TelaVino Festival is one of the wine festivals that anchors the Kakheti calendar, drawing both local visitors and international wine travellers each year. It is held at Palace courtyard of King Erekle II in Telavi, in the heart of one of Georgia's most distinctive wine areas. It has been running since 2014, with a long unbroken local tradition behind it.
Large and small wine producers gather to present wines and chacha. Wines undergo blind tasting before festival presentation. Wine festivals across Europe typically combine producer tastings with food pairings, live music, and a strong sense of place. Visitors can expect access to wines from a range of producers in the appellation, alongside food stalls offering regional specialities, masterclasses or vineyard walks for those who want to learn more, and an opportunity to buy directly from producers at cellar prices. Many events run across multiple days or weekends, allowing visitors to sample different parts of the programme according to interest, and combine well with the area's wider tourism offer. The event is organised by Telavi Municipality / local wine associations, which sets the tone and direction of the programme each year.
Kakheti in eastern Georgia is the country's main wine region, producing around 70% of all Georgian wine. The region is the heart of the 8,000-year-old qvevri winemaking tradition — the UNESCO-recognised method of fermenting and ageing wine in egg-shaped clay vessels buried in the ground (Georgian: kvevri or qvevri). Saperavi (the indigenous black-skinned, dark-fleshed teinturier red grape) and Rkatsiteli (the country's most-planted white) are the regional flagships, with Mtsvane, Kisi and Khikhvi as additional whites and the historically important Aleksandrouli, Mujuretuli, Tavkveri and Shavkapito as further reds. Famous Kakhetian PDO wines include Tsinandali (the classic dry white from Rkatsiteli with Mtsvane), Mukuzani (full-bodied dry Saperavi), Kindzmarauli (semi-sweet Saperavi), Akhasheni and Tibaani. The region's amber wines — long-skin-contact whites fermented in qvevri — have driven Georgia's modern international recognition. Producers like Pheasant's Tears, Schuchmann, Khareba, Telavi Wine Cellar (Marani), Tsinandali Estate, Twins Old Cellar and dozens of small artisan producers in villages like Ikalto, Sighnaghi and Kvareli lead the regional quality.
The 2026 edition is scheduled for Autumn 2026 (TBC). Cost details are best confirmed directly with the organiser ahead of travel. Full programme, ticketing and updated information are published on the official site at georgia.travel. Visitors are advised to check directly with the organiser for the latest schedule, as festival programmes are sometimes updated close to the event date.
Kakheti is reached most easily from Tbilisi (1.5-2 hours by car), with Telavi (the regional capital) and Sighnaghi (the dramatically situated 'City of Love' on a hilltop overlooking the Alazani Valley) the two main wine-tourism bases. Kvareli, in the heart of the Saperavi-producing zone, is a third base. Georgian cuisine pairs the wines with khachapuri (the cheese-bread that is Georgia's most iconic dish, with regional variants including Imeruli, Adjaruli boat-shaped, Megruli), khinkali (soup-filled dumplings), mtsvadi (grilled skewered meat), pkhali (vegetable-walnut paste), badrijani nigvzit (eggplant rolls with walnut paste), churchkhela (the traditional sweet made from grape must and walnuts), and the wider tradition of supra (the ritualised Georgian feast). Beyond wine, Kakheti combines wine tourism with the medieval monasteries (Alaverdi, Bodbe, Ikalto), the David Gareja cave monastery complex, and the spectacular Caucasus mountain views.
