How to Find the Best Wine Tours in Georgia + Top Picks

Are you a wine enthusiast looking for unforgettable wine tours in Georgia but need help knowing where to start or which one to book? Look no further—I’ve got you covered! Here, I outline my tips for choosing the right wine tours in Georgia, especially in its’ prime wine region of Kakheti.

Located in the Caucasus region, Georgia has a rich history and culture of winemaking that dates back 8,000 years. Known for its unique winemaking techniques in traditional clay vessels called Qvevri, Georgia has become a must-visit destination for wine lovers. 

After all, it’s the oldest winemaking country in the world, and UNESCO has listed our traditional winemaking technique in its Intangible Cultural Heritage list. 

With hundreds of companies offering Kakheti wine tours, knowing and choosing which ones are good can be overwhelming. Even though I wouldn’t say I like organized tours that much, I understand that some experiences and destinations are best explored with a tour. 

Therefore, over the years of my travels, I developed my way of researching and choosing. These tips will help you find the right wine tours in Georgia. 

In addition to the tips, the post also includes some companies and tours I personally recommend, both for Kakheti and Tbilisi.

Why should you book a wine tour vs DIY-ing it? 

While you can rent a car (I recommend LocalRent) and self-drive to various wineries in Georgia, it’s time-consuming, and few travelers have that much time when planning their Georgia itineraries. That’s why booking wine tours in Georgia comes in handy. 

If you are staying in Georgia for longer, by all means, DIY your own Kakheti wine tour or elsewhere in Georgia – Imereti, Samegrelo, Racha, Adjara, and Guria all have great wineries and wines made from local vine varieties. 

However, when deciding on an independent wine tour, consider the following factors: 

• Driving in Georgia requires some getting used to. Sadly, Georgians are known for aggressive driving and sudden maneuvers. The roads in some parts of the country are not ideal, and in remote areas, you might have to tackle a dirt road to get to the winery. 
• Google Maps are not always reliable, especially in remote areas and when calculating journey times. However, it works just fine in most cases. 
• Drinking and driving in Georgia is illegal, and you might get your driving license confiscated. The legal blood alcohol level is 0.03% here. 
• Not everyone might speak English in smaller wineries. And it is sort of pointless going to a winery and not getting a complete introduction and a tour of the place and its winemaking process. 
• Many family-run wineries require advance reservation, and some might not even open for two or three people. 

Considering these aspects, organized tours offer a much better experience without worrying about logistics or transportation. 

All good wine tours include transportation, food, and wine in the price, and they most likely have a knowledgeable guide who’ll give you more information on Georgia’s ancient winemaking tradition.

Wine tours in Georgia also typically include visiting smaller, family-run wineries, so you see more than you might do on your own. And more importantly, as it’s illegal to drink and drive in Georgia, you’ll be free to try as much wine as you want when you have someone responsible for driving and the logistics. 

Not all wine tours are created equal, and depending on which company and tour you book, there may be disadvantages as well. For example, it might be rushed due to the group size, and the package might have hidden fees. Therefore, don’t assume that the price covers everything; always double-check.  

Additionally, you don’t have the flexibility and are bound to the wineries chosen by the company, which might focus on bigger and mass-produced wineries rather than artisanal ones. 

Why is Kakheti a popular wine destination? 

While there are plenty of tour options to choose from based on wine regions, Kakheti is the most popular destination as it produces approximately 70% of the country’s wine, making it the vast wine region of the country. 

The Georgian wine industry underwent significant changes during the Soviet era. In the 1930s, the Soviet government centralized wine production in Georgia, designating Kakheti as the primary winemaking region and discouraging wine production in other parts of the country. Luckily, this has changed over the past few decades. 

Therefore, Kakheti is still the country’s largest wine-producing region. Many companies offer Kakhati wine tours, but if you have more time in Georgia, I encourage you to venture out and dry wines nationwide.

The region is informally divided into various sub-regions and numerous microregions, each fostering a diverse range of microclimates supporting various grape types. As a result, out of 29 PDO appellations (or microzones), Kakheti is home to 20! 

Traditional Kakhetian winemaking employs clay vessels called Qvevri (you can read my post on the craftsmanship of these large Qvevris). These vessels are buried underground to filter and age the wine naturally, retaining the seeds, skins, and stems. 

However, not all wines in the Kakheti wine region, or Georgia as a whole, are produced in Qvevri. Some wines are made or aged in oak barrels or stainless steel tanks. Nonetheless, quality wine tours in Kakheti and across Georgia typically highlight Qvevri wines and small, artisanal, family-run wineries.

10 tips to know about wine tours in Georgia

Prepare for a full-day excursion

Georgian wine tours are different from what you might be used to. A visit to a Georgian winery offers more than just a straightforward wine tasting tours. 

Instead, they often (at least good ones) offer food, wine, a tour of the premises to see the production, an introduction to Georgian winemaking, and some time to relax, chat, and enjoy the experience. 

Depending on the winery, you might be greeted by the sommelier or the actual winemaker, who’s also the owner. The latter is common at family-run wineries, creating a very intimate and personal experience. 

While the winery visits and tastings are the primary focus of these tours, they might also include other activities—monasteries, a mini-cooking class of tone bread baking or chuchkhela making, a city tour, or even a visit to a Qvevri maker. 

Take it slow during the wine-tasting

Remember that Georgians are very generous when it comes to pouring wine. It’s not a sip of wine as you might be accustomed to; instead, you get an almost full glass of wine. And if you finish the glass quickly, the host might pour you more. 

Thus, to taste 3-4 wines, you need at least 1:30hrs because the winemaker will explain its wines, and you’ll most likely have questions. 

Additionally, even though the tour included a capped number of wines, the host might bring another bottle to try if you show interest. This obviously depends on the tour and the winery. 

Be ready for chacha and food

Any wine tour always has chacha, a high alcoholic spirit and a byproduct of winemaking and food. The food options depend on the tour you take, but any good wine tasting has at least a snack, typically a platter of cheese, nuts, bread, and dried fruits. 

The premium wine tours in Georgia include a lunch, while cheaper ones might not. 

Don’t spit out the wine

Georgians are very proud of their wine and its history. Therefore, it is very impolite to spit out the wine, so spittoons are almost never included in the tasting table. And if they are, it’s usually to clean the glass for the next wine. Smaller wineries usually use one wine glass per guest, even if there are 4+ wines to try. 

If you don’t like the wine, you can politely say so and leave it. When the next wine comes, pour it into the spittoon and prepare for the tasting. 

The fewer people, the better the experience

When booking any tour, the most important aspect for me is the group size—that’s the first thing I look at. I don’t like big tours and prefer smaller ones, as they tend to be more intimate and personalized than the ones with 20+ people. 

In my experience, the smaller the group size, the better. Look at the tours that cap their group size at 6-10 people. You can always opt-in for a private tour, but I think it’s far better to be part of the group and socialize. 

Tour itinerary can be overwhelming

Wine tastings are rarely on time. You will spend more time than expected at a winery; that’s an unwritten rule. Especially if the group has questions, the winemaker or a host is very enthusiastic, or if chacha comes out and toasts are made. 

That said, choose wine tours in Georgia that have few winery visits in a day; otherwise, you’ll be rushed, and it will ruin the whole experience. A maximum of three is enough for the day trip, factoring in the journey times between the wineries and the roundtrip to Tbilisi or any other city from which you are taking the tour. 

Wine tours in Georgia might have hidden fees

This is very important when choosing the right wine tours in Georgia. Make sure you pay attention to what’s included in the tour price. Is the wine tasting and food part of the package? Is it one small glass or more? Does the company provide a full meal, or does it have grab-on-the-go snacks?

If the itinerary lists sightseeing or attractions, is the entrance fee to those places included? Most tours include sightseeing to churches and monasteries, which are free, but always double-check to avoid awkward situations. 

The Sighnaghi wine tour I did with Eat This! Tours included both lunch and dinner, with unlimited wine. I talk about them a bit more below. If choosing a budget option from GetYourGuide or Viator, paying attention to the inclusions is extremely important as the ‘budget’ option might end up not being so affordable with the extra hidden costs you have to pay on the spot. 

Many guides aren’t knowledgeable about wine

Unfortunately, not every guide deeply understands and knows the specifics of wine, microzones, types, etc. Even though wine is integral to Georgian culture, not everyone is an expert! 

In some cases, guides are translators if the sommelier or the winemaker doesn’t speak English. But it makes a massive difference if your guide is very well acquainted with the wine. On my Sighnaghi wine tour, our guide and driver, Levan, was a sommelier-in-training, and he was happy to explain the specifics and answer our questions as he drove.  

Not all wineries are locally-owned

The majority of Georgia’s wineries are family-run and locally owned. However, there are also massive factories that might have a non-native owner. Reputable companies that prioritize quality over quantity typically choose smaller wineries to help the local economy. 

It might include big factories instead of family-run venues

While I don’t object to visiting massive factories, I believe smaller wineries offer a more individual, friendly, and warm approach. However, as it’s your introduction to Georgian wine, it might be interesting for you to see and compare the techniques and operations of big and small enterprises.

Best companies offering wine tours in Georgia

While hundreds of companies offer wine tours in Georgia, I’d like to emphasize a few that are reputable; I know the owners or have heard great reviews from my friends. 

Two of those companies focus primarily on wine and offer more customized tours with fewer people, adding a personalized touch to their tours compared to those that do big groups. They also support smaller enterprises rather than large ones, bringing tourists to family wineries or marani in the Georgian language.

That said, this post of the best wine tours in Georgia includes more affordable tours below. 

Eat This! Tours

Eat This! Tours is an expat-designed wine tour company offering some of the best premium wine tours in Georgia, particularly to Kakheti wineries. Founded by British-Australian travel and food bloggers (Tommo and Megsy), the company provides a range of wine tours, from high-standard wine tasting to family feasts (or supras in Georgian) with winemakers. 

They offer scheduled, on-demand, and private wine tours all year round, focusing on unique and intimate experiences for small groups. 

In addition to one-day trips, they also offer tour packages to participate in Rtveli – the grape harvest that usually starts in September and lasts until October. Check out the details for Rtveli.

For my readers, Eat This! Tours kindly offered a 5% discount on all their packages. Use code RFD5 at checkout to apply the discount. 

Trails and Wines

Trails and Wines offers customized private tours introducing you to unique Georgian wines and dishes. The company was founded by a Ukrainian-Georgian couple: Daria is a wine expert and co-author of a wine guide to Georgia, and Zviad is a hiking enthusiast. 

The company prides itself on its personalized approach to wine tourism and believes a private tour allows visitors to experience Georgia’s wine culture more authentically and intimately. With a knowledgeable and passionate guide, you can better understand Georgian wine traditions, taste unique and delicious wines, and make unforgettable memories.

Daria currently offers various wine tastings in Tbilisi and concentrates on giving wine advice on her Instagram page. Therefore, wine tourism is the second priority for her at the moment. However, they are more than happy to host you on-demand. 

Traffic Travel 

The company offers various tours throughout the Caucasus region. With insider knowledge, they pride themselves on providing a unique perspective of the region’s local life, culture, history, and destinations. They focus on showing you less-known places that only the locals might know and deliver the experience you might not get when traveling independently. 

Their Kakheti wine tour offers a visit to family and commercial wineries, along with home-cooked traditional food.

Gamarjoba Georgia Tours

This is a budget-friendly company offering a wide variety of tours across Georgia. A passionate team of travel enthusiasts is driven to create personalized experiences when joining their tours. The company tries to develop tailored itineraries to suit individual interests and budgets. 

Their wine tour in Kakheti comprises commercial winery visits with large groups at affordable prices.

Best Kakheti wine tours for you to join

Vines & Mountains – Telavi tour by Eat This! Tours

This full-day tour lasts around 13 hours, is limited to a maximum of seven people, and takes visitors to Telavi, the central town of the Kakheti region, driving through stunning views of the Caucasus Mountains along the way. 

Telavi is known for its rich history and stunning architecture, including the beautiful Batnois Tsikhe (The Lord’s Fortress), a 900-year-old plane tree, and the scenic Alaverdi Monastery. Read my detailed Telavi city guide to know more.  

Apart from visiting wineries and meeting independent, artisanal winemakers to try eight different wines, this Kakheti wine tour will also take you to a craftsman who makes the gigantic clay vessels used for winemaking in Georgia—Qvevri. 

Get a 5% discount on the Telavi wine tour by including code RFD5 at checkout. 

Vines & Villages – Sighnaghi tour by Eat This! Tours

Besides a tour in Telavi, the company also has a wine tour in Sighnaghi. I have personally taken and even written a full review of what to expect on their Sighnaghi wine tour. 

The tour takes you to Giuaani Winery, very close to Tbilisi. The sommelier will guide you through the winery before seating for a ‘wine brunch’ and a tasting at the restaurant. The in-house sommelier will explain each wine and its pairing with the meals on the menu. 

Next is a short sightseeing walk through Sighnaghi town before going to the second winery inside the city center—Kerovani, which specializes in natural wines. 

The tour ends with a phenomenal dinner at the local family-run winery, where plenty of home-cooked meals are served. Here, you can experience a supra, traditional Georgian dinner with a tamada or a toastmaster. 

Get a 5% discount on the Sighnaghi wine tour by including code RFD5 at checkout. 

Wine harvest day trip to Kakheti by Eat This! Tours

Attending a Rtveli (harvest) in Kakheti is a must-do if you’re looking for an immersive and unique cultural experience. Rtveli typically starts in September and continues until mid-October. 

Within the tour, you’ll participate in the grape harvest, learn about the traditional winemaking process, visit a Qvevri craftsman, learn how to make Khinkali (Georgian dumplings) and enjoy traditional Georgian cuisine and artisan Qvevri wines.

In addition to the harvest, the tour also includes some sightseeing of Telavi and a visit to one of the oldest Orthodox monastery complexes—Dzveli Shuamta Monastery, built between the 5th and 7th centuries. 

Get a 5% discount on Harvest tours by including code RFD5 at checkout. 

One day in Kakheti by Trails and Wines

If you’re looking for a memorable and fun way to experience Georgia’s famous wine country, the Trails and Wines One Day in Kakheti wine tour is an excellent choice.

This tour is designed to present the best of Kakheti’s wine culture and natural beauty with a visit to Qvevri-maker, an 18th-century Prince Chavchavadze’s Tsinandali Estate with its cellar, and a family-run winery that practices organic winemaking.

Get a 10% discount on this tour by messaging them a code: REDFEDORA

Full-day wine-tasting tour with lunch by Traffic Travel

Traffic Travel takes you to Sighnaghi from Tbilisi on its Kakheti wine tour before heading to Okro’s winery to taste their wines and chacha. Then, you drive to Verlistsikhe to enjoy an authentic family lunch with Georgian homemade meals. The tour finishes with a visit to a commercial Khareba winery near Kvareli town. 

Book the tour on Viator or GetYourGuide.

Kakheti wine tour with seven wine tastings by Gamarjoba Georgia Tours

This could be your choice if you are after affordable full-day wine tours from Tbilisi with some sightseeing. The tour takes you to Badiauri village to snack on tone bread and local cheese and chacha. Here, you can also try to bake the bread yourself.

The tour also includes a visit to Bodbe Monastery and Sighnaghi before heading to commercial Khareba’s Tunnel Winery and Corporation Kindzmarauli in Kvareli, another town of the Kakheti region. 

Book the tour on Viator or GetYourGuide

Tbilisi wine tours 

Classic Wine Walk in Tbilisi by Trails and Wines

This tour is ideal if you have little time in Tbilisi but want to learn more about Georgian wines without leaving the capital. The wine tour in Tbilisi takes you on a walking tour of the city’s historic neighborhoods while introducing you to Georgia’s rich wine culture.

You stop at several wine bars during the tour to sample various local wines. The knowledgeable and passionate guides provide insights into the winemaking process and the unique features of each wine, allowing you to gain a deeper understanding of wine culture.

The tour includes visiting a wine museum, tasting six wines, a cheese plate, and other local delicacies. 

Get a 10% discount on this tour by messaging them a code: REDFEDORA

Taste Tbilisi – a delicious food & drink walk

This is a great tour to explore Tbilisi through its food and wine. The local guide will bring you to old taverns, hip hangouts, and organic wine bars to taste modern and iconic Georgian staples. 

In addition to restaurants and wine bars, the tour includes a short walking tour of the neighborhood to admire decaying architectural buildings.

Book the tour on Viator or GetYourGuide.

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