Wine & food tours in the Caucasus

What associations come with the word Caucasus? We are sure that a table packed with a variety of dishes and a horn of wine will definitely be on your list!

Wine

The slopes of the Caucasus Mountains and the Armenian Highlands are the birthplace of wine culture on Earth. Remains of a 6100-year-old winery have been discovered in the town of Areni, Armenia. In neighboring Georgia there’s a millennia-old wine tradition. Now the Caucasus is in a renaissance of winemaking: new wine houses pop up, hundreds of indigenous varieties are seeking their niches, and traditional methods are used alongside innovations. Local wines have already made it to the top of the influential critics’ rankings. That’s what makes the Caucasus one of the most fascinating wine regions on the planet.

01 ritual wine drinking in Soviet Georgia. Photo of an unknown American tourist

02 Lezgi women bake pies in a public oven, Dagestan. Photo by Vladimir Sevrinovsky

03 Wine testing in one of the trendy bars of Yerevan. Photo by Dmitry Lemeshev

04 In the basement of Fireland - a winery in the vicinity of Baku, run by Italian technologists. Photo by Dmitry Lemeshev

05 A feast at a friend's house in Tskhinval, South Ossetia. Photo by Ib Larsen

06 Kutabs and omelet in a Baku eatery. Photo by Anton Agarkov

07 Wine testing with Eduard Alexandrov - the founder of Gai-Kodzor winery in Anapa valley.

08 Cooking class in a restaurant of Lak's cuisine in Makhachkala. Photo by Vladimir Sevrinovsky

09 Georgian pkhali - appetizer made from boiled vegetables and crushed nuts.

10 Churchkhela, the most popular sweet in Georgia. Made from grape juice and nuts.

Part of a bigger picture…

It is not customary here to drink wine the way tea or coffee is drunk. In the Nart sagas of many Caucasian peoples wine is a sacred drink. Just like the Greek god Prometheus gifted fire to people, one of the Nart epic heroes bestowed wine on them. Wine is consumed during feasts, and a feast is asophisticated ritual with a determined sequence of prayer toasts. As in a temple, there’s always an elder saying toasts and leading the feast.

Food

Where there’s a feast, there’s food. And in terms of its variety the Caucasus is unrivalled, being at the confluence of Mediterranean and Middle East cuisine. The diversity of natural areas, lifestyles, and ethnic groups challenges the explorer even more – to be able to taste everything (at least the most iconic dishes), you have to come to the Caucasus a few times.

That said, Caucasian cuisine is probably one of the lesser-known and underrated in Europe. Many dishes of the South Caucasus have become part of Soviet cuisine (which is often referred to in the world as Russian cuisine), and that gave birth to numerous stereotypes. For example, shashlyk… No, it’s not an everyday meal here, and in some areas not common at all. Yet bread is ubiquitous – there’re flatbreads and pies with various fillings. There are famed Georgian ‘khachapuri’, thin tender Avar ‘botishals’ soaked in melted home-made butter and sprinkled with oatmeal, and flatbreads with herbs popular with Karabakh Armenians and many peoples of the Eastern Caucasus. And we haven’t even mentioned soups, cheeses, porridges, and desserts… Talking about meat. Usually it is boiled here. In big chunks, in huge pots on fire. And it tastes so much different than meat bought in a supermarket and boiled in a saucepan.

“I’ll put on weight!”

That’s unlikely. You probably already know that wine and food is a quintessential part of culture and an important component of any travel. Talking about food is a great conversation opener that might lead to more existential dialogues, and exploring gastronomy traditions is a reason to set out for adventure. You will lose all the kilos you have gained on your walks in the mountains. We opt for engagement instead of consumerism. We like to learn from village housewives and restaurant chefs, wander around markets, help harvest grapes, or cut vines…

Our Tours

South Ossetia 5-days tour

You'll see not only Tskhinval but also remote villages and ancient churches. You'll be able to communicate with locals and visit the best winery of the country. Also you'll visit Vladikavkaz — the center of Ossetian culture. Each day we’ll stay at cozy hotels and even highland glamping in the mountains...

23 — 27 October

5 days

From $1280

Horseback Ethnographic Expedition to South Ossetia

This expedition is a unique opportunity to visit hardest-to-reach places of the Caucasus. In the places we are going to visit, you don’t get to see tourists, even local ones, let alone foreigners. On this route, we cannot guarantee anything beyond the sincere hospitality and welcoming spirit of the highlanders and experience of venturing into a real mountain expedition…

10 days

From $2300

Private tour to South Ossetia

We developed this tour for those who want to grasp the essence of South Ossetia’s most recent history in a short period of time. Two days are not enough to see all of this country’s tourist attractions, but enough to meet a diverse group of people, all of whom live in South Ossetia, and to hear their personal stories...

365 days

From $1150

South Ossetia 6-days tour

This tour is for those who’d like to know South Ossetia in details, but is not ready for mountain trekkings. We’ll visit the main gorges of the country and have enough time to visit all of the most outstanding sights, will meet so many different people on the way and take part in traditional feasts. And each day we’ll come back to a cozy hotel...

6 days

From $1490

Ethno & wine tour in deep south of Russia

This pleasant days in warm south of Russia will be filled by cognitive walks and communication with locals. We will also spend some time tasting the masterpieces of new Russian winemaking...

9 days

From $2400

Trekking in the Western Caucasus. From Lago-naki plateau to the Black sea

You will visit the territory of the Western Caucasus protected by UNESCO - is one of the few large mountain areas of Europe that has not experienced significant human impact. There is a rather varied landscape - a plateau covered with wildflowers, green mountains, gorges, rocks and even a glacier.

9 days

From $1700

Expedition to untouched mountains of the Western Caucasus

We'll visit the mountains of the Western Caucasus, where tourists rarely appear. In some valleys, bison, deer and bears are more likely to be seen than people. That's gonna be a real expedition to wild mountains with flowering valleys and rocky highlands! At the same time, we will spend time with pleasure - the horses will carry the backpacks, the food will be prepared by a team of guides, in the evenings there is good wine from glasses overlooking the sunset.

9 days

From $1400

Expedition to mountains of Dagestan

We’ll visit genuine alpine villages where living conditions have hardly changed since the last century, and we’ll familiarize ourselves with strong-willed shepherds who, for months, live side by side with marauding bears.

9 days

From $1950

Photo tour in the North Caucasus

This tour will give you the opportunity to capture the most beautiful scenes and landscapes of the North Caucasus, accompanied by one of the best photographers in Russia. We will focus on regions that are yet unknown to most of the world, but which are certain to become major destinations for photographers in the future...

16 days

From $4360

Tour to Ingushetia, Chechnya and Dagestan & the Central Caucasus

It is a perfect trip for those who are inspired by the idea of discovery, for those who are keen to learn about different cultures. During the tour around Ingushetia, Chechnya and Dagestan you will get acquainted with various ethnic groups inhabiting the Caucasus and adopted the Islamic and Christian faith. You may be surprised to see the distinctiveness of their cultures despite the embracing religion.

18 October — 02 November

16 days

From $3780

5-day tour from Sochi to Abkhazia

In just 5 days, you’ll be able to see not only the most famous sites of the seaside, but will also get a glimpse into authentic local villages, meet amazing people, and walk among the beautiful mountains of Abkhazia.

18 — 22 October

5 days

From $1050

Hiking & adventure tour in Abkhazia

On this trip, we’ll see the entire diversity of nature in Abkhazia, and familiarize ourselves with shepherds’ life in the mountains. These people have safeguarded the pristine cultural traditions of the Abkhaz people and the unwritten rules of behavior for humans and interaction with mountain spirits. At the end of the journey we’ll descend from mountains to enjoy paradisal nature on the sea coast and explore the distinctive features of metropolitan life in Abkhazia.

9 days

From $1485

Ethnographic Adventures in Abkhazia

This tour is an excellent opportunity to get a taste of the ethnographer’s life. We will visit the remotest corners of Abkhazia, learning about the diverse aspects of Abkhazian culture, and about the many different nations that populate the country—Russians, Armenians, and Mingrelians to name just a few.

02 — 09 July

8 days

From $2150

Tour to Abkhazia and South Ossetia

The tour to Abkhazia and South Ossetia – the two countries that were not recognized as independent states not long ago! Both countries have a lot in common in their history; however, the distinctive culture and unique nature of each of the regions make them very different.

10 days

From $3050

Religious Rituals of the North Caucasus

The North Caucasus, despite its relatively small territory, is one of the few places in the world where you can learn a variety of religious traditions and see some impressive rituals such as Ossetian prayers, Dhikrs (devotional acts in Islam) of various Sufi communities, and Shia mourning rituals on the day of Ashura.

12 days

From $3150

Tour across the North Caucasus. “From the Black sea to the Caspian sea”

Nine republics, almost 2,000 kilometers of road, a maximum elevation of more than 3 000 meters, dozens of ethnic groups, hundreds of dishes, and immeasurable amounts of natural beauty. To remain a passive bystander simply isn’t an option throughout this magnificent trip, which includes mountain hikes, crafting workshops, and meetings with local historians, musicians, scientists, and villagers.
After this trip you will have every right to say: “I have seen the Caucasus!”

16 May — 07 June

23 days

From $5560

Nagorno-Karabakh for the May holidays

Майскую поездку в Карабах мы спланировали для тех, кто за зиму соскучился по солнцу горам, лесным тропам и приключениям на природе

30 April — 10 May

11 days

From $800

Private Tours To The CaucasusPrivate Tours

If you saw our travel plan and did not find the ideal one for you – write or call us.

We will draw up an itinerary taking into account all your wishes. We have enough experience, best practices and contacts in the Caucasus to organize any trip at your request.

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