Harvest Time in the Cradle of Wine

On this mouthwatering eight-day trip we’ll explore the birthplace of wine, Georgia, and its unique feasting tradition. We’ll enjoy home visits, rural excursions, exclusive performances, historic and cultural tours, cooking workshops and much more.

Tucked between the Black and Caspian Seas and in the shadow of Europe’s highest mountains you’ll find Georgia – a tiny country with an astounding culinary heritage and a winemaking tradition tracing back eight millennia. We’ll be delving into this gastronomic wonderland during rtveli, the annual grape harvest, Georgia’s most inspiring time of year. Depending on the season, we’ll find vines heavy with grapes, or tables laden with plums. A truly wondrous bounty of fruit and vegetables.

This week-long culinary adventure takes place in and around the capital of Tbilisi before moving into the Alazani Valley. We’ll also spend two days in the Alazani Valley, perhaps the most beautiful wine region in the world. Here, we’ll experience the deep reverence for winemaking that defines this land moving from feast table to feast table in homes of celebrated winemakers. Along the way, we’ll take in unique performances, and get to know some of the passionate, talented Georgians upholding culinary tradition and, at the same time, challenging traditions to evolve with contemporary urban life.

In the late afternoon, we’ll meet in the hotel for welcome drinks in the garden. Georgia’s capital, a collision of ancient and modern, is neither European nor Asian. It is, and has always been, a crossroads of the old Silk Road and a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities that continue to define the city’s character and its inimitable cuisine. We’ll make our way to Shavi Lomi, a house-turned-restaurant featuring chef Meriko Gubeladze’s twist on traditional Georgian dishes as well as classic renditions of some of her favorites. Over dinner, we’ll properly introduce ourselves and get an overview of the exciting—and delicious—week ahead.

Unraveling the Secrets of the Georgian Feast.

Today we’ll explore the roots of Georgian cuisine and the building blocks of the supra, Georgia’s traditional belt-popping feast table. On a walking tour of Tbilisi’s historic center we will see, smell and taste the diverse influences over this city’s gastronomy. We will eat loaves of oven-baked bread, still warm from the tone (a traditional clay oven), and sample delicious churchkhela, strings of walnuts dipped in a thick grape molasses roux. We’ll feast on khinkali, Georgia’s iconic dumplings, and also taste the latest kvevri (amphora-aged) wines at the city’s pioneering wine bar.

If you have energy left after our full day, feel free to wander the streets of the old city, where you’ll find no shortage of bars and cafes.

Spread beneath the majestic Caucasus Mountains like an enormous grape basket is the Alazani Valley. Located in the Kakheti region of eastern Georgia, this could very well be the most breathtaking wine region in the world, and from Tbilisi an epic road trip. Kakheti’s landscapes are as ancient as they are diverse: full of lush vineyards and greenery, rocky mountains and thick forests. On our road trip to Kakheti, our first destination is a small town famous for its traditional tone bread ovens and local cheeses. We‘ll stretch our legs and have our second breakfast of these specialties. After arriving in Kakheti and getting settled, our journey continues to the home-workshop of a local kvevri maker, where we will learn how clay vessels the size of a VW Beetle are hand-crafted and maybe the master will break out his homemade brandy. Our final stop for the day is the cozy home of a family-run winery where husband and wife will treat us to a home-style supra, or Georgian feast.

After breakfast, we will head into the forest with an environmental conservationist to learn more about what this unique environment provides and how local communities live off it in a sustainable way. On a leisurely trek, we’ll make our way through stunning landscapes, stopping by a tiny village to meet producers of local specialties, including prized Kakheti honey. We will lunch al fresco, picnic style. In the late afternoon, we’ll arrive at a village winery where we’ll take part in the making of churchkhela, the traditional Georgian sweet made of walnuts and grape juice, and then visit the cellar for a tasting led by the winemaker himself. In the evening, we’ll cap it all off with another classic Georgian supra.

After breakfast, we will make our way to an exclusive visit at the National Ballet and witness a private rehearsal of its acrobatic dancers, accompanied by traditional musicians. We’ll then visit other creative spaces, including a ceramics studio and the laboratory of a man aiming to perfect the ancient art of kvevri-making, aided by high technology. After so many traditional supras, on our final evening together we will dine at one of the most celebrated of Tbilisi’s new wave of restaurants, where contemporary style and atmosphere meet traditional cooking techniques and ingredients, giving us a taste of the exciting direction in which Georgian cuisine is headed.

We are firm believers in the power of local knowledge. Our guides and the culinary masters and other artisans who are part of our trips all deeply reflect that. Meet some of Georgia’s finest:

This week’s focus on deeply local experiences and places is also well reflected in our choice of accommodation. We always select boutique and independent places, ones inspired by international standards while staying loyal to the area’s local heritage – that’s the balance we seek for more than a good night’s rest.

Rooms Tbilisi exemplifies the adaptive reuse of Soviet-era architecture, transforming a 20th-century publishing house into a contemporary hotel. Its interiors balance raw, industrial elements with warm wooden accents and plush furnishings, creating a dialogue between past and present. The hotel is a testament to Tbilisi’s evolving design identity, harmonizing history and innovation.

While we are in Kahketi, our group will stay at Vazisubani Boutique Hotel, located on a stunning wine estate at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains. The hotel is situated inside a stately 19th century manor which has been lovingly redecorated by a team of Georgian and British designers, using antique Victorian furniture. Located on a huge vineyard, with lines of vines, and a swimming pool, it makes a perfect place to relax after late nights of feasting with wine makers.

Arrival and Departure

For flights in and out of Tbilisi International Airport (TBS), we suggest you arrive anytime before 3 p.m. on Day 1 and depart anytime on Day 8. Note that most inbound and outbound flights at TBS are scheduled for very early in the morning; we include the night before it starts so you have time to rest prior to the trip. We’ll provide the option of booking extra nights at our Tbilisi hotel before and/or after the tour, and are more than happy to provide suggestions for things to do and see in the city on your own.

Dietary Restrictions

We encourage an adventurous palate! However, if you’d like to avoid meat, the Georgian diet is vegetarian-friendly, so we can almost always supplement a non-meat dish. Avoiding gluten, on the other hand, will be challenging. If you’d like to join but are gluten-intolerant, you’ll need to bring and/or buy a steady stash of snacks to supplement your meals. The trip is centered around wine and includes a copious amount of alcohol consumption.

Notes on Itinerary

Itineraries and daily schedules are subject to change. We expect to do everything listed in the itinerary, though the order may be rearranged based on weather or other local conditions.