The city of love, wine tours, and history: A week in the Kakheti Region of Georgia

No, I did not drink; I wanted to see the countryside of Georgia. I was in Sighnahi in the Kakheti Region of Georgia, also known as the ¨City of Love¨.

It is more picturesque than most other Georgian cities; many claim it is the ¨Tuscany¨ of Georgia. It was beautiful, but not Tuscany. I don’t like to compare; it was unique in its own right and on its own.

Sighnahi is the location of The Wedding House, the first 24/7 wedding chapel. Many people flock to Sighnahi to get married. The colored houses and the stone-cobbled roads make it the perfect destination wedding.

Plus, the vineyards and the oldest winemaking region in Georgia. So we went on a wine tour organized by Nado and Lado Guesthouse. Nado’s husband was the driver and took us to wineries, a 6th-century monastery, The Nekresi Monastery, and a lake. So, it was not all about the wine; it also made me happy that I chose to go.

Tip: Go to the monastery and skip the man-made lake.

Part of traveling is learning about the area’s history, especially in this part of Georgia, wine is history. In 2015, archaeologists found proof that wine existed in the Kakheti region for 8,000 years, making it the world’s oldest wine-producing part; this day, most of the vines in Europe and Asia come from the vines harvested in Georgia.

With as much conflict Georgia has had throughout the years, the winemakers learned how to harvest the saplings from their vineyards, so every time they were forced off their lands, they always had a way to start over, to regrow, and that was life until Georgia became independent in 1991.

The winemaking process is also unique, as the grapes are crushed, and the stems, juice, seeds, and anything else are all used and placed into a Qvevri, an enormous clay vessel.

When the wine was dated 8000 years ago, a Qvevri was discovered as they are clay vessels typically buried underground.

They are placed underground to ferment for approximately 5–6 months, then removed, and you have wine. The skin of the grapes is left in to make cha cha, a potent alcoholic drink served all over Georgia.

So, it was historically fascinating. However, for a nondrinker, I could have driven around and gone on one wine tour, and it would have satisfied my curiosity; instead, it was an 8-hour tour, and every time I said no to drinking wine or cha, I was questioned over and over, which was a bit annoying.

Ultimately, I just started walking out of the wineries to avoid being repeatedly asked. I can handle it once, and when I say no, that is the end, but even those who knew I would only see the process and countryside kept asking me if I would magically change my mind.

I did not.

I have no desire ever to drink alcohol again. It is not that I have an issue and can not be around it; I do not want it. I respect the opinions of those who choose to drink, and the least I want from those around me is to respect my decision not to drink.

My favorite part was the Nekresi monastery as a monk took me down to a cave where they discovered two graves of monks and the bones still inside the ground. It was fascinating; I wish I could have understood the monk as he excitedly spoke to me in Georgian.

The whole experience is one I will remember, as wine is a part of their life and culture here, plus knowing how cha cha is made. All the homemade liquors from back in the day are made similar to moonshine, which fascinates me.

However, I did hear a rumor that those who drive the dangerous road to Tusheti are known to drink a bit of cha cha before the drive to give them courage.

I am glad I chose to skip that road, especially after I heard that; however, I am sure a few drivers here are nice and toasty before driving since the driving here is awful.

Luckily, Nado’s husband on the wine tour was also a policeman and a safe driver. It was my first time in a car in Georgia, and I was not scared.

So, if you are in Georgia and are interested in wine or history, visit Sighnahi and discover one of the oldest histories of wine in the world.

Of course, I have a video 💕😊.