Kakheti

Kakheti is the part of Georgia where wine is not a tourist attraction but a daily fact of life. In the villages of the Alazani Valley, courtyards have kvevris buried with their necks poking through the grass, and in September trucks loaded with grapes roll constantly along the country roads, trailing the smell of must behind them. The rkatsiteli and saperavi vineyards stretch in parallel rows as far as the eye can see, with the snowy peaks of the Greater Caucasus forming the backdrop to the north.

Telavi, the regional capital, is an unpretentious town — wide streets, a covered market with spices and suluguni cheese, the odd terrace bar — but well positioned to explore within a twenty-kilometre radius. Alaverdi Monastery, Ikalto Monastery and the walled town of Sighnaghi are all within that radius. Sighnaghi has developed as a destination with several wineries offering tastings; prices here are somewhat higher and the atmosphere more visitor-oriented than in the rest of the region.

Off the usual circuits, villages like Gremi and the valley floors along the Alazani River have a different kind of quiet. Rural guesthouses rent rooms for twenty or thirty lari a night and serve churchkhela — walnuts threaded and coated in solidified grape juice — with freshly baked bread from the tone. It's the kind of place where the afternoon slips away without anyone quite understanding how.

Kakheti was an independent kingdom for centuries before joining the unified Georgian kingdom in the eleventh century. Its history is marked by repeated invasions by Persians, Mongols and Ottomans, who destroyed and rebuilt the great monasteries multiple times. In the eighteenth century, King Irakli II of Kakheti-Kartli signed the Treaty of Georgievsk with Russia seeking protection against Persian pressure. The region has been the unbroken heart of Georgian wine culture throughout this period: the kvevri fermentation techniques practiced today have more than eight thousand years of documented history in this area, which led UNESCO to inscribe the method on its intangible cultural heritage list in 2013.

• Alaverdi Monastery Georgia's tallest cathedral, from the eleventh century, at the foot of the Alazani Valley. The monastic compound produces its own wine and maintains an active religious life; it's best to wear clothing covering shoulders and knees.
• Sighnaghi Walled town with views over the Alazani Valley and the Greater Caucasus. Several wineries offer tastings of rkatsiteli and saperavi directly from the producer; Pheasant's Tears winery is one of the benchmarks of the Georgian natural wine movement.
• Bodbe Monastery Two kilometres from Sighnaghi, the burial place of St. Nino, who evangelised Georgia. Tended garden and a spring reached by a long staircase descending through woodland.
• Batonis Tsikhe Fortress In the centre of Telavi, the former residence of the kings of Kakheti. Houses a small historical museum and from the walls there are good views over the town and nearby vineyards.
• Ikalto Monastery 10 km from Telavi, former seat of a twelfth-century medieval academy where the poet Shota Rustaveli studied according to tradition. Surrounded by vineyards and quite peaceful even in high season.
• Gremi Ruins of a sixteenth-century citadel about 30 km from Telavi, with a well-preserved tower-church and views over the Alazani Valley. Few visitors compared to the other sites.

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From Tbilisi there are frequent marshrutkas to Telavi from Samgori station (about 90 minutes, 5–6 lari). Direct marshrutkas to Sighnaghi depart from Isani station (about 2 hours). Renting a car in Tbilisi is the best option for moving freely around the villages of the Alazani Valley; the Kakheti highway is in good condition and access is quick.

The rtveli, or grape harvest, from late September to mid-October, is the liveliest time: wineries open their doors, the smell of must is everywhere, and the atmosphere in the villages is festive. May and June offer green vineyards and the Greater Caucasus still snow-capped. July and August are hot in the valley — up to 35 °C — and Sighnaghi fills with tourists. Winter is cold but quiet and prices drop considerably.