Georgia & Armenia | The Birthplace of Wine
Georgia and Armenia | The Birthplace of Wine
Remember: Below we offer a sample program for you to look over, but remember that everything we plan is fully customizable. You can ask us to edit, modify or add anything you would like on this Georgia and Armenia wine tour.
Day 1 | Arrival in Tbilisi
Upon arrival in the Georgian capital, you will be met and taken to your hotel in the historic city centre. Depending on your arrival time, we may be able to squeeze in a city tour, but in any case, you will enjoy an introduction to Georgian wine in a local wine bar in the evening.
Tour Overview and Highlights:
- Visit wineries that use both traditional Qvevri and modern methods.
- Enjoy many examples of amber wine and learn all about how it is made.
- Tour with owners and winemakers – learn directly from the experts.
- Taste many grape varieties that will be new to you, in both countries.
- Stay at lovely vineyard- and winery-based hotels.
- Georgian cuisine is superb – and you have plenty of opportunities to enjoy it.
- We blend in some visits to historic churches and historic monuments.
- Enjoy city tours, both in Tbilisi and Yerevan, plus several tastings in these capital cities.
- In Armenia, explore gastronomic and winemaking contrasts and similarities with Georgia.
- Visit the oldest winery ever discovered, the Areni-1 cave winery in Armenia.
- Opportunity to combine this wine tour with Turkey and/or Azerbaijan.
Days 2, 3 and 4 | Exploring the Kakheti Wine Region
We start the day by heading out of Tbilisi for two hours to reach the heart of Kakheti. Our first visit could be to Shumi Winery, which is a well-oiled, visitor-friendly setup and the perfect introduction to quality Qvevri wine. A tour of the winery will be made, followed by a tasting. Then we will head farther into the countryside for about 30 minutes to visit the boutique Qvevri winery Chubini. We will be having lunch here with the owners, Tornike and Lika. This couple is a delight to spend time with, and they will proudly show you what they do, and you will try their wines during lunch, relaxing in the garden.
You probably will not want to leave Chubini, but there is more to see and taste. We will drive another 15 minutes to the historic Chateau Eniseli winery, which will also be our home for the night. This place is fascinating and exudes historical importance and Soviet influence. The story behind this winery is too long to recount here; suffice to say you will find it very interesting during a tour of this very unusual facility. You will enjoy a tasting of Eniseli wines, brandy, and chacha and be free to relax for the evening in this very tranquil place.
Telavi & Sighnaghi | Overnight stays
After breakfast, we will visit the spectacular Gremi Fortress and enjoy a quick look at the museum inside the impressive structure. After visiting Gremi, we will drive for15 minutes to the Shilda winery. This is a total contrast to what you have experienced at Eniseli; this winery was built in 2015. We will have a look at the production area where modern stainless steel is being used to produce high-quality wine from Kakheti grapes. The company also uses Qvevri for some of its wines, and we will taste both styles.
While we are here at Shilda, we will learn about and try making traditional Georgian Shoti bread in the ubiquitous circular ovens, plus Georgian Khinkali dumplings and also Churchkhela sweets. This is a great hands-on experience and a lot of fun. In this area, the Schuchmann winery is also a great option for a visit and an overnight stay; this will all depend on the route you choose and your budget. In any case, we could visit the winery.
This is a very quirky place, and while the wine may be the standard of Shumi or Shilda, the experience is an interesting one. If the owner is around, then we can meet him and hear, through the guide, a little about the place. We will enjoy a tour of the Qvevri cellar and the many museum pieces that are on show, then have a tasting during a lunch of traditional Georgian BBQ.
More and More Amber Wines!
The Pheasant´s Tears winery has a lovely tasting room in this quaint hilltop town, and we will have a tour and tasting here after giving you time to wander a little in the town after breakfast. We will then leave Signagi and drive for 45 minutes or so to reach the small village of Badiauri. Here we will visit one of the traditional bakeries, where they are producing bread the old-fashioned way.
After the bakeries, we will head to the tiny rural village of Kakabeti to visit the fantastic Vellino boutique winery. The Qvevri wines here are superb quality and delicious. We will enjoy being educated on the local terroir by the young owner and enjoy a premium tasting.
After Vellino, there may be one more winery visit in the Khashmi area before heading back to the capital of Georgia, but this will depend on how we are going for time. Being a private tour, it gives us the chance to adapt to local opportunities and for your guide to suggest a place en route. We will go with the flow (of wine)!
Day 5 – Travel to Yerevan, Armenia
You have two options for travelling between Georgia and Armenia (or vice versa). If you are a group of 4 or more, a road transfer is cost-effective, and the journey itself is part of the experience. We will transfer you to the border post, where you walk across and join your transfer on the other side. For fewer people, the flight is often a better option cost-wise. Flying is obviously also a much faster option, and is necessary if you wish to take a city tour on your arrival day.
With such a short flight, let us assume you will arrive by midday and have the afternoon free for an activity.
You will enjoy a short walking tour to see some of the sights of this impressive city, including a tour and tasting at the Ararat Brandy company. In the evening you will be free to enjoy a lovely Yerevan wine bar close to your hotel. This, along with broader tastings tomorrow, will give you a grounding in local wine styles and varieties.
Days 6 & 7 – Exploring the Areni Wine Region
One of the main reasons for coming to the Areni wine region is to see the oldest winery ever found, but it certainly should not be the only reason. A visit to this cave feels like a pilgrimage for wine lovers, witnessing a place where the whole process was refined thousands of years ago.
We will pick you up after breakfast and drive down to Areni, stopping at one of the Ararat region wineries en route, such as Vedi Alco. There are several producers in this valley fed by the historic peak, and we will enjoy a look around the winery and a tasting to kick our wine day off.
After leaving the main highway, we will head over the pass, enjoying views of many vineyards and orchards. We will arrive at the Arpa Parnas tasting room at around midday for an extensive tasting of Armenian wines with some cheese and crackers to keep you going. You will now be getting used to hearing about and tasting some indigenous varieties such as Voskehat, Khndoghni, and Areni (which is both a grape and a region).
Either before or after the tasting, we will visit the Areni 1 cave winery; this is the highlight of the trip for many. The winemaking residue found in this cave has been radiocarbon-dated to 6,100 years old, and as you stand there, imagining what it would have been like for winemakers thousands of years ago, the atmosphere is palpable for wine geeks.
We then move on to the Trinity Canyon Winery, where we will have lunch on the winery grounds. We will meet the winemaker and enjoy one of his creations with our local food. We will have a tour of the production area at Trinity, viewing several Karas amphorae both above and below ground. The winemaker will accompany us and give you plenty of info and answer any questions you might have on the ancient or modern methods being used.
For the last part of the day, we either drop you at your hotel to rest up or we can squeeze in another quick tasting room, or visit a historical site in the area. Much will depend on the time we leave Trinity and your preferences. As you can imagine, people are often so relaxed after a lovely lunch and wine that time literally disappears, very pleasantly!
After breakfast on your second day in Areni, we will take you up into the hills to the spectacular Noravank Monastery; you can wander for an hour or so and take some great photos. The site was founded in 1205 and is set in an area of outstanding natural beauty. After time at the Monastery, we head back down into the valley for a quick tasting at one of the wineries in the village. With our palate primed, we now head off the short distance to the Old Bridge winery, where we are met by the owner and winemaker.
Armen is a bit of a character, and he will show you around his boutique winery with enthusiasm and explain his methods and objectives. After a tour and tasting, we will enjoy lunch at Old Bridge, quaffing a bottle from this winery and relaxing in the sunshine.
Unfortunately, at some point today we must leave Areni and head back to Yerevan (unless you add a day to the program?). On the way, we will visit one more winery in the Ararat region. Hospitality is a watchword in Armenia, and people are very welcoming and proud to show you what they do; this theme runs through this whole region.
Day 8 – Your epic Georgia and Armenia Wine Tour comes to an end!
Sadly, your birthplace of wine tour is coming to an end, and it is time to go home. We will pick you up and transfer you to Yerevan airport to fly back home (which could be via Istanbul or another hub). Remember, we can also add other ancient wine destinations, Azerbaijan and Turkey, to this Georgia and Armenia tour.