Is Georgia really a birthplace of wine? Well, around 8,000 years ago, people living in what is now Georgia were already making wine in clay vessels buried underground. Archaeologists have since uncovered the world's oldest known evidence of grape wine, while centuries of uninterrupted winemaking have left their mark on everything from cave cities and monasteries to mountain terraces and family cellars.

Planning to travel to Georgia anytime soon? This itinerary follows the grapes through eastern Georgia, mixing winery visits with monasteries, mountain roads, historic towns and enough khinkali to make you sign up for Pilates upon returning home. As you might know, the country has more than 500 indigenous grape varieties, and discovering them together with the ancient local culture is a lot of fun!