Wine chateaux

What "chateau" means in Georgia

The French word is used broadly here: it names a wine estate that has rooms for guests. Some are historic houses, some new hotels, some family wine cellars.

So we look at the content more than the name: who makes the wine, what the rooms are like and who will be your host in the evening.

Who it is for

A night at a chateau is for people interested in wine, for couples and for groups of friends who want two quiet days outside the city.

Even people who do not care for wine enjoy it: the vineyard, the garden, the silence and the table are worthwhile in themselves. Alcohol or no alcohol.

Kakheti and the Alazani valley

Kakheti is Georgia's main wine region, and most chateaux are here. The Alazani valley is covered in vineyards, with the Caucasus range standing to the north.

Telavi and Sighnaghi work as a base, but staying at a chateau means you do not go back to town at night and you wake up among the vines.

Different parts of Kakheti have different characters. We choose according to what you want to see the next day.

Tsinandali and the historic estates

Tsinandali has the Chavchavadze estate - the place where, in the nineteenth century, Georgian wine met the European bottle and European guests. Today the estate is a museum with a park.

Several historic houses in Kakheti have been turned into hotels. A night in such a place is a meeting with history, not just a rest.

In a historic building rooms differ and are sometimes small. We check in advance so that charm does not replace comfort.

Kvareli and the foot of the Caucasus

Kvareli lies at the foot of the Caucasus, where the mountains come closest to the vineyards. Nights are cool, and in the morning the mountain's shadow falls across the valley.

In this area estates are often on the slopes, and some have a wine cellar cut into the rock as a tunnel. It is a special place for a tasting.

From Kvareli it is not far to the Lagodekhi reserve. Wine and forest combine well in one route.

The Mukhrani valley near Tbilisi

If you do not have two days for Kakheti, the Mukhrani valley is about an hour from Tbilisi. There are wine estates here too, with rooms and a restaurant.

It is a good option for a first or last night, when you are coming from or going to the airport and do not want a long drive.

Mtskheta is close to Mukhrani, and both fit into one day - history in the morning, wine in the evening.

Imereti and Racha

Western Georgian wine is different: less pomace is used in the qvevri, and the wine is lighter and fruitier. For many people it is a discovery.

There are few chateaux in Imereti and Racha, but many family cellars with rooms. Here Imeretian cooking comes with the wine.

If you have already seen Kakheti, a western cellar is the next step. These places are close to Kutaisi.

Qvevri and marani

A qvevri is a large clay vessel buried in the ground, in which wine ferments and is stored. The tradition of qvevri winemaking is on UNESCO's list of intangible heritage.

The marani is the place where the qvevri stand. The host will show you how a qvevri is opened and how wine is drawn with an orshimo - a long ladle.

White wine in qvevri is made with its skins and turns amber. It is the most distinctive style of Georgian wine.

Grape varieties

Georgia has more than five hundred native grape varieties. At a tasting you will most often meet Saperavi and Rkatsiteli - red and white.

Saperavi is a dark, powerful red; Rkatsiteli is a white that becomes a completely different wine in qvevri than with European methods.

For lovers of rare varieties we choose a cellar where the host is reviving old, almost lost grapes. There are more and more such winemakers.

The tasting

A tasting at a chateau usually starts with a tour of the cellar and continues with four to six wines, with cheese, bread and often churchkhela.

In a family cellar the winemaker leads the tasting, and you ask your questions directly. At a large estate a sommelier guides you.

If you are seriously interested in wine, we arrange an in-depth tasting - a vertical, straight from the qvevri, or a comparison of varieties.

Natural wine

Many Georgian winemakers make natural wine: with native yeasts, minimal intervention and no filtration. Georgia is one of the leaders of that movement.

Such wine is alive and often surprising. To some the taste seems strange at first, and then it becomes their favourite style.

If natural wine interests you, we choose winemakers who work only that way. It does not apply to every chateau.

Dinner at a chateau

Dinner at a wine estate is planned around the wine: mtsvadi with Saperavi, khinkali with amber wine, cheese and vegetables with everything.

In a family cellar dinner is a supra, with a tamada and toasts. At a modern chateau it is more of a restaurant format, with separate courses.

Both formats are good but different. We find out which you prefer before booking.

Breakfast with a vineyard view

In the morning breakfast at a chateau is often on the terrace, looking over the vineyard: local cheese, honey, fruit from the garden and hot shoti from the tone.

In a family cellar the host's family makes breakfast, and it is often as generous as dinner. You will not be hungry before lunch.

If you are leaving early for the next cellar or a monastery, we ask for an early breakfast. Hosts usually do this gladly.

The grape harvest

From mid-September to October is rtveli - the grape harvest. It is Kakheti's liveliest time: people in the vineyards, fermentation starting in the cellars.

Many chateaux invite guests to join the picking and the pressing of grapes. Children love it too.

At weekends during the harvest the chateaux are full. For that period booking a few weeks ahead is better.

Winter at a chateau

In winter Kakheti is quiet, the vineyards bare, but the cellar warm. A fireplace, red wine and hot dishes are the character of a winter chateau.

There are few guests then, and the winemaker has more time for you. The tasting is often longer and more personal.

New Year at a chateau is a popular format. Places for that night fill up very early.

Rooms and comfort

Chateau rooms range from a simple room in a large family cellar to a five-star suite. What matters is what you expect.

We check the size of the room, the vineyard view, the bathroom and the heating. In an old house rooms often differ.

If you are a couple and want a special night, we choose a room with a balcony over the vineyard. You feel the difference in the morning.

Pool, spa and rest

Some modern chateaux have a pool and spa, sometimes with wine treatments. In summer a pool with a vineyard view makes a hot Kakhetian day pleasant.

A family cellar rarely has a pool, but it has a garden, a hammock and the shade of a tree. Both are calming in their own way.

If you stay two or three nights, a chateau with a pool and spa becomes a full holiday, not just a tasting.

Buying and shipping wine

Buying wine at the cellar is the best present to take home. Wine from a family cellar is often not sold in shops at all.

The number of bottles in your luggage is limited by the airline's and your country's rules. If you buy a lot, shipping is better.

We arrange shipping wine home separately - with packing, documents and delivery. That is a separate service, in the shopping section.

A driver is essential

You cannot drive after a tasting - Georgia's alcohol limit is strict, and it is simply dangerous.

So we always offer guests going to a chateau a driver, or a night at the chateau so that there is no road at night at all.

If you visit two or three chateaux in one day, the driver is with you all day. It is the only right format for a wine day.

Children at a chateau

Many chateaux welcome children: a garden, animals, grape juice and making churchkhela. During the harvest, picking grapes is an adventure for a child.

Some estates, though, are geared more to adults - quiet, spa, tastings. We find this out in advance so the family does not feel awkward.

For a family we look for a room with an extra bed or two connecting rooms. A chateau does not always have that.

If you do not drink

There is plenty at a chateau besides wine: grape juice, fruit compote, tea from mountain herbs and Kakhetian cooking.

The cellar tour and the story of the qvevri interest people who do not drink as well. Hosts find that entirely understandable.

If some in the group drink and some do not, we arrange dinner so that everyone has their own drink and nobody feels left out.

Masterclasses

Many chateaux offer a masterclass: dipping churchkhela, baking bread in the tone, folding khinkali or cooking a Georgian dish.

It works best before the wine dinner - what you cooked is what you eat at the table. Children and groups love it especially.

We arrange the masterclass together with the booking, because the host needs to prepare. Asking on the spot often does not work.

Weddings and events

A chateau is a popular venue for weddings and events: the vineyard for photos, the cellar for dinner and rooms for the guests.

At weekends, especially in autumn, there is often a wedding at a chateau. If you want a quiet night, we check and suggest another date or place.

Organising a wedding or corporate event is described as a separate service. Here we are talking only about staying the night.

Groups and corporate visits

For a group of more than ten people a chateau is often rented whole, or part of it. That way the group does not share the space with other guests.

For a corporate visit we arrange the tasting, dinner, a masterclass and transport in one programme, with one invoice.

Booking a whole chateau is better done several months ahead, especially in harvest season.

Weekday or weekend

At weekends the chateaux are full - people from Tbilisi and tourists arrive together. On a weekday there is far more quiet and more of the winemaker's attention.

If your dates are flexible, we recommend weekdays. Sometimes the price is lower and the choice of rooms greater.

On weekdays some family cellars hold tastings only by advance booking. We arrange that.

Booking and cancellation

A chateau booking usually covers the room, breakfast and often a tasting. Dinner is sometimes included, sometimes separate.

Cancellation terms depend on the season. During the harvest and at New Year they are strict, and we state them separately in the suggestion.

If your plans change, we agree new dates with the host. Out of season that is usually simple.

Several chateaux on one route

Two or three nights in Kakheti at different chateaux show you different characters: one night at a historic estate, another at a family cellar.

By day you visit two or three cellars for tastings, and in the evening you stop where your room is. The driver connects it all.

We combine such a route with Kakheti's monasteries and Sighnaghi, so that there is history as well as wine.

What we need from you

Dates, number of nights and guests. How interested you are in wine - an amateur, a serious taster or simply here to relax.

Which format you prefer: a historic estate, a modern hotel or a family cellar. Do you need a pool, a spa or activities for children?

And dietary restrictions, allergies or the fact that someone does not drink - we tell the host in advance.

Price

The price depends on the type of chateau, the season and what is included: room, breakfast, tasting, dinner. The harvest and New Year are the most expensive periods.

The suggestion shows the night, tasting, dinner, masterclass and driver separately. So you know what you are paying for.

We add nothing to the wine you buy at the cellar. The winemaker sets the price, and you pay them directly.