Traveling East to Visit the Gremi Fortress and Georgia’s Version of Napa Valley

My final trip out of Tbilisi was to the eastern Provence of  Kakheti. This region is best known for its vineyards and wine production but it is also rich in historical sites including many castles, fortresses, churches, and monasteries.  The first stop of the day was to visit the Gremi Fortress and churches.

From the 14th to the late 16th century Gremi was the capital of this region and a major stop on the Old Silk Caravan Route on the way to Tbilisi.  But that all ended when those pesky Persians invaded and slaughtered everyone who wouldn’t renounce Christianity including Queen Ketevan who was tortured to death for refusing to renounce her faith.

After touring the Citadel and Churches it was onto an old Soviet Military Tunnel Complex that has been turned into Georgia’s premier Winery.  The Soviets dug a 13 kilometer tunnel complex to hide their military wares from our spy planes.  Once the Soviet Union fell the tunnels were repurposed  to store tens of thousands of bottles of wine and the complex now produces both red and white in both the European and Georgian methods.

While in the Winery I had the opportunity to sample both red and white wines produced in both the European and Georgian methods.  And once I had sampled my fill of wine we proceeded to sample more Cha Cha.  The tour included a demonstration of how Georgian wines and Cha Cha are made and stored.  Since I have explained both in previous posts I will spare you the details a second time.  I have included photos of my personal quality control tests though.

After testing the wine and cha cha my winery guide introduced me to a nice lady who taught me to make traditional Georgian Bread.  The bread is called Shoti Bread and it is baked in barrel shaped brick ovens.  the dough is worked into two to three foot long and arm round sections and then stuck to the underside of the oven’s lip (photos attached to demonstrate). When the bread is ready a long hoe looking thing is used to scrape the bread off the sides of the oven and a set of tongs are used to lift it out of the oven.  The bread is sort of crispy on the outside and doughy on the inside but very tasty.

Entrance to the wine tunnels

Gremi Fortress

Churches within Gremi Fortress

Georgian Band putting me in the mood to taste some wine and Cha Cha

Kilometers upon kilometers of wine barrels and bottles

That is not a cape and I don’t consider myself a superhero. It is just cold in the tunnels

Cha Cha time

Shoti Bread Oven

Yours truely with my new girlfriend. Its true – the way to a man’s heart is through his belly!

Working the dough

Snaggletooth baker removing bread from the oven

Placing the dough in the oven for baking

Snaggletoothed baker removing the baked bread from the oven

Shoti Bread baking in a
brick oven heated with dried grape vines

Freshly baked Shoti bread

dried grape vines used to bake bread

Big Ass Tree that my; guide was very proud of

Sign giving the stats on the giant tree

Statue across the roundabout from the big tree. This guy became king at 15 and won 61 wars before his death in his 60s. at least that is what I’m told.