When you join one of our trips, we want you to have peace of mind. In response to COVID-19, we’ve:
Tucked between the Black and Caspian Seas and in the shadow of Europe’s highest mountains, you'll find Georgia—a tiny country with an astounding culinary heritage and a winemaking tradition tracing back eight millennia. On this mouthwatering gastronomic adventure, we’ll explore in and around the capital of Tbilisi, paying homage to Svetitskhovloba, the country’s holiest site, before dipping into some of the finest wine from one of the most underrated wine regions in the world. We’ll also spend two days in the stunning Alazani Valley, where we’ll experience the deep reverence for winemaking that defines this land. Along the way, we’ll take in unique performances, visit little-known spots, and to cap things off, learn to cook our own Georgian feast, or supra.
Our partner, Culinary Backstreets: In order to create and curate this unique experience, we've partnered closely with Culinary Backstreets, a global guide to local eats that publishes restaurant reviews and features on local culinary culture. They bring these stories to life on culinary tours and special events, offered in 12 cities around the world, and have extensive international experience with all things gastronomical.
We encourage travelers to ease into this trip and allow some extra time to acclimate, especially as most flights to Tbilisi arrive in the wee hours of the morning. We’ll arrange private pickup from the airport to your hotel, where you’ll have time to rest. In the late afternoon, we’ll meet for introductions and a welcome dinner at Shavi Lomi, a house-turned-restaurant featuring a twist on traditional Georgian dishes as well as classic favorites. Over dinner, we’ll properly introduce ourselves and get an overview of the exciting—and delicious—week ahead.
Betsy's Hotel, Tbilisi
Welcome Dinner
Today we’ll explore the building blocks of the Georgian supra table—tracking down warm loaves of tonis puri, fresh from an oven in the basement of a historic seminary, and learning and tasting traditional essentials from spice blenders, pickle makers, cheesemongers and herbsmen in a colorful bazaar (not to mention fresh Georgian cheese, honey, and delicious churchkhelas, strings of nuts dipped in a thick roux of grape juice). We’ll feast on khinkali, the iconic dumplings of the land, and taste the latest wines from the kvevri at the city’s first wine bar. We’ll wind down the day with early, relaxing dinner in a traditional courtyard. If you have energy left after dinner, feel free to wander the streets of the Sololaki neighborhood, where you’ll find no shortage of bars and cafes.
Betsy's Hotel, Tbilisi
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
In the morning we’ll make the short drive to Mtskheta, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and the birthplace of Georgian Christianity. In the 4th century, this site was chosen by St. Nino for the first church in Georgia. Believed to be the burial site of Christ’s mantle, it is one of the most sacred places in the country. We’ll then continue to the Shida Kartli region, considered the heart of Georgia, which once produced wine for the Georgian kings. We’ll visit the cellar of the Wine Artisans, an association of winemakers dedicated to making traditional natural wines. Our host, Andro Barnovi, will walk us through the winemaking process and also prepare a luscious country supper.
Betsy's Hotel, Tbilisi
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Spread beneath the majestic Caucasus Mountains like an enormous grape basket is the Alazani Valley. Located in the Kakheti region of eastern Georgia, this could very well be the most breathtaking wine region in the world. After a morning drive from Tbilisi to Kakheti, we’ll arrive around lunchtime for a meal at the home of a local cheesemaker, where we'll sample the wines made in her village. This evening, an authentic, rustic supra awaits us; we’ll get to participate in the preparation and toast our host family at their table. Tonight, we’ll stay in the Alazani Valley in a comfortable boutique hotel, dreaming of all things delicious.
Chateau Mere, Kakheti
Breakfast, Lunch, Feast
Our day will begin with a visit to the home of a master maker of kvevri. We’ll be walked through the ancient process of making the ceramic vessels that Georgians still use to store and ferment wine. Meanwhile, in a nearby village, celebrated winemaker Irakli Bluishvili will welcome us into his home-cum-wine cellar for a sophisticated take on the village feast. While dinner is being prepared, we’ll meander into the woods to visit the 8th-century Father David church and see the ruins of an ancient wine cellar. After the last toast is made (and we’ve washed down our tomato and eggplant salad, sheep cheese, barbecued pork, and fresh bread), we’ll head back to Tbilisi for a good night’s rest.
Betsy's Hotel, Tbilisi
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Saving some of the best for last, we’ll begin the day with the Adjaruli khachapuri. To give you a sense of what to expect, picture a baked barge of dough packing a cargo of gooey cheese, topped with a mostly raw egg yolk and a slowly melting Snickers-sized gob of butter. We’ll then enjoy an exclusive performance by the Sukhishvili National Ballet, a true acrobatic spectacle. After a short rest, we’ll meet for our final feast, which we’ll prepare together with a local chef. We’ll gather around a table for one more supra together—this time, accompanied by a group of polyphonic singers—and raise our glasses to a wonderful and delicious week.
Betsy's Hotel, Tbilisi
Breakfast, Lunch
The cost of this trip is $3,320, based on double occupancy.
You’re in good company. Solo travelers typically make up about half of our small groups. With curiosity at the center of our experiences, there’s a natural camaraderie that develops over the course of a trip. We have two options for you:
Shared Room (subject to the latest Covid-19 guidelines): You'll be matched with another solo traveler of the same gender.
Private Room: Have your own room, subject to availability, for a supplemental cost of $475. After booking your trip, please request a single room when you fill out your traveler information form and we’ll send a separate invoice for the cost.
Travelers should feel comfortable walking three to five miles each day and remaining on their feet for long periods of time. Be prepared to roll up your sleeves and get hands-on during a couple of cooking workshops.
For flights in and out of Tbilisi International Airport (TBS), we suggest you arrive by 3 p.m. on Day 1 and depart anytime on Day 7. Note that most inbound and outbound flights at TBS are scheduled for very early in the morning. We’ve arranged early check-in on the first day so that you have a place to sleep when you land in the wee hours. We’ll provide the option of booking additional nights at our Tbilisi hotel before and/or after the tour, and are more than happy to provide suggestions for things to do and see in the city on your own.
We encourage an adventurous palate! However, if you’d like to avoid meat, the Georgian diet is vegetarian-friendly, so we can almost always supplement a non-meat dish. Avoiding gluten, on the other hand, will be challenging. If you’d like to join but are gluten-intolerant, you’ll need to bring and/or buy a steady stash of snacks to supplement your meals.
Joining this trip directly supports the unsung heroes of the kitchen—hardworking, independent people running some of the most economically vulnerable businesses in the cityscape who, through their daily working life, preserve local traditions embedded in food. Aside from the financial support that comes from your trip fees, you can contribute to the preservation of community spirit and memory by sharing the stories of the places and people we visit, and honoring the traditions we encounter along the way.