Winery in the Tana Gorge

Monday, June 3, 2024. Day 9 of 13.

Under a bright blue sky with a clear view of the high Kazbeg, we headed back towards Tbilisi over the Cross Pass. On the way, we had the opportunity to visit the historic Ananuri Fortress. The oldest parts of the imposing building date back to the 13th century. The ensemble of fortress and 2 churches with a high defensive tower stands proudly above the Aragvi reservoir. The cross-domed structure of the Church of the Assumption depicts scenes from the tragic and eventual history of the princes of the self-sufficient Argravi Valley. Finally, along the military road, which has now been converted into a motorway, we came to settlements for the tens of thousands of refugees from South Ossetia who had to leave their homeland in 2008 due to the military conflict and eventual Russian occupation: bungalows covered with red tiles in settlements laid out in a checkerboard pattern. In the background on the high mountains are transmission stations for Russian missile bases. Finally, west of Tbilisi, we came through the city of Gori, known as the birthplace of Stalin. Another representative of a painful era of the Soviet era. Much nicer, however, was our destination Ateni with the guesthouse and winery of Nika Vacheishwili, a picturesque, narrow rocky valley with a torrent flowing through it. Nika was previously Georgia's Minister of Culture and has been doing real pioneering work here since 2012. He greeted us personally with humorous words. He has now earned a reputation as a successful winemaker who relies on hand-made wines of a special kind with special grape varieties and production methods according to the motto "quality instead of quantity". We were led to a new small museum where the beauty, history and nature of this beautiful area were impressively presented with the help of modern projection technology. Nika is a professor of archaeology and with his humorous, friendly manner gave an impression of his knowledge and love of his homeland. We followed a beautiful nature trail with a view of the town of Ateni and the Sioni / Zion Church, which dates back to the 7th century. Reliefs decorate the exterior, including a scene depicting Samson's fight with a lion, as well as ornaments with grape vines. Inside there are ancient frescoes and icons. We return to the guesthouse via a small bridge over the Tana stream. In the airy, brick-covered arbor we learn more about Nika's projects and plans, and three wines are served during dinner with delicious starters and various dishes seasoned with fresh herbs. Amber-colored organic wines with unique aromas, including one that he calls "Grandma's cupboard." The bitter oak aroma makes it easy to recognize the reason for this curious name. Spicy beetroot, bean dishes, fresh salads, white bread and much more make this culinary wine tasting in the foliage and the wonderful setting sun a very special experience. The relatively light red wine and finally a strong pomace schnapps from Nika's "Chacha Laboratory" - as he calls it - are also testament to high quality and uniqueness.