John’s trip to the Republic of Georgia (June 22 to July 6, 2026)
Background
I was playing golf earlier this week with the Chairperson of a very important non-profit organization in our community when I told him that I was leaving for a two-week trip to the Republic of Georgia. Having travelled all over the world himself, he asked, “What in the heck made you decide to go to Georgia? Over the next 16 holes, I told him in bits and pieces why I chose to go to Georgia. There is also an episode of the show “Feeding Phil” on Netflix where the host visits Tbilisi, the capital of that wonderful country. It is worth the watch. Phil opens the episode with “Most people have never heard of Tbilisi. And to be honest neither had I until I decided to visit.” So, the following is my attempt to give a little lesson on the geography, history, and culture of the Republic of Georgia and why I decided to travel to this Eurasian country.
I have been curious about all things Russia for many years. And even though Tolstoy rarely mentions the Georgia Region in this novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, he served as a military officer in the Caucasus in the early 1850s and mentions the region often in his earlier works. And of course, Stalin was born in Georgia. Russia lies across the Northern border of Georgia. So, from a history and geography standpoint, this is as close as I am going to get to Russia right now.
Georgia is situated in a part of the world (Eurasia), that has been an important crossroads for much of human history. Georgia’s capital Tbilisi was part of the silk road route that connected Europe and Asia. The country sits between the Caucasus Mountains to the North and the Lesser Caucasus Mountains to the South. Situated between the Black Sea to the West, Azerbaijan to the East, Turkey and Armenia to the South and Russia to the North, the territory that is now Georgia was home to the early kingdoms of Colchis (on the Black Sea coast, famous in Greek mythology as the destination of Jason and the Argonauts) and Iberia in the east, both established around the 4th century BC. The region became a crossroads of trade and conquest between the Persian, Greek, and later Roman empires. It was also invaded by the Moguls and the Ottomans. So, this part of the world has been influenced by so many cultures.
Most of the country practices Orthodox Christianity with 83 percent of the population as Orthodox Christians and 11 percent as Muslim. Georgia is truly unique. The country has its own alphabet and language with most Georgians speaking primarily Georgian, a Kartvelian language that has no relation to any other language family in the world.
Georgia also has a very robust food and wine culture. I did not know this until I was in Montenegro three years ago hiking with my friends from Europe. During our trip we experienced a truly special evening with a family that operated a small farm and winery in that country. That family produced “Orange Wine.” I had never heard of such a thing – but when I tried it, I loved it. Like the production of wine itself, which began in Georgia 8,000 years ago, orange wine originated in Georgia. The color is actually amber and gets this coloring from six months of aging with skins underground in large clay vessels called Qvevri. And to honor that tradition, this family-owned producer of wine in Montenegro ordered Qvevri from Georgia! Orange wine is becoming more popular here in the United States. I do love wine. And with 500 indigenous grape varieties, we will be trying lots of wines while in Georgia.
The organizer of this trip, the owner the Georgian restaurant Supra, located in Washington D.C., has spent a lot of time in Russia, especially Moscow. He has also been to many of the countries that were a part of the former Soviet Union, including Georgia. And like many Russians, especially Muscovites, he loves anything Georgian, especially its food and wine. In fact, many of the vines cultivated in Europe and Asia today have Georgian origins. The western words Vin, Vino and Wine likely come from the Georgian word “Ghvino” or “Gvino.” So, Europe’s wine regions are mere upstarts compared to Georgia.
So, I am also taking this trip to explore the food and wine culture of Georgia. And boy, are we going to explore the food and wine of Georgia! We will be having dinner at some of the finest and most decorated restaurants with some of Georgia’s top chef’s hosting us. And we will be visiting award winning wineries with the opportunity to talk to winemakers who are particularly proud of their craft. Thankfully, we will also do some hiking and walking on this trip, including a three-hour hike on a glacier. But make no mistake though – This IS A FOOD AND WINE Trip. So, I am officially a foodie.
Christianity and the Medieval Golden Age
Georgia adopted Christianity as its state religion in 337 A.D., making it one of the earliest Christian nations. The medieval period brought Georgia’s greatest glory — under Queen Tamar, who reigned between 1184 and 1213). During that period, the kingdom reached its territorial peak, becoming a dominant power in the Caucasus and a center of culture, poetry, and architecture. The epic poem The Knight in the Panther’s Skin by Shota Rustaveli dates from this era.
Invasions and Fragmentation
The Mongol invasions of the 13th century shattered the unified kingdom. Over the following centuries, Georgia was repeatedly invaded and divided by the Ottoman and Persian empires, leaving it fragmented into several small kingdoms and principalities.
Russian Empire
Seeking protection from its neighbors, the eastern Georgian kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti voluntarily joined the Russian Empire in 1801. Russia gradually absorbed the remaining Georgian territories through the early 19th century, ending centuries of Persian and Ottoman pressure — but also Georgian autonomy.
Brief Independence and Soviet Era
Following the Russian Revolution, Georgia declared independence in 1918 as the Democratic Republic of Georgia — one of the first republics in the world to grant women the right to vote. That independence was short-lived; the Red Army invaded in 1921 and incorporated Georgia into the Soviet Union, where it remained for 70 years.
Modern Times
Georgia declared independence from the USSR in 1991. The post-Soviet years were turbulent, marked by civil war, economic collapse, and separatist conflicts in South Ossetia and Abkhazia (both backed by Russia). The 2003 Rose Revolution brought a reformist to power and set Georgia on a pro-Western, EU and NATO-oriented path. Tensions with Russia culminated in a brief but significant war in August 2008, after which Russia recognized the two breakaway regions (Ossetia and Abkhazia) as independent — a move rejected by most of the world.
Today Georgia is a small but strategically important democracy of about 3.7 million people, navigating its path between Western integration and proximity to Russia, with a culture, language, and alphabet entirely its own. The Georgian lari is the local currency. And even though the country is located only 600 miles from Ukraine (separated by Russia and the Black Sea) and 275 miles from Iran (separated by Armenia and Azerbaijan), the country is safe for tourists. Believe it or not, travels sites indicate that it is safer than countries like France and Italy. To get there I will be flying Turkish airlines with a layover in Istanbul and landing in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.
I am slightly melancholy as I think about leaving for this trip. There are two reasons. First, I will be missing Gracie’s wedding in Virginia Beach next weekend. We watched Gracie grow up on Crandall Court and remain good friends with her parents, John and Amy. It will be a great celebration – and I am sad to miss it. Second, all three of our sons and their partners will be at our Lake House for the 4th of July. And because do not return until July 6th, I will miss one of the few opportunities that we have to be with all our children at the same time – and I am sad to miss that. However, I am hoping that once I get to Tbilisi and meet my 11 other travelers and begin to soak in the food, wine, culture and the warmth of the Georgian people, I will be thankful for the opportunity to learn more about the great world we live in and have an even deeper understanding and perspective of my own country.
