Which Kakheti winery should you visit?
Kakheti’s wineries come in three kinds: family marani, where the family pours its own qvevri wine at home; large estates with set tours, such as Tsinandali and Khareba; and town cellars with a bar or restaurant, such as Pheasant’s Tears in Sighnaghi. Choose by where you spend the day. From a night in Telavi, lunch at the family cellar of Rostomaant Marani and the Tsinandali Estate, ten minutes away, fit one day, with the Khareba tunnel across the valley; on the Sighnaghi side, the quickest from Tbilisi, Kerovani pours its family’s qvevri wine in the middle of town.
Best for qvevri wine at a family table
Rostomaant Marani4 hours, up to 10from$60a personBookSee detailsWe may earn a commission. You pay the same.
Best for the history of Georgian wine
Tsinandali EstateAbout 1 hour, walk inabout$6a person with a glass of wine15 GELPlan a visitSee detailsBest for a cellar cut into the mountain
Khareba wine tunnel7.7 km, dailyPay at the doorPlan a visitSee details
Near Telavi, Kakheti Pick 1 of 3Wine lovers who want to meet the winemaker
Rostomaant Marani
from$60a person
Book with GetYourGuideWe may earn a commission. You pay the same.
Rostomaant Marani family winery tour and khinkali class, Telavi. Run by Rostomaant Marani, booked through GetYourGuide.
The owner shows you his qvevri cellar, then you make khinkali and sit down to lunch with the family.
It starts in Telavi, two hours or more from Tbilisi, and a car from the capital costs extra.
- 4 hoursfrom about 13:00, at the cellar in Telavi
- Up to 10two to ten people, small group or private
- 6 poursfour wines, chacha and a qvevri brandy
- Lunchthe khinkali you make, with the family
Why it's great, and who should skip it
Why it's great
- The owner hosts the cellar tour himself and pours his own qvevri wines.
- A hands-on khinkali class, then a full lunch with the family and their own cheese.
- Six pours: qvevri Rkatsiteli and Saperavi, two dessert wines, chacha and a qvevri brandy aged five years.
- Stay the night in Telavi: about $96 (250 GEL) a person direct covers four to five wines, dinner, a guesthouse room and breakfast.
Skip it if
- You travel alone (it books two or more) or want no booking: Sesikeli in Telavi takes walk-ins from 10:00 to 22:00.
- You want a quick pour between sights: the Tsinandali Estate or the Khareba wine tunnel.
- You would rather not arrange a driver: a Kakheti wine tour brings you from Tbilisi.
In the price
- Cellar tour with the owner
- Khinkali class and a family lunch
- Qvevri Rkatsiteli and Saperavi, two dessert wines, chacha and a qvevri brandy
- The family's own cheese
- Pickup in Telavi or nearby, if needed
Not in the price
- Transport from Tbilisi
- A night in the cellar's guest rooms
CancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours before
Price checked 6 October 2026.
Amber and red, Tsinandali Pick 2 of 3History lovers passing through Telavi
Tsinandali Estate
about$6a person with a glass of wine, 15 GEL
Tsinandali Estate, the Chavchavadze house museum and old winery. Run by Tsinandali Estate.
Prince Chavchavadze's house, gardens and cellar, home to an 1839 Saperavi, Georgia's oldest bottled wine.
The guided visit is brief and the pour is a standard glass, not a winemaker at a family table.
- About 1 hourlonger with the gardens
- Walk inguided in English or Georgian
- 1839Saperavi, Georgia's oldest bottled wine
- Caféand restaurants on the estate
Why it's great, and who should skip it
Why it's great
- The old cellar keeps over 16,500 bottles from 1814 onwards, among them Georgia's oldest bottled wine, an 1839 Saperavi.
- One ticket covers a guided visit to the house and the old winery, then the gardens at your own pace.
- The full tasting, about $17 (45 GEL), pours five wines and a chacha; three glasses are about $10 (25 GEL).
- Ten minutes from Telavi, so it fits the same day as Rostomaant Marani.
Skip it if
- You want to meet the family who made the wine: Rostomaant Marani, or Sesikeli in Telavi for a walk-in tasting.
- You have time for one cellar and want the most unusual one: the Khareba wine tunnel.
In the price
- Guided visit to the house museum
- Guided visit to the old winery
- A glass of wine
- The historic gardens at your own pace
Not in the price
- Five wines and chacha, about $17 (45 GEL)
- Transport from Telavi or Tbilisi
Price checked 6 October 2026.
The Khareba wine tunnel, Kvareli Pick 3 of 3Anyone crossing to the Kvareli side
Khareba wine tunnel
Pay at the doorvisitors report 35 GEL for a tasting
Kvareli Wine Cave, Winery Khareba. Run by Winery Khareba.
Walk into a 7.7 km wine tunnel cut into the Caucasus rock, open every day from 10:00 to 20:00.
A large producer's set tour for groups, with little time with a winemaker, and no published prices.
- 7.7 kmof tunnels in the Caucasus rock
- Daily10:00 to 20:00, Monday to Sunday
- 12 to 16°Cin the tunnel, summer or winter
- 50 winesfrom 30 grape varieties to choose from
Why it's great, and who should skip it
Why it's great
- Galleries in the rock, opened in 1962, cool all year at 12 to 16°C, with up to 26,000 bottles laid down.
- Visitors report about $4 to $8 (10 to 20 GEL) for the tunnel tour and about $13 (35 GEL) for a wine tasting.
- Masterclasses on site: bake bread, dip churchkhela, cook khinkali or khachapuri, or shape a small qvevri.
- A restaurant on the mountain's edge for lunch, with most of its produce from the winery's own farms.
Skip it if
- You want small-batch wine poured by the family who made it: Rostomaant Marani, or Kerovani in Sighnaghi.
- You only have a morning near Telavi: the Tsinandali Estate is ten minutes from town.
In the price
- A guided walk into the tunnel cellar
- A wine tasting, the package chosen on site
Not in the price
- Masterclasses (bread, churchkhela, khinkali, khachapuri, barbecue)
- Meals at the restaurant
- Transport from Telavi or Tbilisi
Kakheti’s wineries by area
Six wineries cover both sides of the valley and all three kinds of visit; wineries on the same side fit in one day.
| Winery | Where | Kind | How to visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rostomaant Marani | Telavi | Family marani, qvevri wine | Book a tasting or a cooking class, from about $19 (50 GEL) direct |
| Tsinandali Estate | Tsinandali, near Telavi | The Chavchavadze house museum and old winery | Walk in, from about $6 (15 GEL) with a glass of wine |
| Khareba wine tunnel | Kvareli, across the Alazani valley | Large winery, a cellar cut into the mountain | Walk in, every day from 10:00 |
| Kerovani | The centre of Sighnaghi | Small family winery, qvevri wine | Phone ahead; no published price |
| Pheasant’s Tears | 18 Baratashvili Street, Sighnaghi | Winery with a restaurant | Walk in, every day from 12:00 to 23:00 |
| Giuaani | Manavi, less than an hour from Tbilisi | Winery since 1894, with a restaurant and a hotel | Book a wine tour and tasting, from about $13 (35 GEL) |
How much does a Kakheti winery visit cost?
A walk-in ticket with a glass of wine at the Tsinandali Estate costs about $6 (15 GEL), and a half day at a family cellar with a cooking class and lunch from $60 a person.
Rostomaant Marani
from$60a person
$120 for 2
- 4 hours, up to 10
- Lunch you cook
- Free to cancel 24h ahead
Cellar tour, khinkali class, lunch and six pours. Rooms at the cellar cost extra.
BookWe may earn a commission. You pay the same.
Tsinandali Estate
about$6a person
15 GEL each
About $12 for 2
Lowest price- Walk in, about an hour
- One glass of wine
- Tasting of five: 45 GEL
House and old winery with a glass of wine; 10 GEL without it, 25 GEL for three glasses, 45 GEL for five and a chacha.
Plan a visitWith Tsinandali Estate
Khareba wine tunnel
Visitors report about 35 GEL a tasting
No published price- Daily, 10:00 to 20:00
- Tasting chosen on site
- A set tour for groups
Visitors report 10 to 20 GEL for the tunnel tour alone. The winery publishes no prices.
Plan a visitWith Khareba
Sources and exchange rates
Rostomaant Marani, Telavi: GetYourGuide listing and Rostomaant Marani's own pages, read 6 October 2026, prices in USD. Tsinandali Estate: Tsinandali Museum's own price notice (from 1 April 2024) and its visitor text, checked 6 October 2026, prices in GEL. Khareba wine tunnel: Winery Khareba's own page (hours, no prices) and visitor reports on hoppingtales.in (April 2026) and wander-lush.org, checked 6 October 2026, prices in GEL. Checked 6 October 2026. Dollars and euros at the official rate of the National Bank of Georgia in force on 5 October 2026 (2.6039 GEL to the dollar, 2.9257 GEL to the euro), rounded.
Is it cheaper to book Rostomaant Marani direct?
Yes, for a shorter visit. Booked direct, the cellar sells a wine tasting from about $19 (50 GEL), a khachapuri class with three or four wines for about $38 (100 GEL) and its khinkali class with three wines for about $58 (150 GEL), two to three hours, and it cancels free up to 24 hours before. The four-hour visit on GetYourGuide, from $60, includes lunch with the family and pours six. To stay the night in Telavi, booked direct, about $96 (250 GEL) a person covers a tasting of four to five wines, dinner, a room in the guesthouse and breakfast.
Family marani or big estate: which should you visit?
Visit a family marani to meet the people who make the wine, and a big estate for a walk-in visit with a set tour; one day can include both. A marani is the family wine cellar, which UNESCO notes is still considered the holiest place in the family home.
A family cellar, booked ahead for a meal
The winemaker or a member of the family shows you the cellar, often the vineyard too, explains how the grapes go into the qvevri and pours at the family table. Many add food, from bread and cheese to a full meal.
- Message a few days ahead for a meal or a class
- Ask what food is included and which language the visit runs in
A larger winery, open to walk-in visitors
The estates are larger producers with tasting rooms, shops and often a restaurant, and some add a museum. Tours are more formal, you will likely share them with a small group, and they usually take visitors without booking.
- In winter, phone ahead to say you are coming
Five questions to ask a winery before you go
- Who receives us: the family, the winemaker or a guide?
- Which wines are poured, and is any of them made in qvevri?
- Is food included, or a plate you pay for on the day?
- Which language does the visit run in?
- How long does the visit last, and can we buy bottles to take home?
Which wineries fit in one day?
Wineries on the same side of the Alazani valley fit in one day; crossing the valley and back adds driving and cuts the time you spend at the table.
Tbilisi to Sighnaghi: 1.5 to 2 hours, 113 km. Sighnaghi: Kerovani's family cellar; the quickest side from Tbilisi.
Can you visit all three picks in one day?
Yes, from a night in Telavi. Take the Khareba tunnel when it opens at 10:00, then the Tsinandali Estate before lunch, and sit down at Rostomaant Marani from about 13:00, a start the family can move later. From Tbilisi and back in a day, choose the two on the Telavi side.
What is on the Sighnaghi side?
The Sighnaghi side is the quickest to reach from Tbilisi. The town stands on a hill at about 790 metres with Bodbe Monastery 2 kilometres away, so a day there mixes sights with cellars. Kerovani pours in the town centre, and on the road from Tbilisi, less than an hour from the capital, Giuaani at Manavi has made wine since 1894 and runs a sommelier’s tasting with a restaurant and a hotel.
How to visit: on your own, with a driver or on a tour
You can visit Kakheti’s wineries on your own, with a driver, or on a tour, and the choice turns on who drives and who plans the route.
- On your owna family cellar is booked like any of our hand-picked experiences, so check the price for your date and who receives you
- A driveryou hire yourself costs less, but may take you only to the big-name wineries, so name the cellars you want before you set off
- A toura Kakheti wine tour strings several cellars into one day from Tbilisi; a wine and food tour runs two days or more, with nights in the wine country
Can you drive between wineries?
No, not if you taste. Georgia’s drink-drive limit is lower than the UK’s, so whoever drives should not drink at all. A driver, a tour or a night in the region solves it.
What wine is Kakheti known for?
Kakheti is known for red wine from Saperavi (საფერავი) and white and amber wine from Rkatsiteli, made in qvevri as well as in steel and oak, and it grows most of Georgia’s grapes. Many Georgian wines carry the name of the Kakheti village or district the grapes come from.
- SaperaviKakheti's red grape, behind dry Mukuzani and the naturally semi-sweet Kindzmarauli and Akhasheni
- Rkatsitelithe main white grape; left on its skins in qvevri, it makes amber wine
- Tsinandalia dry white of Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane, named after the village of the estate
- Kindzmaraulia naturally semi-sweet Saperavi from Kvareli district, the Khareba tunnel's side of the valley
When to visit Kakheti’s wineries
Visit in September or October for the grape harvest, when some cellars open days to visitors; in any other month the estates pour on most days, winter included.
- Harvest (rtveli): Harvest (rtveli): September to October.
- Rostomaant Marani: Ask for your date: January to August; Harvest days, 10 Sep to 10 Oct 2026: September to October; Ask for your date: November to December.
- Tsinandali Estate: Most days, 10:00 to 18:00: all year.
- Khareba wine tunnel: Every day, 10:00 to 20:00: all year.
Sources
Harvest (rtveli): Some cellars open harvest days to visitors, with picking, pressing, a tasting and a supra lunch. A family picks by how ripe its grapes are, sometimes only a few days ahead. (Rostomaant Marani's 2026 harvest days and the cellars' own pages, checked 6 October 2026) Rostomaant Marani, Telavi: Harvest days set for 10 September to 10 October 2026; the 2027 dates are not out yet. In other months, check the price for your date. (Rostomaant Marani, checked 6 October 2026) Tsinandali Estate: The museum opens every day except 31 December, 1 and 2 January, and Orthodox Good Friday and Easter Sunday. (Tsinandali Estate, checked 6 October 2026) Khareba wine tunnel: Open every day, and the tunnel stays at 12 to 16°C, summer or winter. (Winery Khareba, checked 6 October 2026) Checked 6 October 2026.
Can you join the harvest (rtveli) at a winery?
Yes, on the harvest days some cellars open to visitors, with picking, pressing, a tasting and a supra lunch; Rostomaant Marani set its 2026 harvest days for 10 September to 10 October, and its 2027 dates are not out yet. A family decides when to pick by how ripe its grapes are, sometimes only a few days before, so book ahead, stay flexible and ask whether you will join the family’s working harvest or a day arranged for guests.
Are wineries open in winter?
Yes, on most days. The Khareba tunnel opens every day, and the Tsinandali museum every day except 31 December, 1 and 2 January, and Orthodox Good Friday and Easter Sunday; for family cellars, ask when you book. Phone ahead in winter either way.
Kakheti winery questions
Can children come to a winery visit?
Yes. For Rostomaant Marani’s khinkali class, booked direct, children up to 5 go free and those aged 6 to 12 pay about $12 (30 GEL). At the Tsinandali Estate, children under 6 go free and pupils pay about $1.92 (5 GEL). The Khareba tunnel publishes no children’s price, so ask when you arrive.
Can you bring Georgian wine home?
Yes. Arriving in Great Britain, each adult aged 17 or over can bring up to 18 litres of wine, still or sparkling, without paying UK tax or duty; go over it and duty is due on all of it, so declare it. Travellers returning to the United States aged 21 or over can bring 1 litre duty free, and more is allowed but taxed, with state rules on top.
How we picked
We looked for three different ways into Kakheti’s wine, a family cellar where the winemaker pours, a historic estate and a big producer’s cellar worth crossing the valley for. We compared family cellars, estates and large producers on both sides of the Alazani valley on how you book, who receives you, what is poured and what recent visitors report, and checked every price, opening time and inclusion against the wineries’ own pages, their booking listings and recent visitor reports between 29 September and 6 October 2026.