Georgian Wine Tour

Our last full day.

We headed east to Signagi for a leisurely stroll around the upper part of the town, being advised not to go down to the old town because of the steep climb back in the heat.  I bought a birthday present for Colette.

The trip notes don’t say where we stopped for lunch and wine tasting, but I think it was Kvarely. The starter salads included a favourite, aubergine slices wrapped round walnut paste, and an unusual dish which Anna called Georgian sushi, with olive flowers as a major component. The cheese pie was quite different from the one we had on Saturday, much lighter and tastier.

Anna told us a lot of curious facts about Georgian wine-production, and we saw some of the implements used, including a ladle made out of a wild pumpkin for taking wine out of the jar.

The grapes are not washed, as a yeast on the skin plays a crucial part in fermentation and in the final flavour. Juice, skin and pips are fermented together in a special jar planted in the ground. This vineyard has 8km of tunnels, a welcome 12-14 degrees, and we were given glasses of four wines, one red and one white made in the European way and ditto the Georgian. I thought the Georgian red was a serious wine to be drunk slowly over a philosophical conversation.

There was one more cathedral to visit, Alaverdi, which has the following connection with wine.  When the cathedral was built, an old man was put in charge of the keys.  After some years, he passed on the responsibility to his son, with the words “I give Alaverdi to you.”  That is how a toastmaster invites one of the assembled company to expand on a toast in which he or she may have a special interest: “I give Alaverdi to Peter” (or whoever).

The drive back was more interesting than the one out, over a mountain pass, and once we reached the main road we were quickly back at Tbilisi Inn. Goodbye to our Georgian driver Avto, who has negotiated the Z-bends with flair, and to Phil and Judith who are leaving for the airport in the small hours of the morning. Everyone else will be at breakfast.