Top 15 wineries in Georgia you need to visit

The Georgian winery scene: a brief overview

Georgia’s wine country is simultaneously ancient and vibrantly modern. You can taste 8,000-year-old techniques alongside experimental natural wines at the same table, sometimes at the same winery. Most serious wine tourists base themselves in Tbilisi and make day trips into Kakheti — the eastern wine region responsible for about 70% of national production — though western regions like Imereti and Racha offer increasingly interesting visits too.

The winery landscape ranges from multinational operations with sleek visitor centres to farmers who will pour you wine from a clay pitcher while chickens wander the yard. The latter are often the most memorable. This guide covers both ends of the spectrum and everything in between.

For background on the winemaking method you’ll encounter everywhere, read our qvevri winemaking guide before you go.

1. Pheasant’s Tears — Sighnaghi

The winery that arguably did more than any other to bring Georgian natural wine to international attention. American painter John Wurdeman moved to Georgia in the early 2000s, fell in love with qvevri wine, and partnered with winemaker Gela Patalishvili to produce wines that are now poured in the world’s best natural wine bars.

The winery operates from a restored historic building in Sighnaghi, with a beautiful restaurant serving Georgian food alongside the wines. Visits are possible with advance booking, and the restaurant is open to all. The qvevri cellar tour is excellent. Look for their Rkatsiteli, Kisi, and Chinuri — all made with full skin contact and no additions.

2. Iago’s Wine — Chardakhi village, Kartli

Iago Bitarishvili produces some of the most sought-after natural wines in Georgia from his family’s small farm in Kartli. His Chinuri amber is a benchmark — delicate, mineral, and utterly unlike anything made anywhere else. The farm is simple and traditional; the experience is entirely about the wine and the family hospitality.

Visits are possible but require advance arrangement. Getting here without a car is challenging, making it ideal for a guided tour.

3. Twins Wine House — Napareuli, Kakheti

Twin brothers Giorgi and Gela Natenadze built their winery from scratch on their family’s land in the Alazani Valley. Today Twins is one of the best-equipped visitor experiences in Kakheti: a beautiful wine museum, underground qvevri cellar, terrace restaurant, and a range of wines spanning from traditional amber to more modern styles.

The flagship Rkatsiteli amber and Saperavi red are reliably excellent. Located near Telavi, easy to combine with other Kakheti stops.

4. Khareba Winery — Kvareli

One of Georgia’s larger producers, Khareba is famous for its underground wine tunnel — a 7.7-kilometre-long tunnel carved into a cliff, originally used for military purposes, now used to age wine in constant conditions. The tunnel tour is genuinely spectacular and unlike any other winery experience in the country.

The tunnel maintains 12–14°C year-round, perfect for ageing. Tastings are held in the tunnel itself. Khareba produces wines in both modern and qvevri styles across a wide range of varieties.

5. Shumi Winery — Tsinandali, Kakheti

A well-presented estate winery in the famous Tsinandali wine village, Shumi has a strong visitor infrastructure including a wine museum, working qvevri cellar, and a restaurant on the grounds. The Shumi Rkatsiteli Amber is a reliable introduction to the style.

The Tsinandali area is historically significant — the nearby Tsinandali Estate was owned by the poet Alexander Chavchavadze and has one of the oldest wine cellars in the Caucasus.

6. Shalauri Wine Cellar — Shalauri village

A small, family-run operation that punches well above its weight in quality. Located in a quiet village outside Telavi, Shalauri produces a small range of qvevri wines including an outstanding Kisi that appears regularly on international natural wine lists. Visits are welcoming and informal — you will likely meet the winemaker in person.

7. Our Wine — Tibaani, Kakheti

Soliko Tsaishvili is one of the pioneering figures of the Georgian natural wine revival. His farm in Tibaani is deliberately low-tech: ancient qvevri, minimal intervention, indigenous varieties. The wines are profound — intense, complex, long-lived. The Rkatsiteli and Goruli Mtsvane are highlights.

This is not a polished tourist operation; it is a working farm. That is entirely the point.

8. Vinoterra — Napareuli, Kakheti

Giorgi Dakishvili’s Vinoterra produces a range of wines from estate vineyards in the Alazani Valley. The qvevri wines are excellent, and the winery has a lovely guesthouse making it a good base for exploring the region. The tasting room overlooks the vineyards with the Caucasus mountains as a backdrop.

9. Teliani Valley — Telavi

One of Kakheti’s more established commercial producers with a well-run visitor centre and a broad range of wines. Teliani Valley is a good introduction to the regional diversity: they produce everything from conventional-style whites and reds to serious qvevri ambers. The cellar tour is informative and well-presented.

10. Ramaz Nikoladze — Nakhshirgele, Imereti

Western Georgia’s most celebrated natural winemaker. Ramaz Nikoladze’s wines — particularly his Tsitska and Tsolikouri — have been poured at some of the world’s most prestigious natural wine events. His approach uses partial skin contact in the Imeretian tradition, producing wines of extraordinary delicacy and precision.

His farm is a working traditional operation in rural Imereti; visits require advance arrangement and ideally a Georgian-speaking guide.

11. Chateau Mukhrani — Mukhrani, Kartli

A historic estate originally established in the 1880s by Prince Ivane Mukhranbatoni. The chateau was restored in the early 2000s and now produces wines in both European and traditional Georgian styles. The grounds are beautiful, the visitor centre is one of the most polished in Georgia, and the range includes interesting historical blends alongside modern varietals.

Located just 40 minutes from Tbilisi — one of the closest serious wineries to the capital.

12. Lagvinari — Khashmi, Kakheti

Eko Glonti’s small winery produces some of the most intellectually serious amber wines in Georgia. The Rkatsiteli and Kisi are fermented and aged in qvevri with full skin contact, then matured for an extended period before release. The wines are powerful and structured, built for ageing.

Visits are by appointment; the winery is located near Sighnaghi.

13. Baia’s Wine — Meore Shuakhevi, Adjara

Sisters Baia and Gvantsa Abuladze run this pioneering small winery in Adjara — western Georgia’s coastal and mountain region — using indigenous Adjaranuli Tetri and Chkhaveri grapes that almost nobody else was working with seriously. Their wines are fresh, unique, and have generated enormous international press coverage.

Visiting Adjara for wine tourism combines beautifully with the Batumi beach experience and mountain excursions.

14. Schuchmann Wines — Kisiskhevi, Kakheti

A German-Georgian joint venture producing both conventional European-style wines and serious qvevri wines from a well-equipped estate. The guesthouse and restaurant make Schuchmann one of the most practical overnight options in Kakheti. The Tbilvino collaboration wines and the estate Saperavi are consistently well-made.

15. GWS (Georgian Wine & Spirit Company) — Kindzmarauli, Kakheti

The producer behind Kindzmarauli — Georgia’s most famous semi-sweet red wine — the GWS estate in the Kindzmarauli micro-zone is the only place to understand what makes this wine’s terroir unique. The Alazani Valley floor here produces grapes with enough residual sugar to create naturally sweet red wines. Tours and tastings are available at the estate.

How to plan your winery visits

Getting around: Most Kakheti wineries are spread across a large area between Telavi, Sighnaghi, and Kvareli. A rental car gives maximum flexibility, but the roads are straightforward and the distances manageable. Many visitors book a guided day trip from Tbilisi that combines three or four winery visits.

Book a Kakheti wine tour with 9 tastings from Tbilisi

What to taste: Challenge yourself to taste indigenous varieties rather than international ones. Ask for Rkatsiteli, Kisi, Mtsvane, Saperavi, Shavkapito, Khikhvi, Chkhaveri. These are wines that exist nowhere else on earth.

What to buy: Most family wineries sell bottles at the cellar door for 15–40 GEL. Larger estates charge 30–80 GEL. Shipping wine home from Georgia is difficult — airlines and customs can be problematic — so buy what you can carry.

Harvest time: If you visit in September–October during rtveli, many wineries welcome you to participate. Read our full qvevri winemaking guide for what to expect.

Wine tourism tips

• Always phone or email ahead for small family wineries — they may be working in the vineyards
• Bring cash; credit card payment is not universal at small producers
• A designated driver or hired car with driver makes winery days considerably more enjoyable
• Combine wine visits with lunch at a local family restaurant (guest house) — the food and wine pairing in context is revelatory
• Tbilisi’s wine bars are a great introduction before heading to the regions — see our wine tasting in Tbilisi guide

Wine tasting tips for each winery type

Understanding the different types of Georgian wine operations helps you calibrate your expectations and get the most from each visit.

Large estate wineries

Estates like Twins Wine House, Khareba, Schuchmann, and Teliani Valley have purpose-built visitor infrastructure: tasting rooms, restaurants, guided cellar tours, and usually English-speaking staff. These are the most convenient first visits for tourists unfamiliar with Georgian wine. The wines are reliably made, often with both conventional and qvevri production runs. The downside: the prices are higher than family operations and the intimate connection to the winemaker’s personal vision is sometimes diluted.

Best approach: Book the official cellar tour (usually 1.5–2 hours) and taste the full range systematically. Ask specifically to taste any qvevri wines rather than relying on the default pour.

Family winery cellar visits

Operations like Pheasant’s Tears, Shalauri, Lagvinari, and Our Wine are essentially farms with winemaking at their core. The visitor experience is informal — you are meeting the winemaking family at their workplace. The wines are often extraordinary. The setting is authentic. The conversation, if you can navigate the language barrier (guides help enormously here), is direct and personal.

Best approach: Call or email ahead. Bring a guide or translator if your Georgian and Russian are limited. Be prepared to sit down and spend 2–3 hours; genuine Georgian hospitality does not rush. Buy a few bottles — it is the appropriate reciprocation.

Boutique natural wine producers

The most interesting and challenging visits are the very small natural wine producers — Iago Bitarishvili, Soliko Tsaishvili (Our Wine), Ramaz Nikoladze. These are working farms, not visitor centres. Access requires either a direct relationship or a guide who has one. The wines produced here are internationally recognised; the operations look nothing like what you might expect for internationally famous wines.

Best approach: Treat these as pilgrimages rather than tourist activities. Come with specific knowledge of the wines and the producer’s philosophy. Show that you have done your research. These are serious winemakers who value serious interest.

The wine tourism calendar by season

Spring (April–May): The best time for winery visits from a pure wine experience perspective. The new vintage amber wines are fresh and evolving; the winemakers have time after the harvest to talk in depth; the Kakheti landscape is at its greenest. The New Wine Festival in Tbilisi (typically May) allows tasting from a hundred-plus producers in one event.

Summer (June–August): The tourist season peak. Most wineries are open and staffed for visitors. The landscape is full and beautiful. Some wineries host harvest preview events. The days are long, making multi-winery visits easy to schedule.

Harvest (September–October): The most exciting time. Rtveli gives direct access to winemaking in progress — pressing, fermentation, the smell of live qvevri. Some wineries host harvest events or welcome visitors to participate in picking. Accommodation in Kakheti books up significantly.

Winter (November–March): The quietest period. Wineries are working on cellar tasks and have the most time for extended, unhurried visits. Prices are lowest. The new vintage wines can sometimes be tasted straight from the qvevri in various stages of development. Not glamorous, but often the most personally rewarding wine visits.

Building a Georgian wine vocabulary

To get the most from winery visits and conversations with Georgian winemakers, a few key terms in Georgian are enormously appreciated:

• Qvevri (kv-ev-ri): The clay vessel used for winemaking
• Marani (ma-ra-ni): The wine cellar
• Rtveli (rt-ve-li): The grape harvest
• Rkatsiteli (rk-at-si-te-li): The main white Kakheti grape variety
• Saperavi (sa-pe-ra-vi): The main red Georgian grape variety
• Gamarjoba (ga-mar-jo-ba): Hello
• Gmadlobt (gma-dlobt): Thank you
• Gaumarjos (gau-mar-jos): The Georgian toast — “to victory!”

Attempting even these basics will generate immediate warmth and often significantly more wine.

Georgian wine certification and what labels mean

Georgian wine labels can be confusing. A few key designations:

PDO (Protected Designation of Origin): Georgia has several PDO wines — Kindzmarauli, Khvanchkara, Mukuzani, Akhasheni, and others. These must be made from specific varieties in specific zones using regulated methods.

“Qvevri wine”: Not a regulated term. Anyone can write it on a label. Look for actual evidence of skin contact — deep amber colour and tannic texture — rather than relying on the label claim.

“Natural wine”: Not regulated anywhere, including Georgia. A general term for minimal-intervention winemaking; quality and authenticity vary enormously.

Vintage: Georgian wines typically show the harvest year on the label. Amber wines benefit from 2–10 years of bottle age; Saperavi can age for 20+ years. Older vintages from serious producers are worth seeking.

Producer name: The most reliable quality indicator. The producers named in this guide have established track records.

FAQ

What is the best region for wine tourism in Georgia? Kakheti is the most developed for tourism and has the greatest density of wineries. Imereti is worth the extra effort for its distinct style. Kartli is convenient from Tbilisi.

Do I need to book winery visits in advance? For large estates (Khareba, Twins, Schuchmann), walk-ins are often fine. For small family operations, always book ahead.

What is the best time of year to visit Georgian wineries? Harvest (September–October) is the most exciting time. Spring (April–May) is also excellent. Winter is quiet but cellars are open and wines are fresh from the recent harvest.

Can I visit Georgian wineries without a tour? Yes, with a rental car. But a guided tour adds context and handles translation with non-English-speaking producers — which includes many of the most interesting ones.

Planning a Kakheti winery itinerary: practical framework

The most common mistake in planning Kakheti winery visits is over-booking. Three wineries in a day is the practical maximum for a meaningful experience — arriving, tasting properly, having the conversation with the winemaker, and buying bottles. Four wineries produces rushed visits and sensory fatigue; two wineries leaves time to linger.

A 2-day Kakheti winery framework:

Day 1 (Telavi area): Morning visit to one of the larger natural producers (Schuchmann, Teliani Valley, or Artanuli Marani) for context and scale. Afternoon visit to a small family producer in the Kindzmarauli or Gurjaani zone — the contrast between commercial and artisan winemaking makes both visits more informative than either alone.

Day 2 (Sighnaghi area): A cellar visit at a Sighnaghi-based producer in the morning (Pheasant’s Tears in Sighnaghi itself is the most celebrated option). Afternoon second visit to a Kvareli area producer. Evening at the Sighnaghi wine bar or restaurant terrace.

Between-winery transport: A rental car is essential for moving between wineries efficiently. Distances within Kakheti look short on the map but road conditions slow driving to 40–50 km/h average on rural routes.

What to buy: A general rule for Kakheti buying: spend at least 30 GEL per bottle at small family producers (cheap wine from serious natural producers doesn’t exist — the low price means either conventional winemaking or a compromised vintage). The exceptional bottles at 50–100 GEL from the best Kakheti producers represent extraordinary value against any international benchmark.

Book a full-day Kakheti wine tour from Tbilisi

Related guides

• Kakheti wine tours guide — the logistics of organising winery visits
• Amber wine guide — understanding the wines you taste
• Qvevri winemaking guide — how Georgian wine is made
• Georgia in September — winery visits during harvest season
• Wine tasting in Tbilisi — tasting Georgian wine before going to Kakheti