After saying goodbye to Tbilisi (for a little) we were excited to explore Georgia’s countryside and our journey brought us to Kakheti. Not a lot of people know that wine was invented in Georgia but after visiting Kakheti, there will be no doubt that Georgian’s not only love wine but also know how to make it. Make no mistake – you will drink wine in Georgia. A lot of it and the Georgians love to share their wines along with their delicious food so bring your stretchy Thanksgiving pants and make sure you have a designated driver because you’re in for a treat.
Kakheti is Georgia’s wine country and its rolling green hills reminded us a lot of Sonoma…..but way, way, waaaay less touristy. Here you can find wineries that make wine in the traditional Georgian style that have been around for 800+ years. The unique way Georgian’s make wine is by letting it ferment in subterranean clay pots instead of barrels as traditional western wine making does. This difference aside, there is an astounding array of red and white varietals to choose from- none of which I had heard of before. The whites were dry and minerally- just like we like them. The reds were full bodied and delicious without being to jammy.
Just like Sonoma or Napa, Kakheti is a pretty big area and we decided to stay in a few places. Our first stop was the village of Sighnaghi. Built on a hill overlooking a vast green valley, it’s hard to not fall in love with the cobblestone streets of Sighnaghi. Sighnaghi was once a keep who’s responsibility it was to protect the surrounding countryside, now the castle walls serve to welcome you to an incredible array of delicious food and wine. We arrived in the middle of blustery snow storm which only helped stoke our appetites when we braved the weather to find something to eat.
One of the most famous restaurants in Sighnaghi is a winery/restaurant called Pheasants Tears. Everyone who had been here recommended it and unsurprisingly, Anthony Bourdain was here years ago too. Even with that we were able to walk right in and get a table. The food was incredibly delicious with juicy roast chicken, tasty bread and hearty soups- everything we needed to thaw out from the chilly outdoors.
Crispy potatoes of yum 
The roasted chicken that Pheasants Tears serves is hands down one of the best we’ve ever had 
Tiff: BEST CAULIFLOWER IN DA WORLD!!!!
Visiting wineries is a much different affair than in Napa- most of Kakheti’s wineries are very small and don’t have much in the way of tasting rooms- which makes them feel that much more authentic. Since we didn’t know much about Georgian wines, we got expert help and hired an awesome local wine guide name David. David picked us up at our hotel and whisked us away across bumpy country roads to taste what Kakheti had to offer.
We started in a small traditional winery that had been in operation for 800 years- surviving invasions by many foreign invaders and the tests of time. Several of the wine urns they used dated back hundreds of years too and the owners were more than happy to show us how they make wine at every step. Tiffany even got to help out with stirring the pots of red wine. The finished product was delicious. In addition to this the quirky building also had an incredible collection of old antique furniture. Most of all the thing that we would see in several places throughout Georgia is one of their traditional “wine horns”. It’s basically exactly what it sounds like- its a horn and you drink wine out of it. Because its a horn, you can’t put it down and that’s exactly the point- you have to drink all of it. Think of it like a classier version of the drinking game “Edward 40 hands” 😛
With an awesome sense of humor and a clear love of Kakheti, David’s tour continued as we visited more modern wineries (which were still small compared to some of the places you find in Napa and Sonoma). The wines they produced were incredible and you can find some links here. Complimenting the tastings we had delicious roasted pork and local cheeses- it seemed like there was no end to the amount of tastyness our friendly hosts threw our way.
Tiffany turning the wine 
A wine cellar filled with subteranean clay wine urns 
David showing me how to properly use a wine horn! 
The final winery was none other than David’s house. Georgians are really proud of their wines and so many people have mini wineries in their homes. David was no exception and we spent the rest of the afternoon shooting the breeze on his porch drinking his delicious wines. If you’re looking for a fantastic guide, designated driver and comedian in Kakheti, look no further than David!
After spending a few nights in Sighnaghi (and after several visits to Pheasants Tears) we made our way slowly back to Tbilisi.
One of the biggest attractions in Georgia is visiting it’s Trinity Church. Its an absolutely stunning Orthodox Church built high in the mountains in Northern Georgia. Getting there can be a real challenge as the military highway that connects Tblisi with it frequently gets snowed in in the Fall to Spring months. We actually had to wait 3 weeks for it to open and once it did, we were able to get David’s help in getting there. The drive was absolutely stunning as the military road snaked through the snow decked mountains. On the way to Trinity church we stopped at several places like the . This amazingly preserved medieval castle stood at the end of a long river valley and from its high towers you could almost feel what it would have been like to live there.
Another somewhat ominous stop we made was the “Russian/Georgian shared peace monument”. This was a monument built by the Russians as a sign of “friendship” with the Georgian people which is highly ironic as technically, Georgia and Russia are still at war with a large chunk of Georgia being “disputed”. Problematic relations aside, the views from the monument were pretty astounding.
Finally we made it to the base of the mountain Trinity Church sits on top of. In order to get there we had to leave behind our car and commission a jeep driver to take us to the top which was no joke. The “road’ was super steep and totally snowed in for parts of it. The rocky journey was totally worth it when we got to the summit and saw the church, perched above the snow cloaked peaks and valleys below. Its astounding the monks who built this church did so- its so remote and hard to get to. Our pictures don’t do this place justice and its truly an awe-inspiring place.
After exploring the grounds, it was time to come back to Tbilisi and off to our next adventure – Southern Georgia!
A view from atop the Anunuri Castle Comple 
Another view from atop the tower of Anunuri Castle 
The “Russian/Georgian Friendship” monument 
Trinity Church from below 
Posin’ 
Surprise! 
The panoramic view from Trinity Church
