Georgia Wine Country: Sighnaghi სიღნაღი

For a leisurely overnight trip from Tbilisi, my friend Meg planned a lovely trip to the nearby village of Sighnaghi, in the wine-producing region of Kakheti. Archaeological evidence shows that Georgians have been producing wine since 8000 BC! Georgians are extremely passionate about their wine – individual families will even grown vines in their own backyard. It was wonderful driving past the Georgian vineyards in Kakheti and wandering through the narrow streets of Signaghi. A very nice excursion from the urban hustle of Tbilisi – a Georgian Napa Valley.

Loving the blooming roses and curly cue details….

Approaching Signaghi – a village perched on a hill.

Rooftops of Sighaghi, amongst the clouds…

The streets of Sighnaghi

Buildings in the town square..

More charming doorways…

Colorful scarves for sale in the village market.

Fountain

Wandering…

Beautiful Sighnaghi…

Small town charm – cobbled streets and balconies..

After exploring for a bit, we went to Pheasant’s Tears, which specializes in organic Georgian wines and foods. It was time for proper Georgian wine-tasting, and of course, toasts!

Quotation at the entrance of Pheasant’s Tears

Wine cellar tour – Georgian wines are produced in the traditional qveri style – fermented and aged in clay vessels lined with beeswax and buried in the earth. 

The remains from the wine-making are then distilled using the distiller below to make chacha – a strong Georgian “brandy”.

A traditional Georgian wine-making vessel

Tasting! With Georgian cheese and bread, naturally. Toasting to friends, family, and Georgia.

We followed our wine tasting with a feast of Georgian foods at a place around the corner, called Nicholas. To start, a traditional Georgian peasant salad – sweet tomatoes, cool crisp cucumbers and fresh parsley. So simple and delicious!

Sizzling mushrooms stuffed with Sulguni cheese – yum!

Khachapuri, on a stick!

And to round out our meal, some khinkali – delicious meat dumplings reminiscent of Shanghai Xiao Long Bao. It’s always interesting to discover food doppelgängers!