03Cities and regions

Wine country

Kakheti and Sighnaghi

Kakheti, in Georgia's far east, is one of the country's most important wine regions. Its main town is Telavi, set on the foothills of the Tsiv-Gombori range between 500 and 800 metres, with 16,800 residents at the 2024 census. The Alazani River runs through the region, and its valley holds the last large lowland forests of eastern Georgia. The best-known town is Sighnaghi, one of the smallest in the country, perched on a steep hill above the Alazani Valley with the Caucasus on the horizon, its cobbled lanes lined with pastel houses. King Heraclius II built a fortress here in 1762, and remnants of the 18th-century walls and towers still circle the town. Some 79 kilometres east of Tbilisi, the village of Tsinandali keeps the palace, garden and historic winery of the poet Alexander Chavchavadze. Kvareli is known for Kindzmarauli, a semi-sweet red. Spend a day in Sighnaghi and another among the vineyards and wineries around Telavi.

1762

Sighnaghi fortress built

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Population of Telavi

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Tsinandali from Tbilisi