Sighnaghi and Pheasant’s Tears Winery

Last weekend we took a trip organized by the CLO (Community Liaison Office) in the Embassy.   It was really nice to get out of the city and honestly not have to plan anything for the trip.  We just showed up and got on the bus!

From Tbilisi, Sighnaghi is about a two hour car ride.  We took two large buses.  The "kids" bus got a little hectic at times but overall it was a decent ride.  Once in Sighnaghi we made a pit stop at the Winery for a short bathroom break then it was on to the vineyards!

Our tour was centered around the winery as the entire Kakheti region is known for it's grapes and harvest.  It's the easternmost region in Georgia and typically the hottest and driest.  First on the agenda was some grape picking.  Everyone had their own buckets and shears and we were tasked with picking six rows of a rare white grape.

Mara really got into this.  Her role was to put the grape bunches in the bucket as we handed them to her.  She was so focused on the task until she realized that the grapes she was picking tasted really good.  Then it all went downhill.

With the hot sun beating down, everyone quickly grew tired of the picking and trudge up the hill back to the main area where we would have lunch.  Lunch was a light affair with traditional Georgia bread, cheese, and wine of course!  It was a little disheartening to be at a vineyard and not be able to taste the bounty but I did sneak a few sips here and there.

After lunch we headed back to the hotel to check in and let the little ones rest.  Grape stomping was supposed to occur at the winery but Mara conveniently slept through it all.  No worries as we made up for it with an afternoon at the hotel pool and some relaxation.

View from our room

That night we went back to the winery in town for a tasting and dinner.  The tasting was extensive and each wine has it's own story.  John, one of the owners, did an excellent job of explaining everything and you could tell he had a real love of wine and how it is produced.  The kids equally enjoyed this time as the winery had a new batch of kitties and I don't think any of them was set down while we were there.

Beautiful old streets

For dinner we had a traditional supra.  Supra simply means feast but along with the food toasts are made by a toastmaster honoring the host, guests, God, family, etc.  We were also treated to traditional Georgian music and dance by John and his friends.  The meal went on for hours and we ended up having to duck out around 10 as it was way past Mara's bedtime.

Enjoying herself at the winery

The next day we took a quick walking tour of Sighnaghi and then it was on to the monastery of St. Nino at Bodbe.  St. Nino is credited as one of the most holy figures in Georgian culture and the Orthodox church.  She brought the Christian religion to Georgia and is buried there at the monastery.  The church itself is a pilgrimage site sorts.  We were able to tour the church and grounds.

Josh during the city tour

Next to the church there was a holy spring.  It was an optional hike and man I wish we would have not taken that option.  600 steps down and 600 steps up later I'd say it wasn't worth it.  Basically at the bottom was a small house where individuals could enter, bathe and/or drink from the spring.

Before heading back to Tbilisi we stopped for lunch at a restaurant right by the church.  Again we feasted on traditional Georgian fare.  The bus ride home was uneventful as Mara slept the majority of it.

Overall it was a great weekend.  The CLO trip was a bit chaotic at times but that is to be expected when you have so many families and people traveling together.  It was really nice to have the trip completely organized and plan versus doing it ourselves.  I see us going on many more in the future!