The food and wine of Georgia are captivating – that was one of the major impressions of my first trip to the country.
Georgian Wines
Georgia is currently one of the hottest locations in the wine world for industry insiders. It is known as the birthplace of wine, since it has a relic from 8,000 years ago containing resin from fermented grapes – farther back than anywhere else on the planet. Georgia has 350 native grape varieties, most of which you have never heard of. It is also famous in the wine industry for its emphasis on “natural wine”, or wine made from grapes without fertilizers or pesticides and produced with nothing added.
Then you throw in the romance of the kvevri, a clay vessel used for fermentation that is located underground, and you have an amazing wine industry producing excellent wines. But two other things impressed me the most when I was in Georgia. First, that the country has somehow kept alive its winemaking traditions for the past 8,000 years, despite multiple invasions, sometimes by countries intent on destroying its grapes. Second, that pretty much every restaurant boasted of serving Georgian wine – no need to convince the locals to drink and sell the local wine!
Georgian Food
Georgian food has no such equivalent cache as does the wine industry. Tell me – what do you know about the food from the country of Georgia? Chances are your answer is nothing. Once you start reading about traveling to Georgia, you will read about how great the food is. I was, nevertheless, blown away by the food, for multiple reasons.
- There is a traditional way to eat in Georgia. Most meals are served family style and the dishes even come out in a traditional order. For me, this was a much more fun experience and certainly simplified ordering, since we could just order a bunch of dishes (and have our Georgian guide do it).
- Much of the produce, grains, and meats are grown and raised locally. This is truly farm to table eating and they do it because it is the easiest thing to do, not because it is trendy.
- Georgian cuisine uses a lot of vegetables and nuts and they are cooked into flavorful dishes rather than just served on their own. While meat is served at most meals, the country is truly a great place for those trying to increase their vegetable intake.
- The supra, sort of a banquet feast, is by itself a common custom in Georgia. Normally there is a “toast maker” or master of ceremonies and the wines are integrated into the meal. You can (and will if you join us in Georgia) spend hours enjoying the food, wine, and culture of one supra.
The Food & Wine of Georgia
On our Georgia Food & Wine Tour, we of course indulge in lots of food and wine. But the tour is so much more than that. We visit different sorts of wineries where we speak with owners and winemakers, taste wines, and learn how the wine making process works. We visit markets and food producers. We do a craft beer tasting and have the opportunity to taste chacha, a homemade spirit made of the dregs from the wine grapes.
In the end, the best thing about visiting Georgia is that the experience is real. You are much more likely to encounter a home winemaker than an industrial winery in this country. And we think you will love it.
Join us for a Georgia Food & Wine tour in 2025 and find out for yourself!
