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Latest update: 29 January 2025
You won’t have to look far: wine is everywhere in Tbilisi, Georgia. Wine-tasting signs adorn many bars and restaurants. All kinds of wine tours are available, and it seems like every Georgian family makes their own wine. Georgia has the longest wine-making history in the world. So you pretty much HAVE to embrace it here. Let me help you get started.
Georgia: Wine paradise
Georgia has registered more than 525 native grape varieties. You won’t find Chardonnay or Merlot here, but instead, you will find grape varieties that are utterly unknown to us – or at least to me. So, I definitely won’t pretend to suddenly be an expert in Georgian wine. But I have tasted quite a bit of Georgian wine and been on some great tours. So feel free to take some tips from me.
Why aren’t we very familiar with Georgian wine? You can thank the Soviet Union for that. While wine production flourished in Europe, it was being restricted in Georgia. But they’re definitely making up for lost time now. We should start seeing Georgian wines more often on wine lists in the West. But for now, you’ll just have to go to Georgia to taste them!
From Tbilisi, there are many options for a day tour of the wine region, but you can also get acquainted with Georgian wines right in the city itself.
Exploring Georgian wine with an expert
Tip #1 is to get in touch with Tommo from Eat This! Tours. While it’s super fun to go exploring on your own, a little guidance can’t hurt. Tommo organizes tastings and wine walking tours in Tbilisi and has many connections with wine bars, sommeliers, and winemakers. You’re guaranteed to be in good hands with him, whether you know nothing about Georgian wine or want to dive deeper into the subject.
Visit Tbilisi’s wine museum
I recommend visiting the Tbilisi Wine Museum with a guide. You can ask at the entrance if there’s an English-speaking guide available. If not, you might be able to make an appointment for later. Because, in my opinion, you’re a bit lost in this underground wine museum without guidance. You really need context for all the items displayed here.
Drinking wine at the Tbilisi Wine Museum
Nice museum and all, but I want to taste Georgian wine! And you can do that right in the museum. The Tbilisi Wine Museum actually has a restaurant called Archive. You can make a dinner reservation and enjoy great food and wine, but you can also contact them for a tasting in the museum. Jaba Dzimistarishvili is the sommelier and was Georgia’s best sommelier in 2012. Fun fact: he used to be an actor.
He tells us about a Georgian tradition where wine is made when a baby boy is born. That bottle is then opened at the wedding. But… one of Jaba’s friends was already 56 and still wasn’t married. The man didn’t want to wait until his funeral, so they recently decided to open that wine anyway. It wasn’t really drinkable anymore, but hey…
Jaba introduces me to different Georgian wines: a red Amidasturi, a white Tsinandali… as I mentioned before: the names are completely unfamiliar (and often unpronounceable) to me. And that’s what makes it so fun. One word you absolutely must remember: gaumarjos! That’s how you say cheers in Georgian.
Georgian toasting with the Tamada
Okay, as a tourist, you can get away with a loud ‘gaumarjos,’ but that’s not how Georgians do it. Toasting is quite an event at a real Georgian supra (feast). The tamada (toastmaster – usually a man) makes various toasts throughout the evening. And that’s when you often hear the word gaumarjos. The word means something like “to victory.”
The first few toasts are mandatory:
- Dideba uphals: to God and the guests
- Mshvidobas gaumarjos: to peace
- Sakartvelos gaumarjos: to Georgia
And the tamada can add various topics as they see fit: love, deceased loved ones, friendship…. Don’t think these are just quick toasts – each can easily last five minutes or longer.
In central Tbilisi, you’ll find a statue of such a tamada. I’ll admit right away that the statue isn’t legendary. However, because it’s such a beautiful part of Georgian tradition, I think you should still check it out.
Tip! You’ve got to eat too. Check out my favorite restaurants in Tbilisi.
Georgian ‘wine horn’
A tamada makes their toast, holding a wine horn. This is called a khantsi, and the shape gives me Viking vibes. Originally, they were made from goat horns with silver decorations on the rim. A chain’s also attached so you can hang it on the wall. The versions you see at souvenir stands are usually plastic.
You must drink the entire horn in one go when you finish your toast. The bigger the horn, the more impressive, of course. I watched a tamada pour an entire bottle of wine into his khantsi and down it in one go. I’m definitely not trying that!
Nino Meris’s wine bar
The wine world is quite male-dominated – especially in Georgia. That’s why I particularly enjoyed trying different wines at Nino Meris’s wine bar, including Nino’s own wines. Nino is a winemaker, sommelier, and incredibly sweet lady. She tells us how she set up her business and that she’s happy we came to drink wine at her place: “You make my dream come true.”
It’s a long, narrow place where you can barely pass each other. From my table, I admire the extensive collection of wines on the wall opposite me. You can also buy a bottle to take home.
Wine tasting at Vinotells Boutique
Every second Wednesday evening of the month, Vinotells Boutique organizes a wine tasting for expats and tourists. If you’re not in Tbilisi then but would still like to taste wines AND get explanations, call ahead to make sure someone who speaks English is available. If you just want to taste wines, you can go anytime.
You’ll need to take a taxi or the metro (Technical University station) since Vinotells Boutique isn’t in central Tbilisi. But it’s definitely worth it. Sommelier and owner Zaza is a big Georgian man with a deep voice and extensive wine knowledge.
I sample wines from different Georgian winemakers in the tastefully decorated tasting room: Baia’s Wine, Bimbili, Gurian Wines. I take the Bimbili home with me, and I discover that I can actually order the Binekhi Otskhanuri Sapere in the Netherlands. So if you’re Dutch and ready to try a delicious red wine from Georgia: available for purchase here.
More Georgia travel inspiration?
Useful links for your Georgia trip
- Accommodation. Favorite remains Booking.com. Would you rather stay in a hostel? Check Hostelworld.
- Activities. Book the best tours and activities at GetYourGuide, Klook, and Viator. ‘Free’ walking tours can be booked at Freetour.com or GuruWalk.
- Car rental. If you want to compare prices and insurance coverage, try Discover Cars and Rentalcars.com. In Georgia, a private transfer or tour with a private driver is often very affordable. Use GoTrip for this.
- Reading tip. If you like reading, I recommend buying this fantastic book: The Eighth Life (for Brilka). It is about generations of women living and suffering in Georgia. More than 1000 pages, so get cozy and comfortable!
- Travel guides. I like paper travel guides to browse through, for sale at Amazon, among others.
- SIM card. Beware of unexpectedly high phone and internet costs. Buy a local SIM card when you arrive, or arrange one online via Airalo.
- Train and Bus Travel by train or bus through Georgia with Busbud, 12Go, or Omio.
- Flights. Compare all your options! Be sure to check out Skyscanner and Kiwi.
- Package deals. Rather go on a catered trip? Start your search at Expedia or CheapOair.
- Yoga retreat. Or treat yourself to a yoga retreat in Georgia.
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