Private Organic Wine Tour from Kutaisi, 2 Tastings and Lunch

Georgian wine begins in the cellar, often in a buried clay vessel called a qvevri. This private tour from Kutaisi gives you a close look at that old method, with tastings led by winemakers Giorgi Mshvenieradze and Aidan Raftery, rather than a quick pour at a tourist shop. I especially like the access to small-batch organic wines and the chance to finish with chacha, Georgia’s grape vodka.

I also like that lunch is part of the day, not an afterthought. The meal at Oda House is described as a gourmet spread of local food, and one guest called it possibly the best meal of their time in Georgia. The main consideration is the price: at $180 per person, this is a serious outlay, and the exact third tasting location listed in the inclusions is not explained in the day-by-day route.

Key points to know before booking

• Meet Giorgi Mshvenieradze in his own cellar: Taste three or four limited-production wines and finish with Georgian chacha.
• Hear Aidan Raftery’s personal story: The British winemaker moved to Imereti to restore traditional qvevri practices at Vintners & Vagabonds, also called Igavi Wines.
• Expect a private seven-hour day: Pickup is available from any location within Kutaisi, with a 10:00 am start and private transportation.
• Lunch is a major part of the experience: Oda House in Martvili serves a gourmet meal built around local cuisine and organic-winery surroundings.
• Taste wines made for small markets: Some of Aidan’s production amounts to only a few thousand bottles, with much of it exported to the European Union and Australia.
• Confirm the final route: The detailed schedule names two winery stops, while the inclusions refer to tastings at three locations.

Why this Kutaisi wine day is different

Many wine outings are really scenic drives with a tasting added at the end. This one is built around the people making the wine and the old methods they are trying to preserve.

You visit two named producers in western Georgia. At the first, Giorgi Mshvenieradze works entirely with grapes from his own vineyards and makes organic wine using qvevri fermentation. At the second, Aidan Raftery brings an outsider’s path into the story. He came from the United Kingdom, moved to Georgia with his wife, and set up in the village of Zeidari.

That contrast gives the day some shape. Giorgi represents a local winemaking family and place-based production. Aidan offers the perspective of someone who chose Georgia because of its traditional wine culture and the chance to bring old techniques back into regular use.

I like this format because you are not simply comparing grape varieties. You are hearing why each producer works the way he does, how qvevris fit into the process, and why production stays small.

The tour lasts about seven hours, which gives the day room for driving, conversation, tastings, and lunch. It is not a short activity you squeeze between Kutaisi sights. Plan it as one of your main days in the region.

Starting at 10:00 am from Kutaisi

Pickup is offered from any location within Kutaisi, and the scheduled start is 10:00 am. That makes the tour easy to arrange if you are staying in town and do not want to find a rural winery on your own.

Private transportation is included, so your group does not share the vehicle or tasting schedule with strangers. That matters on a wine day. You can ask questions at your own pace, and nobody has to shape the visit around a large group’s preferences.

The private setup also removes a practical concern: nobody in your group has to handle the driving after several tastings. The experience includes bottled water, which is a small but welcome detail during a long day with wine and food.

The exact driving times between Kutaisi, the wineries, and Martvili are not provided. I would allow the full seven hours and avoid booking another fixed activity that evening. Rural Georgian roads and winery conversations can make a day feel longer than the simple stop count suggests.

Meeting Giorgi Mshvenieradze at Mshvenieradze Winery

The first stop is Mshvenieradze Winery, where you meet Giorgi Mshvenieradze in his wine cellar. He is presented as a small producer focused on organic wine and sparkling wine from his own vineyards in western Georgia.

The visit centers on his production method. Giorgi uses the ancient Georgian practice of fermenting wine in qvevri, large clay vessels traditionally placed below ground. The point here is not just to see an unusual container. You hear directly from the winemaker about how his wines and sparkling wines are made.

Expect three or four wine samples, depending on availability. That last condition matters because the production is very limited. You should not arrive expecting a fixed commercial tasting menu with every bottle always in stock.

The tasting ends with chacha, the Georgian spirit made from grape material. It is stronger and sharper than wine, so take the final pour seriously, especially with another winery and lunch still ahead.

I like this stop for its personal scale. Meeting Giorgi in his cellar makes the winemaking feel like a working craft rather than a staged display. You get the chance to connect the glass in front of you with a real vineyard, a real cellar, and one producer’s own decisions.

The tradeoff is that small production means less predictability. A particular wine may not be available, and the number of pours can vary. For me, that is part of the appeal, but you should value the story and access more than a long list of bottles.

Following the road to Zeidari and Igavi Wines

The tour then continues toward the village of Zeidari for a second tasting and lunch. Here you visit Vintners & Vagabonds, also identified as Igavi Wines, run by Aidan Raftery.

Aidan’s story adds a different angle to the day. He came from the United Kingdom and settled in Georgia with his wife, choosing the Imereti region as a place to restore older wine traditions based on qvevris. He explains how he made that move and how traditional methods guide his production.

You taste two or three western Georgian wines, again subject to availability. Aidan’s output is very small, with only a couple of thousand bottles produced, and much of the wine goes to export markets in the European Union and Australia.

That export detail tells you something useful about the tasting. These are not mass-market wines made for every shop and restaurant. The wines may be difficult to find during the rest of your trip, so this stop can give you access to bottles you would not otherwise encounter.

At the same time, limited production can make the tasting less predictable. The wines available on your date may not match a fixed list, and the number of samples is modest. This experience is about meeting a producer and understanding his approach, not about drinking a large quantity.

The name Vintners & Vagabonds fits the story without needing much explanation. Aidan’s route into Georgian wine is unusual, and hearing it in the place where he works gives the second stop a strong human focus.

Lunch at Oda House in Martvili

Lunch is served at the organic winery Oda House in Martvili. The meal is described as gourmet local cuisine, and it is one of the strongest reasons to consider the tour as more than a pair of tastings.

Georgian food is best experienced at a table with time to share dishes. A proper meal also gives your group a pause between pours and keeps the day from becoming a string of glasses on an empty stomach.

One guest singled out the lunch as possibly the best meal of their entire time in Georgia. That is only one opinion, not a guarantee, but it points to the meal’s importance in the overall experience. I would treat lunch as a central stop, not merely a practical break.

The available details do not list the individual dishes, so I would not book this expecting a particular menu item. You can expect local cuisine served as a gourmet meal at Oda House, but the exact food may depend on the day and what is available.

There is also a route detail worth clearing up before payment. The stop-by-stop description names Mshvenieradze Winery and Zeidari, while the inclusions refer to wine tastings at three different locations and identify Oda House in Martvili. Ask Traffic Travel LLC to confirm how the third tasting fits with lunch and the driving route.

What $180 per person gets you

At $180 per person, the tour is not priced like a basic winery transfer. You are paying for a private vehicle, pickup in Kutaisi, a full day of transport, two named winemaker visits, multiple wine samples, chacha, bottled water, and a gourmet lunch.

The value depends heavily on how you like to travel. If you want the cheapest way to taste Georgian wine, this is not the obvious choice. You may find lower-cost tastings in town, though the supplied information does not provide a direct comparison.

If you want rural access without renting a car, arranging several producers yourself, or worrying about driving after alcohol, the price becomes easier to understand. Private transportation also gives you control over the pace and keeps the day limited to your own group.

The small-production focus adds value for people interested in natural and organic wine. Giorgi’s wines come from his own vineyards, while Aidan’s output is only a few thousand bottles and much of it is exported. You are paying for access to producers whose wines are not made on a large scale.

The lunch matters too. A gourmet meal at Oda House is included, rather than leaving you to find food between wineries. That is especially useful in rural areas where restaurant choices and opening hours may not be easy to predict.

Still, the price is easier to justify for two or more people who appreciate wine and food than for someone who only wants a scenic outing. If your group includes nondrinkers, the value may be weaker, since the main content is built around tastings and winemaking.

Who will enjoy the private format most

This tour suits you if you want direct contact with producers. The chance to speak with Giorgi and Aidan gives the day more substance than a generic tasting room visit.

It also works well for couples, families of adults, or small groups who value privacy. You can ask detailed questions about qvevri fermentation, organic production, sparkling wine, exports, and the move from Britain to Imereti without worrying about a crowded group.

Wine lovers who are curious about natural wine should pay special attention. The tour is clearly focused on organic and traditional methods, not on a broad survey of every Georgian wine region.

Food-focused visitors are also likely to appreciate the lunch. The meal at Oda House adds a strong local element and helps balance the technical side of the tastings.

I would be more cautious if you prefer a tightly timed schedule or a large commercial winery with a guaranteed lineup. Wine availability changes, and the listed tasting counts are given as ranges. The route also needs clarification because the inclusions mention three tasting locations while the detailed stops name two.

Most people can participate, according to the available tour information. No special fitness requirement is stated. The experience does require good weather, so keep that in mind when planning your Kutaisi days.

Practical tips for a better day

Start with a proper breakfast. The tour includes lunch, but the first tasting begins at a rural winery, and chacha comes at the end of the first visit.

Use the private format to ask questions. You may want to know how long the qvevris are used, how the organic grapes are managed, or how sparkling wine fits into a traditional cellar. The hosts are there to explain their work, so take advantage of that access.

Do not assume you can buy every wine you taste. Giorgi’s production is very limited, and Aidan produces only a few thousand bottles. Availability can change, and much of Aidan’s wine is exported.

Bring a phone or small notebook if you care about remembering labels and grape varieties. The supplied details do not list the exact wines served, and availability may affect the tasting.

Keep the rest of the day open. The experience is scheduled for approximately seven hours, but the route includes rural driving, two substantial visits, lunch, and conversation with the winemakers.

Finally, confirm the third tasting location before you go. This is the one practical point that is not fully clear in the schedule. Traffic Travel LLC should be able to explain whether the third tasting takes place at Oda House or at another stop.

Booking, weather, and cancellation details

Confirmation is sent within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability. Pickup is available from any location within Kutaisi, and the start time is 10:00 am.

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations made less than 24 hours before the experience are not accepted for a refund. The cut-off follows local time.

The tour requires good weather. If poor weather causes cancellation, you are offered another date or a full refund. That policy makes it sensible to leave one flexible day in your Kutaisi plans if the forecast looks uncertain.

Should you book this Kutaisi wine tour?

Book it if you want a private, food-and-wine day with real producers, small-batch organic bottles, and a look at qvevri winemaking in western Georgia. The combination of Giorgi Mshvenieradze’s cellar, Aidan Raftery’s personal story, and lunch at Oda House gives the day more character than a standard tasting loop.

The strongest reason to go is the access. You are not just sampling Georgian wine. You are meeting the people behind limited production and hearing why they continue or return to old methods.

The main reasons to pause are the $180 price, changing wine availability, and the unclear reference to a third tasting location. Ask about that final point before booking, then choose this experience if the private setting and lunch matter as much to you as the wine itself.

FAQ

Where does the tour begin?

Pickup is available from any location within the town of Kutaisi. The scheduled start time is 10:00 am.

How long does the tour last?

The experience lasts approximately seven hours.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. Only your group participates in the activity, and private transportation is included.

Which wineries are visited?

The detailed route includes Mshvenieradze Winery and Vintners & Vagabonds, also called Igavi Wines, in the village of Zeidari.

Who leads the winery visits?

At Mshvenieradze Winery, you meet Giorgi Mshvenieradze. At Vintners & Vagabonds, the winemaker is Aidan Raftery.

Is lunch included?

Yes. A gourmet lunch is included at the organic winery Oda House in Martvili.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Poor-weather cancellations arranged by the provider offer a different date or a full refund.