour of Tbilisi – tasting at the cognac factory “Sarajishvili” – a welcome dinner We will begin our tour of Georgia by getting to know the capital. Tbilisi is the oldest capital in the Caucasus and one of the oldest in the world. The city was founded more than 2500 years ago, and in the 5th century, King Vakhtang Gorgasali moved the capital here. Cozy streets, ancient temples, unique nature in the city center, houses nestled on the edge of a cliff, all this will not leave you indifferent, and the exciting history, colorfully told by our guides will immerse you in the bright diversity of fabulous Tbilisi. And we will begin our acquaintance with Georgia, as one of the capitals of drinks, with the first cognac factory of the country “Sarajishvili”. We will have a tour of the factory. You will get acquainted with the technology of making cognac, visit ancient cellars where 19th century cognac is stored, and then you will have a tasting of Georgian cognac of varying degrees of aging. We will finish the first day with a traditional Georgian dinner with a folklore program

Kakheti On this day, we will go to the main wine region of Georgia – Kakheti. The first stop is the pearl of Kakheti, the ancient city of Sighnaghi. The city of love. The registry office here is open around the clock, and therefore this cozy town is chosen by couples in love from all over the world. And from here there is a gorgeous view of the Alazani Valley, strewn with vineyards. It is through this valley that we will go to western Kakheti, to the palace of the princes Chavchavadze. On the territory of the estate, in the 19th century, the first wine factory was opened for the production of wine using European technology, i.e. bottling. The factory is still operating today, so you will have a tasting of red and white wines. Then we will head to the capital of the region, the city of Telavi. One of the few royal palaces in Georgia has been preserved here. You will get acquainted not only with the royal life but also with the ethnography of Kakheti. After that, a royal lunch awaits us at a peasant farm, where the owner of the house will tell you about the traditional Georgian production of wine in qvevri (clay jugs), this technology was included in the list of intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO. Return to Tbilisi.

Mtskheta – Kutaisi We are heading to the West of Georgia. On the way, we will visit the ancient capital of Georgia – Mtskheta. In the Orthodox world, Mtskheta is considered the second Jerusalem. First of all, we will go to the monastery of the cross. The temple currently standing over the cliff was built in the 6th century. It was on this that St. Nina erected the first cross in Georgia. These places are described in Lermontov’s famous poem “Mtsyri”. Then we will go to Mtskheta. The Svetitskhoveli Temple, towering over the entire area, contains five shrines – the Tunic of the Lord, the relics of Andrew the First-Called, the cloak of the prophet Elijah, a piece of the cross erected by St. Nina and a well with healing water. Svetitskhoveli is one of the two main tombs of the Georgian kings. Here in Mtskheta, a traditional Georgian feast awaits you. Next, we will visit one of the oldest wineries in Georgia, which belonged to the princes Guramishvili. You will taste wines from local grape varieties Kisi and Mtsvane. After that, we head to Kutaisi. Accommodation at the hotel. Walk through the historical center of the city.

Canyon – Chkhondidi Monastery Today we will visit one of the most beautiful places in western Georgia – the Martvili Canyon, in the Mingrelia region. Created by a play of nature, the canyon was a vacation spot for the local aristocracy. The unique nature of the Colchis forest, boating along the canyon will not leave you indifferent. Then we will go to the Chkhondidi Monastery. Here the Apostle Andrew the First-Called destroyed pagan temples and baptized the local population. A unique place. The history of the local wine is also unique. For centuries, monks have been making wine from red grapes. Georgians call the wine made from it black, because of its color. And it is prepared only in western Georgia. Hospitable monks will take you to the monastery cellars, where you can enjoy wine from jugs. Here in Martvili, a late lunch awaits us, traditional cuisine of Mengrelia. Kupaty, satsivi, khachapuri, kharcho – they have the character of the locals. Return to Kutaisi.

Prometheus Cave – Racha On this day, you will get acquainted with underground Georgia. According to legend, Prometheus was chained to a rock in the vicinity of Kutaisi. And one of the unique caves near the city is named after him. Stalagtides, becamegmites and even stalagmata, a fascinating excursion and boating in an underground lake will invigorate you for the whole upcoming day. And from underground Georgia we will go to the mountainous. The famous region of Racha. It is here, and only here, that the famous Khvanchkara wine is produced. Upon arrival, a late lunch with local traditional cuisine and, of course, local wine awaits us. Accommodation at the hotel.

Racha – Tbilisi After breakfast, we will visit one of the most revered places, the Nikortsminda temple. Despite the troubled centuries, it has preserved unique frescoes and pristine architecture. After that, we will go on a fascinating excursion to the Khvanchkara factory. Here you will learn what is unique about this wine, how many bottles are produced per year, of course, you will get acquainted with the production technology and will be able to appreciate its legendary taste for yourself. Then – Georgian jamon. Yes, it is in Racha that for over a thousand years pork has been dried in the same way as the famous jamon. We will visit a farm where a local resident will tell us about the production technology and of course invite us to a feast. It is not customary to let guests leave the table quickly, so lunch will smoothly flow into dinner, and after the feast we will return to Tbilisi