One Of Europe's Most Underrated Wine Regions Is As Scenic As Tuscany Without The Crowds

You may associate the beginnings of wine with the ancient civilizations on the Mediterranean, but the beautiful mountainous country of Georgia is recognized as having the world's oldest winemaking traditions when an 8,000-year-old village was discovered 20 miles south of the capital of Tbilisi. Wine-loving Georgians will be the first to tell you that their country, which straddles Europe and Asia, is the cradle of winemaking and one of the most underrated destinations for wine lovers.

Georgia is a small country with many diverse landscapes, from underrated mountain regions to the Black Sea, which is also one of the cheapest destinations for a beach vacation in Europe. There are many regions that produce a variety of wine varieties in Georgia, but the most popular and scenic is Kakheti.

Located east of Tbilisi, Kakheti is a lush land filled with vine-covered valleys framed by snowy peaks of the Caucasus Mountains, and it's also home to 70 percent of the country's vineyards. Here's everything you need to know about planning a wine-tasting trip to Georgia, including the best wineries in Kakheti and the fascinating origins and traditions of Georgian wine.

Unlike the traditional wineries you may have visited before, Georgian wineries in Kakheti utilize an ancient style of winemaking. Instead of wooden barrels, Georgian wine is aged in large clay vessels called qvevri. After pressing the grapes, everything is poured into these earthenware containers before being buried in the ground to ferment over a period of six months. Leaving-in of the stems and skins results in heavier flavors and a deeper color for red wines. For white wines, the same process produces a darker amber color, also known as orange wine, a style that has been growing in popularity recently.

With eight millennia of winemaking traditions backing them up, it's not so surprising that many Georgians tend their own vineyards and ferment their own wines right in their own backyards as a hobby. With over 500 grape varieties, the range of flavors and styles you can find in this wine-loving country is truly astounding. As for what Georgian wine tastes like in general, any wine fermented in a clay qvevri will have intense and complex flavors with nutty and citrus aromas.

When flying into the international airport in Tbilisi, the Kakheti wine region couldn't be any easier to visit as it lies directly to the east of the capital, and one of the wine region's largest towns, Sighnaghi, is only about 70 miles away. The easiest way to get around Kakheti is by car, but it is also possible to arrange day trips from Tbilisi. If you're short on time, there are full-day tours incorporating stops at multiple towns and wineries and include a traditional Georgian lunch so you can really pack in the full Kakheti experience without having to rent a car.

Among Georgia's best wineries in Kakheti are Shumi Winery in Tsinandali, which is a 300-hectare complex that also has a small wine museum, and Cradle of Wine Marani in Sighnaghi, which is a family-owned natural wine producer. Plan to spend a few days in the region and post up in a gorgeous wine hotel like the luxurious Radisson Collection Tsinandali Estate, a five-star property with mountain views, or Chateau Artwine, which is a large resort located among the vines that naturally boasts a well-stocked cellar. Or, if you're a big fan of the qvevri aesthetic, Hotel Qvevrebi in Telavi will let you check into one of their rooms built to look like one of the giant clay vessels.