Imereti Wine Culture and Qvevri Tour
Explore the distinctive wine culture of Imereti region centered on Kutaisi, where an ancient winemaking tradition using qvevri clay vessels produces amber wines with a style unique to western Georgia and increasingly celebrated internationally.
- 1
Imeretian Vineyard
Enter a traditional Imeretian vineyard where the local Tsitska, Tsolikouri, and Krakhuna grape varieties grown in the mild western Georgian climate produce the raw material for wines with flavor profiles unlike those of the more famous Kakheti region.
- 2
Qvevri Winery
Descend into the marani winery cellar where qvevri clay vessels are buried up to their necks in the earthen floor, the traditional Georgian winemaking method that ferments and ages wine in clay contact with grape skins for months.
- 3
Amber Wine Tasting
Taste the amber wines of Imereti where partial skin contact during fermentation produces wines of orange-gold color, grippy tannins, and complex oxidative character that represents one of the world's most ancient and now fashionable wine styles.
- 4
Village Wine Festival
Experience or learn about the Rtsveli grape harvest festival that takes place in Imeretian villages each autumn, when the communal harvest is celebrated with traditional songs, food, and the first tasting of the new vintage.
- 5
Chacha Distillery
Visit a chacha distillery where the pomace from wine production is distilled into the grape spirit that is Georgia's national liquor, the fiery clear liquid consumed at the ceremonial toasts that structure every Georgian feast and celebration.
- 6
Winery Feast
Participate in a traditional Georgian feast — a supra — at the winery where the tamada toastmaster leads guests through a series of elaborate ritual toasts, the food, wine, and speechmaking creating a social ceremony of great cultural significance.