Welcome to The Travel Shop, your place to click and shop for four days of vacation bliss. You choose your destination, your dates, and voilà: your long-weekend getaway is in the works. This week we’re featuring a four-day lifetime wine trip to the country of Georgia. Fun fact: Georgians made the very first wine, ever. With the capital city of Tbilisi as your base, this is a snapshot of what four action-packed days in Georgia could look like.

The Travel Shop

This is a preview of The Travel Shop, which is luxury travel at a click. On The Travel Shop, we’ll offer a dozen personally-curated trips and hotels. For each package, you’ll get four to seven nights, airport transfers, and a dinner at the destination. What you choose to do from there is up to you. The sky is the limit.

A Lifetime Trip to Georgia

Georgia is a country in Eurasia, and was once part of the former Soviet Union. A trip to Georgia is an experience you didn’t know you needed in your life. But it is, if you appreciate food, wine, and culture. Georgia is also an ancient civilization; some of the oldest human remains in the world were found here. There’s a lot to uncover, and we have the ultimate four-day itinerary.

The Qvevri Method

Georgia the first known place in the world where wine was cultivated. The method, known as “qvevri”, involves including the stems, skins and all of the grapes in an underground clay/earthenware pot. With the qvevri method, the grapes go through a natural fermentation process, with no chemicals at all. The skin of the grapes and debris rise to the top and are skimmed off. This process is the same for red and white wine, which is why the white wine has a natural ember tint. It’s otherwise known today as “orange wine”.

After a period of time when Georgia was under the Soviet Union, vineyards were nationalized. The art of wine was lost in mass-production methods. Today, Georgia looks set to retake its place in the wine world. It’s now one of the most unique and exciting places to taste wine. And we can tell you that the capital Tbilisi is a very rewarding place to explore.

The Georgian Hospitality

Maybe the length of its existence explains how Georgians perfected the art of hospitality. There are few places on earth where people will cook a table full of food for you, and with genuine heart. The local  food is something special; Georgians have an ability to take simple vegetables and elevate them to the best meal you’ve had in your life. In fact, if you ask a Russian what the best food is in Moscow, many of them will mention a Georgian restaurant.

Georgian Dishes to Know

We have one word for you: khachapuri. To call it a cheese bread is to completely undersell this delightful dish that (admittedly) can put five pounds on you just by looking at it. Every single bite is worth it. Of course there are other components to the feast. The local spinach, beets, and anything with walnut sauce will rock your world. Don’t even get us started on the Georgian version of dumplings, which are known as khinkali. On this trip, if you’re into cooking, you’ll have the chance to learn how to make khinkali (and other dishes) with one of the top chefs in Tbilisi.

The Itinerary

Day 1

Arrive in Tbilisi, Georgia’s Capital City

Check Into: The Stamba

The Stamba is a cool design hotel, in a Tbilisi neighborhood that is the equivalent of New York’s Soho.

Lunch at Cafe Layla
Afternoon tour of the Old Town, Rustaveli Boulevard, and the National Museum
Dinner at Café Littera

Day 2

Day trip to Khaketi wine region
Khaketi is about an hour and a half from Tbilisi, where you will go to local vineyards to taste the most insider special wine from individual producers. You’ll also get to try homemade chacha, the Georgian version of grappa.
Dinner at The Stamba

Day 3

Wine trip to the Gori region of Georgia
Dinner at The Wine Factory in Tbilisi

Day 4:

Cooking class at Chveni, with Guram Bagdovishali, known as the Gordon Ramsay of Georgia. Which means he’s initially far more terrifying than a well-mannered Brit. But don’t worry: despite the intimidating tattoos, you’ll find he has the kindest Georgian heart.

Afternoon of art galleries and specialty shops tailored to interest.

How To Book

Soon you’ll be able to book this trip yourself on The Travel Shop. In the meantime, email [email protected] and we’ll hook you up!