A Taste of Georgia

Georgia is the legendary cradle of wine, but its true flavour is found at the family table. Cycling across three distinct regions, from the sun-drenched vineyards of Kakheti to the high volcanic plateaus of the south, this journey is a sensory exploration of 8,000 years of history, where every ride ends with a seat in a local home and a glass of traditional wine.

After meeting in Tbilisi, we transfer east to begin our ride through vineyard-lined roads where we learn about the ancient Qvevri winemaking process and try our hand at churchkhela making. We pedal through the dry, rolling hills of the borderlands to reach the famous cave monastery of David Gareja before crossing into the central heartland of Kartli. The real highlight is the access to private homes; we skip standard restaurants to share homemade meals and hear the stories of our hosts, including a family who brought their mountain traditions from the north. To keep the riding rewarding, we use strategic transfers to bypass busy highways and skip the rougher gravel sections. We focus our time on the quiet roads leading to the caves carved into the cliff at Uplistsikhe, the massive cave city of Vardzia, and the wild Javakheti Plateau. Every kilometre is chosen to highlight the unfiltered soul of the Caucasus.