Don Curry and Georgian Wine

Don Curry always focuses on different aspects during his travels. He wants to experience unusual landscapes, immerse himself in the history of the country he is visiting, and get a sense of its cultural uniqueness. This includes not only old buildings or museum objects, but also the everyday life of the people with its various manifestations. Don Curry attaches particular importance to capturing the culinary peculiarities - and this 'capturing' can be understood quite literally. He should now devote himself more intensively to one of the most extraordinary topics of Georgian cuisine: wine.

After a restful night at 'The Wine Hotel', Don Curry first wanted to find out where breakfast was served. The surprising realization: right next to the wine cellar. There, a large room furnished with tables and chairs served not only for wine tastings, but also as a breakfast room. In addition to the usual components of the Georgian breakfast, there was a homemade sausage and - unfortunately, extremely greasy - French fries. As always, Don Curry could only consume a small part of the overwhelming offerings. He checked out and wanted to dedicate himself to Telavi.

Yesterday, he had already seen the King's Palace from the restaurant 'Kapeloni'. Today, he wanted to visit it. However, he first had to buy a ticket for the Telavi Museum and couldn't bring himself to disappoint the expectant gaze of the ticket collector and rush directly to the palace. So, he walked through the entire (but manageable) museum out of courtesy, so that he could then devote himself to the palace of Erekle II, the last significant king of Georgia at the end of the 18th century. However, his palace was completely built in the Persian-Oriental style and testifies to Georgia's already dwindling power: it consists of only 5 rooms and 4 connecting corridors. Only the reception hall in the middle of the building offers a minimum amount of grandeur.

Shortly afterwards, Georgia fell completely under Russian influence. One of the most outstanding politicians of his time was Alexander Chavchavadze, who belonged to the Georgian nobility and whose godmother was Empress Catherine II of Russia. Chavchavadze even fought in some battles against Napoleon. Later, he settled in Tsinandali and built an extensive country house surrounded by a large English-style park. Chavchavadze also became famous for combining Western European wine production methods with Georgian grapes for the first time. Even today, his family's winery is considered one of the most renowned in the country. This country house with its park was now Don Curry's next destination. While he had to share the King's Palace with only a few others, there were dozens of tour buses and other vehicles in the parking lot here. Don Curry had never experienced such a touristy atmosphere in Georgia before. At the ticket counter, he bought the €0.60 more expensive ticket, which also included a glass of wine from the local production.

Faced with the crowds of visitors, Don Curry decided not to take a guided tour of the building; it would have been in Georgian anyway. He found the extensive park with its exotic trees and plants much more exciting. Even bamboo can grow wonderfully in Georgia. A hedge labyrinth and, of course, an abundant supply of park benches are further amenities of the facility. In a corner at the back, thanks to Google Maps, Don Curry found a huge, retired Lenin head, which is almost completely overgrown with ivy. Maybe someone should tell Mr. Putin about this: in the end, all dictators end up on the trash heap of history! After a thorough exploration, Don Curry returned to the Chavchavadze country house to redeem his wine voucher on the ground floor. Actually, he had expected a small plastic cup of cheap house wine, but instead he received a noble glass of the renowned Tsinandali wine, for which the Chavchavadze estate has been famous for decades: a truly fruity, sparkling white wine. The server took his time and explained a lot to Don Curry about the peculiarities of Georgian wines. The one he had just tasted was produced in the European style and blended only from 2 grape varieties. As a contrast, the wine specialist also 'served' him a small glass of a wine made in the Georgian style, produced from 6 different grape varieties. Here, Don Curry once again had an almost orange liquid in his glass like at the Café Littera in Tbilisi. He asked the server if it was a white wine or a rosé. 'Neither,' was the answer, 'it's an amber wine.' So, Georgia had actually created its own category of wines. Don Curry thanked him warmly for the wine tasting and hurried towards the exit, as another rain shower had just started. Since he could feel a certain effect from the wine he had just enjoyed, he decided to fill his stomach with solid food as well. There are several high-quality hotels located around the estate. He chose the Park Hotel and ordered a chicken burger - completely un-Georgian. Now he could run towards his next destination, fortified.

Yesterday, the emerging rain had caused Don Curry to cancel the Alaverdi Monastery from his program. Today, the sun clearly prevailed over the clouds, and the visit to the most beautiful medieval monastery in Georgia was not hindered. However, hundreds of other people had the same idea. Here too, the parking lot was full of tour and mini buses. But Don Curry's eyes were focused solely on the monumental monastery church behind the mighty defensive walls - all in bright sunlight against the backdrop of the dark Caucasus. The Georgian church from the 11th century was the highest Georgian church of all until 2004, measuring 51 meters. One could immediately feel these dimensions inside the church, which appeared spacious and airy, despite the many people. Everything here strives heavenwards! Don Curry could hardly tear himself away from the church, also because he was once again compelled to take photos secretly and inconspicuously.

Now, the New Shuamta Monastery was still on the improvised program, but heavy rain set in again shortly before reaching the destination, and Don Curry once again postponed his visit. Already in the morning, the Magdalena Hotel in Mtskheta contacted him to ask when he would arrive. He had given a time between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Google Maps also confirmed that this was feasible. Don Curry approached Tbilisi again on a winding road via the Gombori Pass (1620 m) and then generously avoided it to the west via the so-called bypass road. The traffic had already become congested, and suddenly it came to a standstill. For almost 30 minutes, Xerra was stuck between two trucks and couldn't move forward. Only one kilometer later did Don Curry understand the reason. A viaduct was supposed to receive a new asphalt surface and was therefore only passable for one lane. However, no one had the idea of regulating the traffic properly there; the drivers had to take care of it themselves. So, the stopped direction had to wait until there was eventually a gap in the oncoming traffic. That's why there was such a long waiting time: for 30 minutes, there was no gap. And now that the vehicle accumulation on his side had stretched for kilometers, the oncoming traffic would also have to wait for a corresponding time. Don Curry had mastered this bottleneck, but now it was clear that he would arrive in Mtskheta after 6:00 p.m.

The pre-booked Magdalena Hotel is located in the middle of the old town, almost directly at the famous Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This advantage for the visitor Don Curry brings a major disadvantage for the driver Don Curry, because even in Georgia, old towns are narrow and not really designed for car traffic. Nevertheless, he made Xerra struggle through the narrow streets until he stood in front of a large gate. There was no sign of the 'Hotel Magdalena'. A resident immediately approached him, telling him that he could not park here, after which Don Curry asked him about the hotel he was looking for. The man, appeased, pointed to the large gate and called out. A woman's voice answered, and the gate was opened. Here, in this courtyard, Xerra found sufficient space and stood absolutely safe. The woman, presumably Magdalena, greeted Don Curry with a few words in English and showed him his room - unfortunately, without a view of the cathedral, but comfortably furnished. Don Curry could easily spend a night here.

After settling in, he immediately set off for the cathedral. Here too, mighty defensive walls testified to how much Georgia and its churches had to protect themselves for centuries. Arabs, Mongols, Persians, Ottomans - they all repeatedly plundered and devastated the country. Sometimes, the thick walls of the churches and monasteries provided the entire population with the necessary protection. Through a gatehouse, Don Curry entered the spacious courtyard and stood opposite it: the main church of the Georgian Orthodox confession. This is also where the Catholicos-Patriarch, the highest-ranking ecclesiastical dignitary, resides. The now 90-year-old Ilia II has held this office for 46 years and has been able to witness a great upswing of his church since the end of the Soviet Union.

Don Curry was even more impressed by the interior of the cathedral than by its imposing exterior. The central apse behind the iconostasis was filled with a huge fresco of Christ that dominated the entire church. Medieval frescoes were also preserved in other places; in one side aisle, Don Curry found an exact replica of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Although the evening service was not yet finished, no one objected to the many visitors streaming into the church. Taking photos was even explicitly allowed. Don Curry absorbed the atmosphere of this room filled with incense, candles, and prayers intensively.

But a more primitive need mentally led him back to other peculiarities of Georgian culture: he needed something good to eat and drink. Google Maps showed the nearby restaurant 'Check-in Garden' with the most recommendations. So, Don Curry entered the rather plain dining room, only to be escorted downstairs to the garden behind the house. And there, a little paradise spread out. Small table groups were scattered among blooming trees and flowers of all kinds, and they were very well occupied. In addition, there was live music by a singer and a guitarist. The atmosphere here was so completely different from what he had just experienced in the cathedral, but it also felt good and enhanced the feeling of life. Don Curry decided to continue his wine tasting, which he had started at lunchtime, and enrich it with classics of Georgian cuisine.

In order to be able to control the sequence of dishes this time, he initially only ordered a fish soup and a piece of cornbread, along with a Rkatsiteli, the most widespread white wine variety in Georgia. Even though he had to wait an unusually long time for the soup, the result immediately reconciled him: a spicy clear fish broth with various crisp vegetables and large pieces of fish, complemented by crispy cornbread and a robust wine. As soon as he received the soup, Don Curry ordered his second course: pan-fried chicken liver and the classic tomato and cucumber salad with walnut dressing, complemented by a Kisi white wine. Above all, the delicate liver fried with many herbs convinced him. Actually, Don Curry would have liked to enjoy a red wine as a kind of dessert, but gradually the hospitable garden emptied and the evening chill noticeably set in.

So, after walking along the well-lit cathedral, he happily fell into his comfortable bed, was pleased with the theoretical and practical wine knowledge he had acquired today, and was aware that tomorrow he would dive even deeper into the many facets of Georgian culture.