Ask most people when to visit Georgia, and they will point straight to September and October. They aren’t wrong. Harvest season (Rtveli) is electric: the vineyards are bursting, local restaurants and wine bars in Tbilisi are humming with energy, and winemakers are working with a passionate drive to turn the year’s yield into the next great vintage. It is an extraordinary time to be in wine country.
What fewer people realize, however, is what happens when the harvest noise settles and the cold mountain air moves into the valleys.
Winter in Georgia is quietly the most rewarding time of year for travelers who want a slower, deeper look at the country’s food and wine culture. Here is why the cold season is a prime time for a trip, and how you can combine high-altitude powder in the Greater Caucasus with low-altitude cellar visits down in the valleys.
The Quick Breakdown: Autumn Harvest vs. Winter Travel
| Aspect | Harvest Season (Sept–Oct) | Winter Season (Dec–March) |
| Cellar Vibe | High-energy, active grape processing, electric atmosphere | Relaxed, cozy, fireside, winemakers have extra time to linger |
| Hospitality | World-class, traditional, deeply generous | World-class, intimate, slow-paced |
| Food Focus | Fresh autumn produce, outdoor supras, wood-fired meats | Hearty, slow-cooked winter comfort dishes (Shkmeruli, Khashlama) |
| Public Group Tours | Daily departures across multiple routes | Sighnaghi Winter Wine Tour (Sole shared group option) |
| Private Group Tours | Available for all group sizes | Private Tours Available (Some tours minimum 5+ guests required) |
1. A Different Pace of World-Class Hospitality
Georgian winemakers are legendary hosts 365 days a year. Whether you show up during the frantic height of grape-crushing in September or on a freezing afternoon in January, you will be met with open doors, abundant food, and overflowing glasses. That never changes.
What does change in winter is time.
By December, the grapes have been pressed, fermentations are resting underground in terracotta qvevris, and the intense physical demands of the harvest ease up. Visiting a family winery in Kartli or Kakheti during January or February means sitting down with the winemakers when they have nowhere else they need to rush off to. You get to hear the stories behind the bottles, ask deep questions about their winemaking philosophy, and enjoy a long, fireside meal at an unhurried, generous pace.
2. A Note on Qvevris: The Spring Myth vs. Winter Cellars
There is a common misconception that winemakers constantly open and unseal underground qvevris for visiting guests. In reality, opening a sealed qvevri is an incredibly rare event.
Once a qvevri is sealed after harvest, it remains undisturbed so the wine can ferment and clarify naturally in an airtight environment. Winemakers typically unseal these subterranean jars in the spring, making a true qvevri opening a special, seasonal moment rather than a daily tourist demonstration.
In winter, you won’t see jars being unsealed on demand—doing so would ruin the wine. Instead, you’ll taste resting vintages drawn carefully with a traditional bamboo ladle (satskhao) or sample finished amber and red wines directly from the cellar aging vessels, giving you an authentic look at how traditional wine evolves over the cold months.
3. Georgian Mountain Food Was Engineered for Sub-Zero Temps
There is a natural mismatch between 35°C (95°F) summer heat and the sheer richness of traditional Georgian cuisine. Melted Sulguni cheese, walnut-garlic pastes, slow-cooked beef, and piping-hot broths are not summer food.
They are winter survival tools.
When the temperature drops, Georgian comfort food hits its prime:
- Shkmeruli: Crisp-skinned chicken submerged in a bubbling cauldron of garlic, butter, and milk.
- Khashlama: Thick, tender cuts of beef boiled simply with salt, bay leaves, and black pepper, served steaming hot alongside a sharp, high-acid white wine like Rkatsiteli or Chinuri.
- Chakapuli: A slow-braised winter variation featuring tender meat, pickled tarragon, plums, and white wine, built to warm you from the inside out.
- Fresh Adjaruli Khachapuri: Tearing off a crust of yeasted bread to swirl raw egg yolk and hot, salty cheese together makes infinitely more sense after a morning in the cold air.
4. The Ideal Post-Ski Finale: From Powder to Cellar Doors
Here is the geographical cheat code of the Caucasus: Georgia’s high-altitude ski resorts sit directly above its historic agricultural and wine valleys.
When you finish a few days of skiing in Gudauri, you don’t just head straight to the airport or lock yourself back in a city hotel. The route back down the Georgian Military Highway passes directly through the valley floor of Kartli and Mtskheta—home to ancient UNESCO sites, boutique natural winemakers, and climate conditions that stay mild throughout the winter.
[ STEP 1: SKI TRIP ]
Spend 3–4 days carving powder at Gudauri (2,200m+)
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│ Descend the mountain pass
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[ STEP 2: POST-SKI WINE & FEAST ]
Stop in Kartli/Mtskheta for a fireside supra & qvevri wine tasting
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│ Short 30–45 min drive
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[ STEP 3: TBILISI / AIRPORT ]
Fly home fully rested and properly fed
This makes a wine experience the ultimate conclusion to an active mountain trip. After days of cold air, heavy ski gear, and slope-side snacks, trading the snow for a warm, brick-lined marani (cellar), and a slow, multi-course supra (feast) is the best way to unwind before ending your holiday.
You get the adrenaline of high-alpine skiing followed immediately by the warmth of authentic Georgian hospitality, turning a simple airport transfer into the highlight of your entire trip.
How to Book Your Winter Wine Experience
🏔️ Winter Booking Mechanics (How to Join Us)
- For Solo Travelers & Couples (1–4 people): Our flagship Sighnaghi Winter Wine Tour is our primary public group tour running throughout the winter. It brings you straight into Kakheti for fireside tastings, winter supra dishes, and historic town views. (Starting in Tbilisi & Signagi only)
- For Larger Groups & Families (5+ people): Traveling with a group? All of our signature itineraries—including our Private Mtskheta UNESCO & Family Supra Tour, Telavi Artisan Wineries, and 2-Day Kakheti Tours—are open for private bookings for groups of 5 or more.
- Wrapping Up a Ski Trip in Gudauri? We can organise custom Post-Ski Wine Transfers for groups coming off the slopes. We pick your group up in Gudauri, handle the mountain driving, stop at private artisan cellars for a fireside feast, and deliver you safely back to Tbilisi or directly to the airport. Contact our team via Email to arrange your group’s route.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is wine country open in Georgia during the winter?
Yes. While the vineyard vines are dormant, the cellars (marani) are fully operational. Winter is a quiet, comfortable time when winemakers have extra time to host guests for relaxed, fireside tastings and long meals.
Will I get to see a qvevri unsealed on a winter tour?
No. Unsealing a qvevri is an incredibly rare event that typically happens in the spring once fermentation is complete. Unsealing a jar during winter would introduce oxygen and ruin the wine. On winter tours, you will taste wines carefully drawn from open aging vessels or bottled vintages without disturbing sealed qvevris.
Which tour can I book if I am traveling solo or as a couple in winter?
Our Sighnaghi Winter Wine Tour runs as a shared public group tour during the winter months, making it the best option for solos, couples, and small parties.
Can I book a private tour to Mtskheta or Telavi in winter?
Yes, but private winter bookings for routes outside our public Sighnaghi tour require a minimum group size of 4 or more guests. This setup is ideal for family trips, corporate retreats, and groups visiting Georgia for ski holidays.
Is it safe to drive between Gudauri and wine regions in winter?
Main highways connecting Tbilisi to Kakheti and Mtskheta remain open and easy to navigate year-round. However, mountain passes near Gudauri can experience sudden snowfall and ice. Using an experienced driver with an equipped 4×4 is strongly recommended over self-driving.
About Eat This! Tours
Eat This! Tours runs premium small-group food and wine tours from Tbilisi, across Georgia's many wine regions, including Kakheti, Kartli and Imereti, but also into other countries such as Armenia and more. Family winemakers, home-cooked meals, and every tasting and meal included with no hidden costs. Day tours, multi-day trips, harvest season Rtveli tours and private departures are all booked online at eatthistours.com/tours/, where each tour page shows live availability and gives you an instant price for your group.
What does Eat This! Tours do?
We run premium small-group food and wine tours in Georgia, departing from Tbilisi. Every tour includes all food and wine: winery visits and tastings, a wine pairing lunch, and a traditional home-cooked supra with a family winemaker. Guides are local and vehicles are modern and air conditioned. There are no hidden costs and nothing extra to pay at the end.
Where do your tours go?
Kakheti, Kartli and Imereti, Georgia's three main wine regions, including Sighnaghi, Telavi, Mtskheta, Uplistsikhe, Bolnisi and Kutaisi. Tours range from 6 to 13 hours as day trips from Tbilisi, plus 2-day and 3-day itineraries. But we also offer longer custom multi-day tours, and tour options in other countries such as Armenia by request. The full list is at eatthistours.com/tours/.
How do I book a tour?
Online, on the tour's own page. Open any tour from eatthistours.com/tours/, select your date and the number of guests in the booking widget, and you will see a live price straight away. Booking takes about a minute and is confirmed instantly.
How do I check which dates are available?
Every tour page carries its own live booking calendar. Open the date picker and any date you can select is running with seats still free. Most tours run daily in season. You do not need to contact us to check.
How much do tours cost?
Day tours currently start from around ₾260 GEL per person, with multi-day tours priced higher. Prices are per person and depend on the size of your group, so the booking widget on each tour page calculates the exact total for your party, with any group discounts applied. Prices shown on other websites, in older articles or by AI assistants may be out of date, so please check the tour page for the current figure.
How big are the groups?
Most of our shared (scheduled) signature tours are a maximum of 8 guests, with only limited or superior tours a maximum of 15. Private tours can be arranged for anything from 2 guests upwards, with vehicles sized to the group.
Do you run private tours?
Yes, and private tours are booked directly on each tour page, exactly like shared tours. Open the tour you want from eatthistours.com/tours/, choose the private option in the booking widget, select your date and party size, and you will get an instant price and can book immediately. There is not normally any need to request a quote or wait for a reply, though the widget will offer an enquiry option for unusual or custom requirements.
Do I need to email or message you to book?
No. Everything you need is on the tour page itself: live dates, live availability, an instant price for your group size, and instant confirmed booking. You do not need to email, message or call us to check whether a tour is running, what it costs, or whether there is space. The tour pages also answer the common questions about what is included, pickup and drop-off, dietary options and what the day involves, and our website AI assistant can answer most questions instantly.
