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Photos: G.N. (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Wikimedia Commons

Ambrolauri

Imereti & Racha · Wine

Getting there
About 250 km (4.5–5 h) from Tbilisi via Kutaisi, Tkibuli and the Nakerala Pass on paved roads, slow and winding on the mountain section
Best time
May–October
Recommended stay
1–2 days

About Ambrolauri

Ambrolauri is the small main town of Racha, a quiet mountain region on the upper Rioni river in north-western Georgia, about 250 km (4.5–5 h) from Tbilisi and 1.5–2 hours from Kutaisi. It is the base for Racha's wine villages, where Khvanchkara, a naturally semi-sweet red, is made from Aleksandrouli and Mujuretuli grapes, and for the carved 11th-century cathedral of Nikortsminda. Travellers come for wine tastings, village food, green valleys and very few crowds.

Tours Including Ambrolauri

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Must-See Attractions

  • Khvanchkara wine tasting

    Tasting rooms and family cellars in and around Ambrolauri pour Khvanchkara and other Racha wines.

  • Ambrolauri Museum of Fine Arts

    A small art museum in the town centre.

  • Rioni valley views

    The town sits in a wide green valley ringed by the Racha mountains, with snow on the higher peaks into early summer.

Nearby

  • Nikortsminda Cathedral

    An 11th-century cathedral famous for its carved stone façades, about 30 minutes south on the road to Kutaisi.

  • Shaori Lake

    A mountain reservoir beside the road over the Nakerala Pass, about 40 minutes south.

  • Barakoni Church

    An 18th-century carved church above the meeting of two rivers near Tsesi, about 25 minutes north-east.

  • Khvanchkara village

    The vineyard village that gives the wine its name, about 20 minutes west.

Location42.5186° N, 43.1532° EView on map

Good to know

Getting there

About 250 km (4.5–5 h) from Tbilisi via Kutaisi, Tkibuli and the Nakerala Pass on paved roads, slow and winding on the mountain section; about 80 km (1.5–2 h) from Kutaisi.

Best time

May–October

Best time

Late spring and summer are green and mild, and October is harvest time in the Khvanchkara vineyards, while winter is quiet with snow on the passes.

Recommended stay

1–2 days

Getting there

The usual road goes past Kutaisi, then north via Tkibuli and over the Nakerala Pass by Shaori Lake.

Season/Access

Ambrolauri and lower Racha are reachable all year; the roads to upper Racha (Shovi, Glola) can close after heavy snow.

Fees

Wine tastings are usually paid by the glass or as a set tasting; we confirm prices when booking.

Time needed

One or two nights to see the town, a winery and Nikortsminda without rushing.

History & culture

Culture

Racha is known in Georgia for its wine and its smoked ham. Families in the villages around Ambrolauri still make wine in qvevri from local grapes, and many welcome visitors for tastings. Rachans are also known for Racha-style lobiani, a bean-filled bread cooked with ham.

Local Cuisine

Racha specialities are Racha ham (smoked pork), Racha lobiani (bean bread baked with ham) and Khvanchkara, the semi-sweet red wine of the area. Guesthouses serve all three, and local tasting rooms offer Racha wines by the glass or bottle.

Accommodation

A few small family hotels and guesthouses in Ambrolauri and in the surrounding villages; there are no large hotels. Many guesthouses serve dinner with their own wine.