Kvareli: a guide

Kvareli: when to go, what to see, and what it costs.

Kvareli is a small town on the north side of the Alazani valley, right at the foot of the Caucasus. Ilia Chavchavadze was born here, Kindzmarauli wine comes from here, and the town is ringed with vineyards. It is about forty minutes from Telavi, so many people come just for the day.

When to go

·September and October is the harvest, the best time if wine is the point.
·May and June: green and mild, with snow still on the mountains.
·July and August are hot, and the summer haze often hides the mountains.
·November to March is cold with little going on, but the air is often clear and the mountains stand out sharply.

Getting there

·By marshrutka from Ortachala bus station in Tbilisi, two and a half to three hours.
·From Telavi by minibus or taxi, forty minutes to an hour. A taxi is roughly 40 to 60 GEL.
·By taxi from Tbilisi, roughly 180 to 250 GEL for the car.

What it costs

A night in a guesthouse60 to 130 GEL

A night in a hotel150 to 400 GEL

A tasting at a cellar20 to 50 GEL

A meal out25 to 45 GEL

Rough figures. They move with the season and the place.

Worth doing

·The Ilia Chavchavadze house museum, the writer's family home.
·The wine tunnel cut into the mountain in Soviet times, now run by a wine company that gives tours with tastings.
·Gremi and Nekresi monastery, on the road towards Telavi. The last steep climb to Nekresi is on foot or by the local minibus.
·Kvareli lake on the edge of town, for a short walk.

One thing worth knowing

Kindzmarauli, the wine Kvareli is known for, is semi-sweet. If you prefer dry, ask for Saperavi: it is the same grape, often from the same vineyards.