Qvevri Museum in Napareuli: Guide to Winemaking Traditions
📜 Welcome to one of the most unique places in Kakheti - Twins Wine House in Napareuli!
🍇 This museum is not just a place for wine lovers, it is a real center of Georgian winemaking, where history and traditions are intertwined with the amazing stories of twin brothers Gia and Gela Gamtkitsulashvili. A walk through the wine cellar, participation in the ritual of opening qvevri, tasting wines made using ancient Kakhetian technology - all this can be experienced on your own skin, immersing yourself in the world of Georgian culture and traditions! 🌿👨👩👧👦
📚 What will you learn from this article?
- 🏛️ How the Twin Wine House combines tradition and modern wine production methods.
- 🍷 All the secrets of the old and new cellars where wine is stored in unique qvevri.
- 💡 Tips for organizing the perfect tour, including the best times to visit and amenities.
- 🌍 The history of qvevri wine and its unique health benefits.
- 📅 Learn how to participate in traditional culinary master classes and rituals, such as grape harvesting and chacha making.
❌ What you will lose if you don’t read:
- You won't learn how to become part of the Georgian wine tradition and what really makes qvevri wine unique ❓
- Miss the chance to see the process of wine fermentation in ancient qvevris, as well as participate in various master classes related to winemaking ❓
- You won't receive information about the best periods for a visit and many useful travel tips to make your trip as comfortable as possible ❓
📍 Museum of Qvevri and Qvevri Wine — A Memo for Tourists 🍇
📍 Address:
Napareuli village, Telavi, Georgia
🗓️ Date of museum establishment:
2014
💡 Founders:
Gia and Gela Gamtikulashvili
📞 Contacts:
Phone 1: +995 551 74 74 74
Phone 2: +995 599 33 38 84
✉️ Email 1: [email protected]
✉️ Email 2: [email protected]
🌐 Website: twinswinehouse.com
Instagram: @twins_wine_house
Facebook: Qvevrismze
🕒 Opening hours:
daily, from 09:00 to 21:00
💵 Ticket prices:
Adults: 30 GEL
Students: 10 GEL
Schoolchildren: 5 GEL
📍 GPS Coordinates:
42.03949274378941, 45.50339585152471
🛣️ How to get there:
The museum is located in the village of Napareuli, Telavi, just 100 km from Tbilisi (1.5-2 hours by car). You can take a taxi or bus to Telavi, and then take local transport to the museum.
🏛️ Kvevri and Wine Museum in Napareuli - Georgian wine in its original form
The Twins Wine House Museum is not just a collection of exhibits. It is a space where wine literally comes to life. There are no dusty display cases here. Instead, there are real clay jugs in which wine is maturing right now. You can look into the qvevri and see how the taste known since antiquity is born.
Founded in 2014 by brothers Gia and Gela Gamtkitsulashvili, the twins' wine house in Napareuli has become a continuation of a family tradition passed down from generation to generation. The brothers don't just make wine - they preserve and show the world traditions worth holding on to. And they do it beautifully, sincerely and with Georgian hospitality 🍷
“For us, qvevri is not a vessel, it is the heart of the wine,” says Gela.
📜 A bit of history and family roots
The Gamtkitsulashvili family has been involved in winemaking for many decades. Since 1997, the brothers began producing wine using the ancient Kakhetian technology, and in 2002 they restored the family cellar.
🔍 Today, the cellar contains 107 active qvevris (each with a capacity of up to 4 tons). These are not just containers - they are living vessels where all the magic happens: from fermentation to natural filtration.
🏺What awaits you inside
This is not just a museum - this is the only place in Georgia where you can see the entire cycle of wine production using ancient technology, from grape harvesting to tasting. Everything here is real, without showcases and boring signs.
- 📍 Three unique 500-liter qvevri with transparent walls — you can watch the wine ferment, filter and mature right before your eyes. Real magic, where nature plays the main role.
- 🔧 A collection of old winemaking tools — from archival presses to rare exhibits. Here they will tell you how to make chacha and store wine in clay vessels.
- 📸 Historical photographs and the atmosphere of the past — the museum has collected the memory of many generations of winemakers.
- 🏺 A huge eight-meter qvevri is the symbol of the complex and a real record holder. It is worth coming just for this!
- 🍇 Info zones about grape varieties, soils, technology and aromas — if you are interested in wine, you will leave here with a new knowledge base.
🍷 The uniqueness of wine from the Gamtkitsulashvili brothers
Wine created at Twins Wine House is not just a drink. It is a living part of culture and ancient tradition. No filters, additives or chemicals are used here. Everything you drink is a natural product that has undergone fermentation in clay qvevri, as it has been done for centuries.
🏺 The wine here matures in contact with chacha (pulp) - thanks to this it has a deep taste, richness and natural tannins, which:
- 💓 promote heart health,
- 🧬 help cleanse blood vessels,
- 🍷 add complexity and character to wine.
🍷 Interesting facts about winemaking in Kakheti
Kakheti is considered the cradle of Georgian winemaking. Scientists have found traces of wine production here that are more than 8,000 years old! Imagine: you are tasting wine that is made according to a tradition that is older than many civilizations 🌍
🔸 Kvevri is not just a vessel. It is a philosophy. In such clay jugs, wine not only ferments, but also purifies itself - without chemicals, filtration or intervention. Everything is as the ancestors bequeathed.
🔸 Fermentation, filtration and aging occur naturally - right in the ground. This is what makes the wine so rich, deep and healthy 🍇
📚 Did you know?
- 🍇 Kakheti is considered the cradle of winemaking. The tradition of wine making here is more than 8,000 years old!
- 🏺 Kvevri is not only a clay vessel, but also a part of cultural heritage. They are included in the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List.
- 🧪 Fermentation in kvevri is natural, without corrections and additives - this is the philosophy of purity and time.
🌿 The grapes are grown exclusively in the Napareuli microzone, where the climate and soil are ideal for a unique terroir.
📜 Since 2015, the winery has been certified as organic, and all vineyards undergo strict annual inspections.
✨ The result? Aged, transparent, lively wine that conveys the spirit of the land and the labor of several generations. This is not just a glass of wine - it is a sip of history.
🍇 Living traditions and participation in the winemaking process
At Twins Wine House you are not just a guest – you are a participant in a real Georgian winemaking ritual. Everything here breathes history, and everyone can touch it.
🧑🌾 What can be done:
- 🍇 Grape harvest during Rtveli — Georgian harvest with songs, jokes and baskets full of sunny bunches of grapes.
- 🍷 Pressing grapes in a real 18th century press — see how juice turns into wine.
- 🧉 Zavodoba — distillation of traditional Georgian vodka chacha.
- 🏛️ Tour of the old marani and museum, where everything is clear and accessible.
- 👨🍳 Master classes: khinkali, khachapuri, churchkhela, bread in tone;
🍷 Tastings to remember
After participating in the rituals, it's time to taste the result:
- White dry Rkatsiteli - ideal for khinkali, cheese and khachapuri;
- Rich red Saperavi - for shashlik, meat, smoked meats;
- Light and refreshing Kakhetian green - for appetizers and vegetables.
🍇 All wines are served straight from the qvevri so you can experience the natural depth and freshness of each variety.
👉 Don't be afraid to combine and try. Qvevri wines always reveal themselves in a new way!
🎉 Georgian traditions and cultural events
Georgian winemaking is not only a technology, but also a part of the culture, way of life, even the character of the people 🇬🇪
🍇 Rtveli — grape harvest — turns into a real holiday: with songs, feasts and wine straight from the vine. At Twins Wine House you can take part in this!
🍽️ Kakheti cuisine is hearty, aromatic, and soulful. Try khinkali with lamb, khachapuri with matsoni, shashlik on the vine and bread baked in a tone oven — combined with local wine, it's the magic of taste.
💃 In September, be sure to visit the wine festival in Telavi - here you can try the best varieties, listen to live music and feel the atmosphere of real Georgia.
💡 Advice from the Madloba editorial team
- 🍷 Try the "Kvevris Mze" line — rich, aromatic wines born in kvevri.
- 📸 Take a photo in front of an eight-meter kvevri — it's not just a prop, but a symbol of the Georgian wine tradition.
- 🎁 Take home a bottle with a personalized label — an original gift that will preserve memories.
- 📅 The best time to visit is from May to October: the season of events, harvest, and fresh air.
🗣️ Visitor reviews
📝 "A very interesting place! The wine is simply amazing, I especially liked the tasting. The tour of the museum was also very educational!" - Anna, Moscow
📝 "This place really helps you feel the spirit of Georgia. A unique opportunity to participate in the winemaking process!" - Sergey, St. Petersburg
📝 "We were in this wine house during the Rtveli festival, it was unforgettable! A wonderful atmosphere and incredible people." - Elena, Kyiv
📝 "I really liked the museum - everything is clear, interesting, and even the child found it fascinating. I was especially impressed by the qvevri with a glass wall." - Maria, Batumi
📝 "It is definitely worth coming at least for a day - tasting, excursion, chacha, and delicious khachapuri in the restaurant on site!" - Alexey, Odessa
🍷 Faces of the museum: stories of those who create the atmosphere
Nino — Churchkhela Master
“When tourists help press grapes, I remember my childhood. In our family, the whole village always picked grapes. Now I make churchkhela according to my grandmother’s recipe and every time I tell how my sister and I dried it under a canopy. Guests are always especially interested in this.”
Zaza — Wine Cellar Guide
“I don’t just give tours. I tell how my parents put their first wine in qvevri. Each vessel has a whole story. Tourists are surprised that we don’t use filters. But that’s the whole point: everything is like our ancestors did.”
Maya — Restaurant Administrator
“Sometimes I bring out the wine myself for tasting because I want to see how people’s eyes light up after the first sip. The wine here is not just delicious — it has soul.”
🗺️ How to get to the Wine House?
📍 Address: Napareuli village, Telavi, Kakheti, Georgia
🚗 By car: from Tbilisi - about 100 km (~2 hours on the road). It is best to go through Telavi, then turn towards Napareuli.
🚌 By minibus: minibuses run from Tbilisi bus station (Samgori or Ortachala) to Telavi. From there, take a taxi to Napareuli (15–20 minutes).
🚕 Taxi from Tbilisi: the trip will cost on average 120–150 GEL one way.
📱 GPS coordinates: 42.03949274378941, 45.50339585152471
🧭 Itinerary of the day: how to plan a trip
If you have one day, here's what you can do:
- 🍇 In the morning — excursion and master class
- 🍽️ In the afternoon — lunch at a restaurant
- 🍷 After lunch — tasting
- 📸 In the evening — photos with qvevri and buying wine
🍴 Where to eat nearby?
On the territory of the Twins Wine House there is a restaurant where you can try traditional Georgian cuisine: shashlik, homemade cheese, khachapuri and fresh bread from ton. 🍽️
In the village of Napareuli itself you can also find cozy cafes with home-cooked food and a local atmosphere.
🛏️ Where to stay?
For those who decide to stay overnight, there is a small hotel on the territory of the Twins Wine House with cozy rooms and beautiful views of the vineyards and mountains. 🏡
Also, in Telavi (just 20 minutes by car) there are other accommodation options - from inexpensive hotels to boutique hotels.
🧳 What else to see nearby
🗣️ Now the floor is yours!
Have you been to the Twins Wine House in Napareuli? Share your impressions! Tell us what you liked the most, which wines left an unforgettable impression. We will be glad to read your comments and advice! 📝
If you notice that prices, schedule, conditions of visiting or other important information have changed, please write to us at [email protected]. We will promptly update the article so that other travelers always receive up-to-date information. Thank you for your help and attention! ✉️🔍
Frequently asked questions
Yes, especially in the season from May to October. This way you will definitely get to the tasting, the tour and will be able to participate in the master classes.
A minimum of 2-3 hours, but if you are planning lunch, participation in master classes and a tasting, it is better to allocate half a day.
Comfortable and closed shoes - part of the route goes through vineyards and gravel paths. In summer - a hat and water, in autumn - a waterproof jacket.
Of course! There is a branded wine shop here, where you can buy ready-made wines or order a bottle with a personalized label.
Yes, there is a large free parking lot at the entrance. Suitable for both buses and cars.
Yes, children are interested in the museum tour, master classes on making churchkhela and bread. But tastings are only for adults.
Yes, almost everywhere. And everyone takes a memorable photo near the eight-meter qvevri - this is already a tradition.
There is free Wi-Fi inside the museum and on the territory of the restaurant complex.
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