Wine in Gurjaani, Kakheti

Vazisubani Estate ★ 4.5

Estate at Vazisubani with 35 hectares of vineyard planted to Saperavi, Rkatsiteli, Kisi, Khikhvi and Mtsvane, fermenting in qvevri, with a hotel and restaurant on the grounds.

Chateau Zegaani ★ 4.2

Gurjaani estate at Zegaani working only Saperavi, bottled as Mukuzani and under the Zegaani label, fermented in qvevri and aged in either qvevri or oak.

Tip: The estate bottles only in years it judges strong, so the range on the table changes from visit to visit.

Mildiani Family Winery ★ 4.1

Gurjaani family winery on David Guramishvili Street, registered as Gurjaani Wine Cellar, with wine, qvevri bottlings, sparkling, chacha and brandy in the range.

Ibero Winery ★ 4.1

Vachnadziani cellar fermenting in qvevri by the Kakhetian method, with two fortified wines and two chachas, one of them eight years in oak.

Tip: Book a day ahead and the tasting comes with a full Georgian table rather than the standard plate of snacks.

Qvevri Wine Cellar ★ 3.9

Gurjaani marani working in buried qvevri, with awards from the Georgian wine association competitions listed on its own site.

Vazisubani Estate Restaurant ★ 4.5

Glass-walled dining room at Vazisubani Estate looking over the vineyards and the Alazani valley, with a seasonal menu built around the estate's own wines.

The list: Menu written to match the Vazisubani Estate range: Saperavi, Rkatsiteli, Kisi, Khikhvi and Mtsvane Kakhuri.

Vazisubani Estate Shop ★ 4.2

Estate shop at Vazisubani selling the property's Saperavi, Rkatsiteli, Kisi and Mtsvane Kakhuri bottlings plus chacha, with standard labels from 24 GEL.

Vazisubani Estate ★ 4.7

Nineteen room hotel in a restored 19th century Chavchavadze mansion at Vazisubani, with its own vineyards, restaurant, wine shop and sommelier-led tastings.

Hotel Ampelo ★ 4.1

Twenty room hotel at Kardanakhi with the Kardanakhi 1888 winery on site, farming 16 hectares and making qvevri Saperavi and Khikhvi alongside classic bottlings.

Chateau Zegaani ★ 4.3

A Gurjaani estate working Saperavi alone on the northern slope of the Tsiv-Gombori ridge at 465 m, on limestone and clay, with the fruit farmed organically across 17 hectares.

Why locals love it: One grape, one slope and no bottling in weak years. The estate says it makes wine only when the season allows, so the range on the table changes from visit to visit.

Tip: Ask which vintages were declared before you plan the tasting; the estate skips years rather than bottling through them.

Ibero Winery ★ 4.2

A Vachnadziani cellar working five dry qvevri wines by the Kakhetian method, with two fortified wines and three chachas, one of them eight years in oak.

Why locals love it: Vachnadziani is off the Telavi to Sighnaghi run, and Ibero's fortified wines and long-aged chacha are a corner of Kakheti most tasting menus skip.

Tip: Tastings are priced and published: a five-variety qvevri flight, a choose-your-own and a full estate flight, with lunch and a Georgian table booked separately.

Qvevri Wine Cellar ★ 4.0

A Gurjaani marani working in buried qvevri on Ekvtime Takaishvili Street, with awards from the Georgian wine association competitions listed on its own site.

Why locals love it: Gurjaani town itself gets skipped between Telavi and Sighnaghi, and this is a working marani on a side street rather than a visitor centre.

Tip: Nine of Georgia's appellations sit in Gurjaani municipality, so pair this cellar with the October festival in Akhtala Park if the dates line up.

Chateau Zegaani ★ 4.3

The Tatulashvili family vineyards at Zegaani, on the northern slope of the Tsiv-Gombori ridge at 465 m, where the estate says its Saperavi is cultivated organically across 17 hectares.

Tip: The estate describes organic cultivation and a sustainable approach but names no certifier, so treat it as practice rather than certification.