Kakheti

Kakheti is the wine region of Georgia and most of the country’s wine grapes are grown here. Much of the wine production in Georgia is still done in kvevris, clay jugs buried underground, which is an important distinction between wine in Georgia versus wine production in other countries. This process gives the wine an “earthy” flavor. We were very excited for this portion of the trip; however, we were somewhat disappointed with the wine we tasted. That being said, the region is beautiful with rolling hills, lakes and green pastures. We also loved the hotel!! If we had more time, I would have liked to have visited Sighnaghi for more wine tasting and lunch at Pheasant’s Tears.

*Lopota Lake Resort- This resort was recommended by my husband’s Georgian co-worker and was fabulous. We usually don’t enjoy all inclusive hotels; however, this place was absolutely beautiful and had so many activities to keep the kids happy. We stayed in the standard family room which was really spacious for a family of four. Activities at the hotel include: horseback riding, tennis, a variety of pools/hot tubs/saunas, a lake with paddle boats, a running path, a spa, a karaoke room, mini-golf, a gym, ping pong tables, ATV tours and much more. One of the days we went wine tasting and the kids stayed at the resort participating in a 1/2 day horsemanship class and riding. There are many wine tours to choose from; however, we created our own tour with recommendations from our Georgian friend. We booked the tour through the hotel and visited: Alverdi Monastery, Twin Cellars and Chateau Mere (with lunch at Chateau Mere). The wineries are a bit run down but we really enjoyed learning how the wine is made in the kvevris and the lunch at Chateau Mere was really good. The following day we spent at the resort and thoroughly enjoyed the spa, going out on the lake on the paddle boats and the pools. The resort has a variety of restaurants to choose from. We preferred the American restaurant over the Georgian restaurant (go figure) but the lunch and breakfast was buffet style in the standard cafe and was really delicious with a variety of foods. For some relaxing family time, this place was a perfect choice to kick off our Georgia trip……….

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