Organic Wine Full Day Private Tour With Tastings and Lunch

Georgia pours its character by the glass. This private day trip pairs organic wine tastings with a fresh bakery stop, a Georgian BBQ lunch, and direct contact with winemakers. I especially like the visit to Vellino, led by Beqa Jimsheladze, and the sweeping view from Okro Wines in Sighnaghi. You also get hotel, Airbnb, or hostel pickup in Tbilisi, which removes much of the day’s transport hassle.

The main point to consider is the long 10-hour schedule. You will spend plenty of time in a vehicle, and Georgians are known for generous drinking, so this is not the right outing if you want only a small taste of wine. Also, Mosmieri serves very good Georgian and European wines, but its wines are not organic.

Key points to know before you book

• Beqa Jimsheladze leads the Vellino visit: You meet a young Georgian winemaker in his own cellar, rather than simply tasting from a restaurant menu.
• The bakery stop starts the day well: Fresh Shoti bread and several kinds of cheese give you a local food experience before the wine begins.
• Okro Wines sits above Sighnaghi: The tasting comes with a broad view across the Alazani Valley toward the Greater Caucasus.
• Lunch is a full Georgian BBQ meal: Mosmieri Winery provides the midday feast in a restaurant with views over the valley.
• The outing is private and guide-led: Pickup, transportation, an English-speaking guide, water, tastings, and lunch are included.
• Five percent supports homeless people in Georgia: That gives the $200 price a small social benefit beyond the day itself.

Leaving Tbilisi at 9:30 AM for Kakheti

Your day begins with pickup at 9:30 AM from your hotel, Airbnb, hostel, or other place of residence in Tbilisi. A private vehicle and guide take you east toward Kakheti, Georgia’s best-known wine region.

The first drive takes about an hour. That timing matters because this is not a quick city tasting. You are setting aside a full day to see the wine country, meet producers, eat local food, and return to Tbilisi in the evening.

A private tour works well here. You are not tied to a large group’s pace, and your guide can keep the focus on your interests. If you want more time talking with a winemaker, the private format should make that easier. The tradeoff is simple: $200 per person is a serious price for a day trip, but it includes private transport, guiding, food, water, and several tastings.

Fresh Shoti bread before the wine

After roughly an hour on the road, you stop at a Georgian bakery. This is a smart opening to the day. Before tasting wine, you get freshly baked Shoti, the long, canoe-shaped Georgian bread, along with different varieties of cheese.

The stop gives the tour a useful food anchor. Georgian wine is not meant to be treated as a separate product from the table, and bread and cheese make an immediate introduction to that idea. Shoti is best enjoyed fresh, so the bakery visit also offers something you are unlikely to get from a standard tasting room.

You should not expect a long sightseeing stop here. The stated visit centers on bread and cheese, so think of it as a short, tasty introduction rather than a major attraction. It is especially useful if you have not eaten breakfast, since wine tasting on an empty stomach can make a long day unpleasant.

Vellino and the personal side of Georgian wine

About 20 minutes after the bakery, you reach Vellino, an organic winery. The key feature is the personal meeting with Beqa Jimsheladze, a young and highly successful winemaker who leads you into his wine cellar.

This is the kind of stop that gives the tour its character. You are not simply handed a glass and told which grape you are drinking. You have a chance to speak face to face with the person making the wine, ask questions, and connect the bottle with a real place and producer.

The visit is scheduled for about an hour of wine tasting in Kakheti, though the day’s exact pace can depend on the guide and winery. If you care about organic production, Vellino is one of the most important stops on the route. It gives you a chance to focus on how the winery works and why the producer has chosen this approach.

I would treat this stop as a conversation as much as a tasting. Ask Beqa about the wines, the cellar, and the choices behind organic production. The supplied information does not promise a formal lesson or a specific number of wines, so the appeal is the contact with the winemaker rather than a guaranteed tasting checklist.

Sighnaghi and the view from Okro Wines

The next major stop is Sighnaghi, often called Georgia’s city of love. Here you visit Okro Wines, another organic winery. The setting adds something special: the winery overlooks the Alazani Valley, with the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range forming the background.

This is the tour’s big scenery moment. From Sighnaghi, you can look across the valley rather than simply sit indoors with a glass in hand. The view gives you a stronger sense of Kakheti as a wine region, with the mountains and valley forming the setting for the vineyards.

The Okro visit lasts about two hours and includes wine tasting. That longer time allows you to slow down and enjoy the place. I like the balance here: Vellino focuses on a personal cellar visit, while Okro combines organic wine with one of the region’s most memorable viewpoints.

Sighnaghi itself is listed as the lunch and tasting stop in the schedule, but the detailed plan places lunch later at Mosmieri. You should therefore think of Sighnaghi primarily as the Okro tasting and viewpoint stop, not as a separate walking tour of the town. No extended sightseeing visit through Sighnaghi is promised.

The scenery can also be a practical consideration. If your main goal is wine education, the views are a bonus, not the main event. If you want a mix of wine and Georgian scenery, this is likely the strongest part of the day.

Mosmieri Winery and a Georgian BBQ lunch

After Okro Wines, you continue to Mosmieri Winery for lunch. The winery sits in the Alazani Valley and has a restaurant with a view. The meal is described as a Georgian gourmet BBQ lunch, with local food prepared to suit the generous dining style of Kakheti.

Lunch is more than a pause between tastings. Georgian meals are social, abundant, and built around sharing, so this is where the food side of the tour gets its fullest treatment. You can expect the meal to be a substantial part of the experience, especially after the bakery stop and two winery visits.

There is one important detail here. Mosmieri does not provide organic wine. It serves high-quality Georgian and European wines instead. That does not make the stop a problem, but you should know what you are buying into: the tour is centered on organic wine at Vellino and Okro, while lunch at Mosmieri includes a broader wine selection.

The Mosmieri stop is scheduled for about two hours for lunch and tasting. This gives you time to eat without rushing, enjoy the view, and let the day’s many pours settle into a more relaxed rhythm. You receive bottled water as part of the inclusions, but drinking water is still something to use regularly throughout the day.

What $200 per person really covers

At $200 per person, this is not a budget wine excursion. The value comes from the private structure and the range of inclusions. You get pickup in Tbilisi, private transportation, an English-speaking private guide, wine tastings, fresh Georgian bread, bottled water, and a BBQ gourmet lunch.

You also avoid arranging several separate transfers across Kakheti. That matters because the route includes a bakery, Vellino, Sighnaghi, Okro Wines, and Mosmieri before returning to Tbilisi. Hiring transport, finding the wineries, and organizing lunch on your own could take much of the day.

The private format is most valuable for couples, families, or small groups who want a flexible pace. It is less compelling if you mainly want one inexpensive tasting close to Tbilisi. You are paying for a full regional outing, not just for the wine in your glass.

Five percent of each tour’s profits goes toward supporting homeless people in Georgia. That will not change the route or the tasting, but it is a worthwhile detail when comparing this experience with similar private day trips.

The drinking pace and practical limits

The tour description warns that Georgians drink a lot. Take that seriously. With tastings at Vellino, Okro Wines, and Mosmieri, plus a long day on the road, you should pace yourself and make good use of the included water.

Smart casual clothing is the stated dress code. That suits the mix of winery cellar, restaurant, vehicle, and scenic stop. You do not need formal clothing, but you should look presentable for meeting producers and dining at Mosmieri.

The experience is in English, with a live guide. Pickup is included from your accommodation in Tbilisi. Starting time is listed as 9:30 AM, and the total duration is 10 hours, so plan for a full day rather than an evening back in the city.

The tour offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later, which helps if your Tbilisi plans are still changing. Availability and the exact starting arrangements should still be checked when you book.

Who will enjoy this day most

I would recommend this outing to anyone who wants Georgian wine with a strong sense of place. It suits people who enjoy meeting producers, eating regional food, and seeing the countryside rather than rushing from one tasting room to another.

It is also a good choice if you want private transport from Tbilisi and do not want to manage the Kakheti route yourself. The English-speaking guide and direct access to winemakers make the day more personal than a simple transfer to a winery.

You should think twice if you dislike long drives, large meals, or a wine-heavy schedule. The route is full, and the day can feel intense if you prefer slow sightseeing with only one tasting. The organic focus is also not absolute, since Mosmieri serves non-organic Georgian and European wines.

The only recorded rating supplied for this experience is a verified five-star review from Зульфия, dated July 6, 2019. The short note praises the interesting, memorable excursion and thanks the guide. That is limited evidence, so I would not treat it as proof of every detail, but it does support the tour’s strongest promise: a personal and enjoyable day with the guide at the center.

Should you book the Kakheti wine day?

Book it if you want a private, food-and-wine-focused day from Tbilisi, especially if meeting winemakers matters to you. Vellino, Okro Wines, the Sighnaghi viewpoint, and the Mosmieri BBQ make a well-rounded route.

Skip it if you want a cheap tasting, a short outing, or an entirely organic wine program. For the right person, $200 covers a great deal: transport, a private guide, three food stops or winery experiences, lunch, water, and access to two organic producers. Just pace yourself, arrive hungry, and be ready for a long day in Kakheti.

FAQ

Where does the tour begin and end?

Pickup is included from your hotel, Airbnb, hostel, or other place of residence in Tbilisi. The tour returns to Tbilisi at the end of the 10-hour day.

What time does pickup take place?

The morning pickup is scheduled for 9:30 AM. You should check availability when booking for the confirmed starting time.

Which wineries serve organic wine?

Vellino and Okro Wines are the organic winery visits. Mosmieri Winery does not provide organic wine, though it serves high-quality Georgian and European wines.

Is lunch included?

Yes. A BBQ gourmet lunch is included at Mosmieri Winery, along with fresh Georgian bread and bottled water.

What language does the guide speak?

The tour includes a live English-speaking guide.

Can I cancel the booking?

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. The tour also offers a reserve-now, pay-later option.