Wine Tourism in Georgia: Winery Hotels, Qvevri Traditions & Staying at Giuaani in Kakheti
Discover wine tourism in Georgia — 8,000-year qvevri traditions, the winery hotels of Kakheti, and how to stay at Giuaani Winery in Manavi, 45 minutes from Tbilisi.
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The Oldest Wine Country Is Also One of the Newest to Visit
Georgia is emerging as one of the most rewarding destinations for travellers who want to sleep among the vines rather than simply visit them. With a winemaking history measured in millennia, accessible prices and a fast-growing crop of winery hotels, the country offers authentic "winery with accommodation" stays that remain genuinely under-the-radar compared with Western Europe. The clearest example of how wine, design and hospitality come together here is Giuaani Winery in Manavi — a boutique estate in Kakheti that we use as the anchor for this guide.
What this guide covers:
Why Georgia punches far above its size for wine tourism — the data and the heritage
Kakheti, the region that makes roughly three-quarters of Georgian wine
What a true "winery with accommodation" actually delivers
Giuaani Winery in Manavi — rooms, tastings, qvevri and facilities
Seven real Georgian winery hotels and how to build a Kakheti route
Sources and authoritative further reading for trip planning
Why Choose Georgia for Winery Hotels
Georgia is widely described as the cradle of wine: archaeological evidence points to grape-wine production here around 8,000 years ago. The country's signature method — fermenting and ageing wine in buried, egg-shaped clay vessels called qvevri — was inscribed on UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013, which makes a Georgian wine stay culturally distinct from almost anywhere else on earth. A new generation of winery hotels now connects the cellar, the vineyard and the guest room into a single, coherent experience — the heart of modern eno-tourism.
Wine is also a measurable driver of Georgia's tourism boom. According to the National Bank of Georgia, international tourism revenue surpassed USD 4.6 billion in 2025 — a record high, up from roughly USD 4.4 billion in 2024. On the production side, the National Wine Agency reported that Georgia exported nearly 95 million litres of wine worth about USD 276 million to 72 countries in 2024, steadily widening international awareness and pulling more travellers toward the regions themselves.
The country has also climbed international wine-tourism rankings. In the 2023 Wine Lover's Index compiled by Bounce, Georgia ranked fifth worldwide — ahead of France — on metrics including production, vineyard area, number of tasting tours and average bottle price. A methodology change moved it to eighth place in the 2024 edition, but it still stands out for its sheer density of wine tours relative to population and for the authenticity of the experiences.
Why It Matters for Where You Sleep
In Georgia, the heritage isn't kept behind glass — many winery hotels still bury working qvevri in the courtyard you walk through to reach your room. The history is part of the stay, not a museum stop on the side.
Most of the country's winery hotels are concentrated in Kakheti, the main wine region in eastern Georgia. Kakheti produces around three-quarters of all Georgian wine and frames it with a landscape of vineyards, hilltop villages and the Caucasus foothills that is made for slow travel. Towns such as Telavi, Kvareli and Sighnaghi work as convenient hubs, but some of the most memorable places to stay are small, independent estates out in the countryside.
This is where the idea of a winery with accommodation really comes to life. Guests sleep within walking distance of the cellar, taste wines where they are made, talk directly with winemakers, and often join seasonal rituals such as the harvest or a supra (the traditional Georgian feast). For an idea of how this fits the wider movement toward staying at small, characterful estates, our guide to hidden winery hotels around the world puts Kakheti in good company.
Base Yourself by Sub-Zone
Kakheti's micro-zones each have a personality — Tsinandali for crisp whites, Kvareli and Napareuli for Saperavi reds, Manavi for the aromatic Mtsvane. Picking two adjacent zones keeps daily drives under 40 minutes.
What Makes a Great Winery with Accommodation
Globally, a "winery with accommodation" describes a property where a working winery operates alongside rooms or suites for overnight guests — closely related to the European wine relais concept. In Georgia, the best examples share a few essentials: on-site vineyards, a functioning qvevri or European-style cellar, guided tastings, and a kitchen that pairs wine with Kakhetian cooking. Add thoughtful rooms and staff who can explain both the wine and the local culture, and the property itself becomes the reason for the trip.
Unlike a rural hotel that merely lists wine on the menu, a true winery with accommodation builds the whole stay around it. You wake to vineyard views, walk straight from your room to the tasting table, and see the daily work of pruning, harvesting and cellar care. For destinations like Kakheti this model is especially powerful, because it links two sectors — wine and tourism — that reinforce each other. It is exactly the kind of experience-led travel we explore in our 2026 wine-tourism guide.
Giuaani Winery in Manavi is one of the most compelling winery hotels in Georgia for travellers who want an authentic but comfortable base close to the capital. About a 45-minute drive (around 45 km) from Tbilisi in the Sagarejo district, this boutique winery with accommodation sits among vineyards, historic qvevri and a fully working cellar. The estate focuses on native Georgian varieties — Mtsvane of Manavi, Rkatsiteli, Khikhvi and Saperavi — vinified in both traditional qvevri and modern European styles, as detailed on the winery's own site.
Guided tastings explain the difference between the two methods and walk you through a broad portfolio of white, amber and red wines. Seasonal activities — joining the grape harvest, or sitting down to a supra — add a deeper connection to the estate and the region. As a place to stay, Giuaani offers a small number of individually designed rooms spread across two buildings, combining historic character with contemporary comfort: air conditioning, private bathrooms, Wi-Fi, Smart TVs and warm interior tones, many with views over the vineyards, garden or pool.
Stay vs. Day-Trip
Manavi and neighbouring Sagarejo are the closest serious wine zones to Tbilisi, which makes Giuaani an easy first taste of the winery-hotel idea — even on a single overnight before heading deeper into Kakheti.
Facilities and Experiences at Giuaani Winery Hotel
Giuaani stands out among Kakheti winery hotels because it offers a full set of facilities without losing its intimate, boutique character. The grounds include a seasonal outdoor swimming pool with a sun terrace, landscaped gardens and several indoor and outdoor seating areas — so moving freely between pool, vineyard and cellar becomes a core part of the day. The on-site restaurant serves Georgian cuisine built around local ingredients and designed to pair with Giuaani wines, with breakfast generally included and often laid out in a traditional Kakhetian house.
Practical services are well covered too: free private parking, airport transfers on request, Wi-Fi throughout, and pet-friendly options in some rooms. Guest reviews across major booking platforms consistently praise the friendly staff, the clean rooms, the relaxed atmosphere and — above all — the pleasure of having a real hotel and a real winery on a single site. You can compare current room types and rates on the hotel's official site or read the full profile on our Giuaani Winery listing.
Where to Stay: Georgian Winery Hotels
Giuaani is an ideal anchor, but Kakheti rewards a multi-stop route. A classic approach is to chain two or three different winery hotels — perhaps a lakeside resort in the Alazani Valley, a small family marani, and a design-driven estate like Giuaani — so each night offers its own style of wine, architecture and landscape. The properties below all sit in Kakheti and all put you within walking distance of a working cellar.
Book Harvest Season Early
September and October — rtveli, the Georgian harvest — is the most atmospheric time to stay, but rooms at the best estates fill months ahead. If you want to actually tread grapes or fill a qvevri, confirm with the winery 2–3 months out.
Exploring Kakheti from a Winery Hotel Base
Using a winery hotel like Giuaani as a base makes the wider region easy to reach. From Manavi you can visit Ujarma Fortress, the cave monasteries and semi-desert of David Gareja, and the walled hilltop town of Sighnaghi overlooking the Alazani Valley. Short drives connect Manavi with other wine micro-zones, so you can combine several cellar visits in a single day without long transfers — and still be back at the pool by late afternoon.
Plan Around the Driving
Tastings and Georgian hospitality add up quickly, and rural roads are best driven sober and in daylight. A hired driver or a winery transfer for tasting days is the local-smart way to do Kakheti.
Planning a Wine Trip to Georgia
Most international travellers start in Tbilisi, the country's main transport hub. From there, Kakheti is roughly one to two hours away by private transfer, rental car or organised tour, depending on the final destination. Manavi and Sagarejo are among the closest wine areas to the capital, which makes them ideal for short breaks or first-time visitors testing the winery-hotel concept.
The sweet spot for visiting is late spring through early autumn, when the vines are green and the weather is warm and dry. September and October bring the harvest and a concentration of tastings and special dinners — at higher prices and occupancy. Winter stays are quieter and cheaper, with cosy tasting rooms and staff who have more time to talk. For how Georgia fits the wider calendar, see our guide to global wine harvest seasons, and our round-up of hidden-gem wine regions for 2026, where Georgia sits comfortably alongside the world's most exciting emerging destinations.
Getting There Without a Car
No driver? Base in Manavi or Telavi, pre-book winery transfers, and let estates like Giuaani arrange tastings and meals on-site. Many properties also offer airport pickup from Tbilisi on request.
Why Georgia Should Be Next on Your Wine Travel List
For travellers searching for "winery hotels in Georgia" or simply a "winery with accommodation" near Tbilisi, the appeal is rare: you can sleep among vines, taste estate wines poured from buried qvevri, and connect with a living 8,000-year tradition — all at prices Western Europe can no longer match. Giuaani Winery captures that combination as well as anywhere, and it works equally as a one-night introduction or the centrepiece of a longer Kakheti route. Three standout stays to start planning around:
Export figures, tourism receipts and ranking methodologies are updated periodically — cross-check the latest numbers with the official sources above before quoting them, and confirm room availability directly with each property before booking non-refundable travel.
Wine Tourism in Georgia: Winery Hotels, Qvevri Traditions & Staying at Giuaani in Kakheti
Alex Osso
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