Wine · Georgia & Azerbaijan
8,000 years of wine
Georgia is one of the world's oldest wine cultures, and Azerbaijan is reviving its own. Here's what's worth trying and how we build it into a trip.
Georgia, the birthplace of wine
Winemaking in Georgia goes back around 8,000 years. The traditional method uses the qvevri — a large egg-shaped clay vessel buried underground for fermentation and ageing; UNESCO added the qvevri method to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2013. Fermenting white grapes on their skins in qvevri makes amber (orange) wine, a Georgian signature.
What to try
- ◆Saperavi — the flagship red
- ◆Rkatsiteli, Mtsvane, Kisi — whites & amber
- ◆Kakheti — the heart of the wine country
- ◆Racha — semi-sweet Khvanchkara
- ◆The supra feast, led by a tamada (toastmaster)
Azerbaijan's wine
Azerbaijan has a long but interrupted winemaking history, centred on the Ganja–Gabala area in the west. A modern revival has produced estates working with both international varieties and local grapes such as Madrasa. A tasting is easy to add to a Baku or Gabala itinerary.
What to try
- ◆The Ganja–Gabala region
- ◆The local Madrasa grape
- ◆Modern boutique wineries
- ◆Tastings near Gabala
Wine tours & tastings
Our most popular wine days and routes — every trip is tailorable to your dates.
Half day
Tbilisi Food & Wine Evening
An evening tasting through Tbilisi food-and-wine culture — bakeries, a qvevri wine bar, and a supra-style dinner led by your guide.
Full day
Kakheti Wine Day
A full day in Georgia wine country — the walled town of Sighnaghi, St Nino monastery at Bodbe, and a qvevri-winery lunch and tasting.
Full day
Kvareli & Lopota Lake
A relaxed day in north-east Kakheti — the Gremi citadel, the Kvareli wine tunnels, and the lakeside resort valley of Lopota.
Full day
Daily Kakheti Wine Group Tour (SIC)
A scheduled group wine day to Sighnaghi and Bodbe with a qvevri-winery tasting — the value way into Kakheti.
7 days
Classic Georgia
The essential week in Georgia: the capital, the ancient royal city of Mtskheta, the high Caucasus at Kazbegi, cave towns and UNESCO monasteries of the west, and the qvevri-wine country of Kakheti.
6 days
Georgia in a Week
A well-paced week taking in the capital, the mountains, the cave towns of the west and the wine east.
Plan a wine trip
A Kakheti day, a wine weekend, or a tasting folded into a wider tour — we arrange the cellars, the lunch and the ride.
Caucasus wine, answered
- Why is Georgia called the birthplace of wine?
- Archaeologists have dated winemaking in Georgia to around 8,000 years ago — among the oldest evidence anywhere. The tradition centres on the qvevri, a large clay vessel buried underground for fermentation; UNESCO added the qvevri method to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2013.
- What is qvevri wine and amber (orange) wine?
- Qvevri wine is fermented and aged in buried clay vessels rather than steel or oak. When white grapes are fermented on their skins in qvevri, the result is amber — or 'orange' — wine: deeper-coloured and more tannic than a modern white, and a Georgian signature now poured worldwide.
- Which grapes and wines is Georgia known for?
- Saperavi is the flagship deep red; Rkatsiteli, Mtsvane and Kisi are leading whites often used for amber wine. Georgia has hundreds of indigenous grape varieties. Kakheti in the east is the main region; Racha is known for the semi-sweet red Khvanchkara.
- Does Azerbaijan make wine?
- Yes. Azerbaijan has a long but interrupted winemaking history, centred on the Ganja–Gabala area in the west, and a modern revival is under way with estates producing both international varieties and local grapes such as Madrasa. We can build a tasting into a Baku or Gabala itinerary.
- Can you arrange wine tastings and tours?
- Yes — a Kakheti wine day (qvevri cellars, family marani tastings and a supra lunch) is one of our most popular days, and we can build multi-day wine routes or fold a tasting into any trip. Tell us your dates and we quote it.