Rtveli: Georgia’s Grape Harvest Festival

Rtveli is more than a harvest — it’s a living tradition several thousand years old. Every autumn Georgian families gather in the vineyards to cut heavy bunches of grapes together, crush the juice underfoot in wooden vats and sing ancient polyphonic songs.

The festival mostly takes place in Kakheti, the country’s main wine region, in September and October, depending on the grape variety. The best-known varieties are Rkatsiteli and Saperavi.

Many family wineries welcome tourists for Rtveli. You’ll be treated to young grape juice (dedaleuri), bread fresh from the tone oven, barbecue and, of course, homemade wine from last year’s harvest. You’ll dance Georgian dances and leave with a jar of churchkhela as a gift.

Batumi Tours Georgia runs Rtveli tours from Batumi and Tbilisi. If you dream of joining a real Georgian wine festival, get in touch with us in September.