Georgian Wine, Uncorked

The country's winemaking tradition goes back to 6th millennium BC, predating the earliest wine production in France by over 5,000 years. Last year, archaeologists stumbled upon traces of winemaking on 8,000-year-old pottery shards

- Neeta Lal

WHETHER YOU'RE an oenophile or a beer guzzler, raising a glass of the intense red, semi-sweet Kindzmarauli in Kakheti, also known as the 'Napa Valley' of Georgia, ought to be on the itinerary.

Nourished by the Ivri and Alazani rivers, and nestling in Georgia east, Kakheti is blessed with dozens of microclimates, which provide the perfect terroir for cultivating high-quality grapes. Two hours by car from the capital city Tbilisi gets you to this unique natural landscape peppered with fairy tale fortresses and towers, monasteries, alpine lakes, and foamy waterfalls. Rolling hills, lush with orchards and vineyards, glisten in fifty shades of green. The air is so sweet one can almost taste it.

Boutique wineries, family-run maranis (cellars), large-scale operations and wine-producing monasteries thrive here, hewing to the time-honoured tradition of sustainable winemaking. Dozens of wine trails crisscross one's path with open cellar doors offering prized appellations such as the Tsinandali, Mukuzani, Tvishi and more. Crazy Pomegranate Vineyard and Tasting Room, Shumi Winery, Gurami Papa's Winery, Pheasant's Tears Winery.... take your pick!

Overall, 200 premium grape varietals, including Rkatsiteli, Kakhetian Mtsvane, Khikhvi, Kisi, and Saperavi, are found in Kakheti. However, this flourishing ecosystem didn't spring up overnight. Archaeological evidence dates Georgia's winemaking tradition to 6th millennium BC, predating the earliest wine production in France by over 5,000 years. Last year, archaeologists stumbled upon traces of winemaking on 8,000-year-old pottery shards, further strengthening the claims of the tiny country as the world's oldest wine producer.