Sighnaghi, Georgia and the surrounding Kakheti wine region is one of the most beautiful places people have never heard of. If you’re heading to this amazing region of Georgia, you’ll want to be sure to read through this complete guide to Sighnaghi and the Kakheti region.
If someone asked you who invented wine – like who were the first ancient people to make wine – what would you say? The French? Or maybe the Italians? They drink a lot of wine, right?
But while Western Europe might have a famous legacy of wine, they weren’t the first to turn grapes into alcohol. That title goes to a culture you might not have even heard of: the ancient Georgians. On a trip to the beautiful walled village of Sighnaghi, Georgia and the Kakheti wine region you’ll have the opportunity to fall in love with Georgian wine!
The earliest evidence of wine making traces back to about 8,000 years ago to the Kakheti wine region of Georgia. Wine is made all over Georgia, but the most famous wine region is the Kakheti region east of the capital Tbilisi between Telavi and the beautiful ancient walled village Sighnaghi. In this post we will discuss what to do and see in Sighnaghi, Georgia and the ancient Kakheti wine region.
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Sighnaghi and Kakheti – What You Need to Know
Where is Sighnaghi, Georgia?
Sighnaghi is about 2 hours east of Tbilisi and is essentially the end of the Kakheti wine region of Georgia, which starts near Telavi, about 60km up route 43, the Georgian wine route through the Kakheti region. Perched atop a hill, Sighnaghi offers endless views of the valley full of vineyards below.
How to get to Sighnaghi
There is an international airport in Tbilisi, the main airport for Georgia. From there the best and fastest way to get there is to rent a car (see my post about driving in Georgia first though). You don’t need a 4WD vehicle to get to the wine region. Just a regular ole car will do.
You can search for car rental options from the Tbilisi Airport and book your rental car using the link for Discovercars below. We have found Discovercars to have by far the best rental rates in Europe and we recommend them to our readers. You have to pay up front with them, but the booking is fully refundable, like other rental car agencies.
Click here to book a great deal on a rental car from Tbilisi Airport!
If you plan on going into the mountains, however, you will want to make sure to reserve a 4×4 or at least a 4WD vehicle. You’ll probably end up visitng Sighnaghi as part of a longer road trip around Georgia, so I advise on the 4×4.
Another way to get there is to take a minibus. This is by far the cheapest way to travel in Georgia, and also the most uncomfortable.
Lastly, a popular way to get to the Kakheti region is to take an organized tour. There are many day trips from Tbilisi that will take you to Sighnaghi, some wineries, and back in one day. These tours don’t need to be booked in advance, as you will be constantly offered them walking around Tbilisi. But you can get a better deal if you book online in advance. Some good tour options are below.
Weather and when to visit
Georgia is a very mountainous country, so storms can occur anytime. The Kakheti wine region of Georgia has a semi-arid ecosystem and is dry and sunny most of the time. Summers can get pretty hot and winters can snow.
If you visit in the warmer half of the year chances are you will get favorable weather. Though we found the skies to be hazy most days which we attributed to smog getting stuck in the valley. Afternoon thunderstorms are also common.
Summer is probably the best time to be able to enjoy wine outside on a terrace. This part of the world is still not a tourist hotspot just yet so you’ll never have to deal with unbearable summer crowds like other places in Europe.
How to get around
Transportation is important here, especially since you’ll probably be drinking a lot of wine. The village of Sighnaghi is small and easy to walk around, but the wineries outside town require a rental car or taxi to get to if you’re not doing an organized tour.
If you’re driving yourself – like we did – just be very careful about what you drink. There is zero tolerance in Georgia. Taxis are cheap and wherever you are staying should be able to help you book one.
It’s also possible to book full day wine tours but most of these start and end in Tbilisi, as mentioned previously. I had no luck finding any wine tours that depart from Telavi or Sighnaghi. So if you’re basing yourself in Sighnaghi you’re going to want to limit the actual amount of wine you drink at the wineries or hire a taxi.
Where to stay
There are dozens of quiet guesthouses and hotels in Sighnaghi itself, ranging from uber-cheap (around $10 USD per night) to luxurious. Between Sighnaghi and Telavi there are also many luxurious chateaus where you can stay at a vineyard for a fraction of the cost that a similar stay would cost you in Napa Valley or Tuscany.
I recommend staying in Sighnaghi itself for at least one night. There are some great, affordable restaurants to try in the town and it’s quite lovely at night.
Where to stay in Sighnaghi and Kakheti
How long to stay
We stayed in the region for 4 nights total; 2 in Sighnaghi and two nights at a chateau in the valley. That’s about the maximum time I would recommend unless you’re really trying to switch off and relax at a chateau. A 2-night stay would be ideal though.
Language
Georgian is the official language and it’s likely that most people you encounter will not speak much English. Most people working at the larger vineyards and hotels will speak decent English. But even many Georgians of the younger generation struggle with English. How’s your Russian?
Money
The Georgian Lari (GEL) is the currency and you will need cash. Many smaller guest houses and many wineries do not accept credit cards. There are ATMs everywhere in Sighnaghi, but on the road to Telavi it can be hard to come across somewhere to get cash. Make sure you have enough cash for buying bottles of wine.
Compared to a western country Georgia is very, very cheap. Some wineries will overcharge tourists so always ask the price before agreeing to buy anything. You shouldn’t have to spend more than $10 USD (30 GEL) for a good bottle of wine or more than $20 USD (60 GEL) for a reserve bottle. We bought multiple good bottles from Bagadoni Estate for less than $5 each.
Wine tasting
Visiting vineyards in Georgia is hit or miss. Many are open for visitors to walk in and try wines but many are just small wine cellars that are not prepared for random visitors. It’s best to call or email any winery you want to visit ahead of time. The phone numbers for the vineyards are usually listed on the Google Maps listing and you can call them directly. More on this later.
Georgia Food
Georgia is known for its food, but this wine region is not exactly full of amazing restaurants. There are some good places to eat in Sighnaghi, but outside of the village good restaurants are hard to come by. In Sighnaghi, I recommend Kusika Restaurant. Try the veal stew. It’s to die for. For a full rundown of Georgian food be sure to check out my guide to Tbilisi.
Travel insurance
Before heading to Georgia, consider purchasing travel insurance so that you’re protected for the unexpected. We use World Nomads when we travel internationally. Word Nomads provides coverage to travelers in over 100 countries. You can search for a coverage plan using the link below.
A Rich History of Wine Making
The earliest traces of wine making in Georgia go back to about 6000 BC, when the ancient Georgians realized they could turn grapes into alcohol by burying them underground in giant clay pots. These clay pots are called qvevris and they are unique to Georgian wine making.
The basic technology is 8000 years old, but most Georgians still use the qvevri method to make wine today. Essentially, the grapes are just buried in the qvevri until they ferment.
These days, many Georgians still make their own wine at home. It’s common to drive through small villages in Georgia and see vines of grapes growing above people’s driveways, like in the photo of my rental car below. It’s impossible to talk about Georgian culture without talking about wine. It’s embedded in their history and culture like nowhere else in the world.
Georgian grape varieties
There are nearly 500 unique grape varieties in Georgia. You’re going to taste some wines that are nothing like you’ve ever tasted before. Many of the white wines are not even white. They’re more amber in color. If you order a house white at a restaurant it will likely be amber wine. Some of the more common types of wine you will see exclusively in Georgia are:
- Saperavi (red)
- Rkatsiteli (white)
- Kisi (white)
- Mtsvani (white)
- Usakhelouri (red)
My personal favorites were the saperavi and the kisi. I could drink those every day and not get bored. Saperavi is the most common type of wine you will see in Georgia and the most exported too. If you live in the US you can find Georgian saperavi at Total Wines.
Sighnaghi, the Most Charming Village in Georgia
Sadly, most small Georgian villages and towns are very run down and actually quite depressing. This is a relic of the Soviet era, where communal living in larger metro areas was pushed upon residents of rural areas. So many small towns you will drive through do not have that ancient European charm you might expect.
However, the same cannot be said about the walled village of Sighnaghi. Perched atop a small mountain overlooking the vineyards below, Sighnaghi is gorgeous and has maintained its medieval charm.
The town is small. You can easily walk around all the streets in an hour or two. We stayed two nights in town, but spent the entire second day driving around Vashlovani National Park at the southeastern tip of Georgia (check out my post about Vashlovani to see why you should consider doing the same).
You really only need one day to experience Sighnaghi itself. So it’s easy to stay somewhere else and make a day trip to Sighnaghi. Many people do choose this option, and because of this the town becomes quiet and peaceful in the evening.
What to do in Sighnaghi, Georgia
Walking the streets is the best way to explore Sighnaghi. The village is surrounded by an ancient brick wall, some of which is still accessible to walk on. The city center is only a few blocks. Lined with cobblestone streets and little shops, it’s definitely got that medieval charm you are looking for, sort of like a miniature Mostar. See the map below for a few things to make sure you see while wandering around Sighnaghi.
- The Sighnaghi Wall: only a small portion is open to walk on, but this is a must-do in Sighnaghi
- St. George Basilica: a beautiful little church in the heart of the city
- Sighnaghi National Museum: 7 GEL per person. learn about the history of the region in this government-run museum.
- Bodbe’s St. Nino’s Covenant: A beautiful monastery just outside the city. It will take about a half hour to walk to it from the city center.
- Kusika’s Restaurant: The only restaurant I can recommend because we only ate here. Here you can have a Georgian feast for two, complete with a liter of wine for about $25. It was so good we came back on our second night!
The Georgian Wine Road
While there are wineries and wine cellars all over Georgia, the highest volume of wine is produced in the Kakheti region between Telavi and Sighnaghi. The road between the towns is route 42, and there are many side roads off of the main road that will take you to numerous vineyards.
There are literally hundreds of wineries and wine cellars along these roads and I can’t cover all of them. So here we will just go through the best ones to visit.
Winery vs wine cellar
Let’s start with what I mean when I say winery or wine cellar. Most winemakers in Georgia are actually small wine cellars. This means it’s most likely just someone’s house or personal property where they have a basement with multiple underground qvevris.
They might own a vineyard somewhere, but the wine is all made on their property in the underground qvevris. These wine cellars are not mass producing wine but they bottle and sell wine at the cellar.
On the contrary, there are also many wineries much like you see in other countries. These wineries will have vineyards and mass-produce wine on site for sale locally or, in some cases, internationally.
Most wineries, though, will also have a wine cellar where they still make wine the traditional Georgian way. Qvevri wine does not allow for mass production and profits though, so the larger wineries will produce most of their wine in modern stainless steel tanks.
How to visit the wine cellars in Kakheti
It wouldn’t be a Georgian wine tour without stopping at at least one small wine cellar for a local wine drinking experience. There are so many it can be hard to choose from. If you search for “wine cellar” on Google Maps there will be hundreds that pop up. After reading through Google reviews, we decided to visit Lomtadzeebis Marani in Velistsikhe, about halfway between Telavi and Sighnaghi.
It is essential to contact the wine cellar before visiting. Most are not prepared to welcome walk-ins. If you have a local SIM card on your phone, you can simply call the number listed on Google. Be prepared for whoever you speak with to not speak much English, but you should be able to arrange something if they are open for visitors.
If you don’t have a local SIM, inquire with wherever you are staying. Your guest house might also have some recommendations for where to visit. Most of the small wine cellars don’t have websites.
Your Georgian wine cellar experience will most likely involve significant portions of wine tasting as well as some local snacks. The snacks will probably include something called churchkhela, which is basically a candy made from walnuts, flour and grape must.
If you go to Lomtadzeebis Marani, you’ll also be treated to traditional Georgian music by the owner, who doesn’t speak a word of English but loves to entertain. His son speaks enough English to get by. We had a great time there, but feel we overpaid for the two bottles of wine we bought. Always ask how much the wine cost before agreeing to buy it!
How to visit the wineries in Kakheti
Wineries are a bit easier to visit, but at the same time many do not welcome walk ins. The larger ones accept walk-ins, but if the winery does not have a website chances are you have to make prior reservations to visit. Also note that most wineries are closed on Sundays. Georgia is a pretty religious country so many things are still closed on Sundays.
Below I have listed some of the top wineries to hit that don’t require prior arrangements. All of them charge for wine tasting, but some offer a refund if you purchase a bottle. Ask the winery’s policy before doing a wine tasting.
Shumi Winery: A beautiful property with a nice restaurant. Shumi offers free tours of the winery and is open on Sundays. We visited here and recommend checking it out.
Schuchmann Wines: Perhaps the largest winery in Georgia, you can find Schuchmann wine sold in many countries.
Badagoni: Our favorite wines we had on our trip. There are multiple places to get their wine, but the location on the map above has a lovely restaurant where you can do wine tasting and their bottles of wine are insanely cheap for how good they are.
Nelkarisi Estate: Also known as Friends’ Cellar, reservations are not required but recommended to be sure the manager who speaks English is there. They blend Georgian grapes with more common French grapes and make some great wines.
Khareba Winery: A large winery built into the mountainside. A large winery built into the mountainside, popular with tours.
Graneli Winery: Next to Khareba, we stopped in for a moment to have a look but didn’t do the wine tasting, which they were charging 20 GEL for.
There are hundreds more, but based on our experience and research these are the best.
Kakheti Region Monasteries
The Kakheti wine region also boasts many beautiful monasteries. Georgia is known for its monasteries, and some of the best ones can be found here. We didn’t go to all of them, but here are some of the best ones to see.
Nekresi
The Nekresi Monastery is perched atop the foothills of the lower Caucasus Mountains. Of all the monasteries I saw in Georgia, this might have had the most stunning location. It’s a solid drive up a steep hill to get there, but the ancient church and stone buildings at the top are stunning.
Alaverdi
Alaverdi Monastery is one of the most visited and one of the most important in Georgia. Georgians come from all over the country to bring newborn babies to be baptized at this 11th century monastery. It’s hard to explain exactly why, but new parents were bringing their babies in and out for baptism.
The monks have also been making wine for centuries so there are vineyards within the property walls. Bagadoni Estate has a restaurant right across the street from the monastery where you can try their incredible wines.
Ikalto
Ikalto Monastery was built in the 6th century and is partially in ruins. It’s more like an isolated church than a monastery complex, so it’s easy to quickly visit.
David Gareji Lavra
The David Gareji Lavra Monastery is not in the Kakheti region. It’s a way’s south, on the Azerbaijan border, closer to Tbilisi. But it is one of the most famous and beautiful in Georgia so if you have time to make it down there it will be worth it.
Sighnaghi – Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sighnaghi known for?
Sighnaghi is known for being perched atop a large hill and surrounded by its medieval protective wall. It’s also known for being the most well preserved medieval town in the country, featuring some historic architecture that wasn’t ruined during the Soviet occupation.
What is Kakheti famous for ?
The Kakheti region of Georgia is famous for being the premier wine region in the country and also for being the birthplace of winemaking.
Why is Sighnaghi known as the city of love?
Sighnaghi is known as the “city of love” due to their 24 hours a day wedding registry office. Many couples come to the village just to get married, so it sort of has a reputation for being a place to travel to just to get married.
Is Georgia the birthplace of wine?
Georgia is considered by archaeologists to be where wine was first made. The history of Georgian wine making dates back to around 6000 BC. The Georgians historically made wine in underground clay pots called qvevris and most winemakers in the country still make their wine this traditional way.
Is Kakheti in Georgia, USA?
Kakheti is in the country of Georgia, not the American state. You won’t find historic wineries and massive mountains anywhere in the state of Georgia, unfortunately.
Final Word
Sighnaghi and the Kakheti wine region of Georgia are gorgeous and a must-see on your trip to Georgia. You can’t go to Georgia and not get in touch with their rich history of wine making.
Even if you don’t drink, just learning about Georgian wine culture is worth visiting for. You’ll also be treated to gorgeous mountain views and historic monasteries. So raise your glass and enjoy that Georgian wine!
