Last Days of 2026 Georgian Trip – July 2026
On our 10th day in the Republic of Georgia, we left the ancient city of Mestia high in the Caucasus mountains with its medieval Svan Towers and wandering cows and travelled south along the long and powerful Enguri River until we reached the mighty Enguri Dam. We were fortunate to tour this engineering marvel, which captures the force of the Enguri River to produce an enormous amount of electricity.
Construction began on the dam in 1961, and when it was completed in the 1970s it was the tallest hydro-electric dam in the world and remains one of the tallest in the world today. It was ingenious in the way it was built and in how it now operates. Georgia receives 60 percent of the electricity produced by the dam, and the much smaller Abkhazia, controlled by Russia, receives the other 40 percent. Probably not fair, but what are you going to do when your much smaller neighbor has the backing of Russia, who also sits at your doorstep? Despite this, the dam provides 40% of the electricity needs of the Republic of Georgia.
Afterwards we continued south and then east towards Kutaisi. We stopped for lunch at Ethno Villae “Sisa Tura”, where we were entertained with some beautifully choreographed dancing. After arriving in Kutaisi, we walked around town and then enjoyed dinner at the local restaurant Doli, arguably the best restaurant in Kutaisi. I will remember how good the roasted chicken tasted, washed down nicely with Georgian beer and wine.
The next day, Saturday, July 4th happened to be the United States’s 250th Birthday. And it was a very busy one for us. We left Kutaisi and travelled towards Baghdati and Obcha Village where we had a wine tasting and brunch at Baia’s Wines. I bought a bottle of their very smooth Chacha. We then travelled to Tsedisi Village for a late lunch and a wine tasting with Andro Barnovi at his Wine Artisans Marani. This guy IS PASSIONATE about his wine making. I bought two bottles of one of his reds. We then finished our last leg of a long travel day arriving in the capital city of Tbilisi at 7 pm, the same place we started our amazing adventure 11 days ago.
The highlight of my 4th of July evening was watching a peaceful protest march. Because the march originated not far from our hotel, the Hotel Tbilisi, I was able to watch the march get organized and begin. It was very moving for me to watch Georgians waving not only the Georgian and European Union flags, but also American flags, all the while chanting for a free democracy. What a way to spend a part of the 4th of July!
Our last day in Georgia would be a free day. I spent the morning having brunch with John Wurdeman and his father at John’s home in Tbilisi. It was, in short, a mini-Supra. John was an exquisite host. Not only a gifted artist, winemaker and entrepreneur, he is also a fine cook. The coffee he served may have been the best coffee I have had in my entire life. Trust me – that is not hyperbole.
It was special to see some paintings from his Russian collection, which features paintings from many of his professors from the prestigious Surikov Institute of Art in Moscow, where he studied for several years. He also showed me some of his own paintings. We parted ways promising to see each other again when he returns to the States to visit his father. I also found John’s father, who is also a John, a delightful, articulate and warm person.
Our group had our farewell dinner at Café Littera, the flagship restaurant of renowned Chef Tekuna Gachechiladze. The recipient of many awards, she was featured in the Tbilisi episode of the Netflix show “Feed Phil”. The setting was stunning with classic Georgian food prepared with a modern twist. After dinner a few of us had a last glass of wine together at The Warehouse, a very trendy wine bar and restaurant with beautiful outdoor gathering spaces located next to our hotel.
I will miss our guide Tamara, our driver Ramaz and my fellow intrepid travelers. They include Jonathan, who owns Supra – our quiet leader who organized this trip. And then Liz, Caitlin, and the other Jonathan, who had all worked for sister Federal Agencies at some point. And then there was the beautiful Sidamon-Eristoff family with Simon and his daughter Susan, who both live in the D.C. area. And Simon’s brother Andrew who lives in the NYC area and his niece Olivia who just moved back to the Charlottesville area. Simon and Andrew’s grandfather fled Georgia in 2021 to escape persecution from the Bolsheviks. And this trip was yet another they have made back to their ancestral home.
And then there was Katherine and Igor, who live in NYC. I often meet someone on these trips who seems to have a similar outlook on life as I do. And that person was Igor. Originally from Lithuania, he left that country while it was under Soviet rule and began a new life in America at the age of 27. Thoughtful, kind, but also firm, he epitomizes to me the kind of person President Reagan was referring to in a 1989 speech when he mentioned an America full of people of all kinds living in harmony and peace, who came to this country with the will and heart to get here. I hope that Igor and I will see each other again.
At breakfast this morning I asked Simon, who has travelled extensively, how he would compare this trip to others he has taken, he said he would put it at the top one percent. I agree. In the past, when I was asked about the most unique, interesting and enjoyable place I have visited, I have responded with Morocco. I will now respond with Morocco AND the Republic of Georgia.
One of the things I LOVE MOST about Georgia is the Supra itself. And there are four major components to the Supra. First, there are many toasts, usually lead by the Tamada (toastmaster). These provide the rhythm of the feast. In our case, a toast was usually offered when another bottle of wine was being served. And speaking of wine, wine is flowing generously throughout the event. And bread is always present, and usually includes the iconic khachapuri (cheese-filled bread), which I started out eating on the very first day when I bought some from a street vendor and ate it alone on a park bench in Tbilisi. And finally there are the songs. These are usually traditional tunes, often featuring polyphonic singing.
And I think the following story told by our Georgian guide Tamara captures the spirit of the Georgian people and the country they love so dearly.
I have named the story “The First Supper” – A story on how the country of Georgia was created.
When God created the world he gathered all the peoples of the world around him to allocate lands to them. After he did so, he realized that one group of people was missing. He went looking for them and found them at a very long table enjoying a most marvelous feast. God asked why they had not shown up to claim land. They responded that they were enjoying the food and hospitality of the feast so much that they had forgotten about the meeting. And they invited God to join them. So, God joined their Supra.
There was so much food that it looked like a tablecloth covering the table. And there was much wine drinking – remember that wine was first produced by the Georgians. After some time had passed God said you are indeed a good people. I feel bad that you now have no land to call your own. So, he said here is what I will do. I have saved the most beautiful land on earth for myself. I will give it to you instead. And I will go up to heaven. And that is how the Georgian people ended up living in the most beautiful place on earth.
So, as the story illustrates, Georgians are known for three things. First, their traditions are as old as the earth. Second, they inhabit the most beautiful land on earth. And third, Georgians are always late!
Over the past 12 days I have experienced at least 20 Supras and around 80 different varieties of wine in this country. I have also travelled from one end of the country to the other, from the dry plains and hills of the east, known as the Khaketi region, that touch Azerbaijan, to the sub-tropical region in the west that touches the Black Sea, to the Upper Svaneti region in the great Caucasus mountains that separate this country from Russia. But there is no place open to buy a cup of coffee until 8 a.m. So, that origination story is soooo… Georgian. What a special corner of the world. “Gaumarjos!”
