Why go
Telavi has served as Kakheti's capital since the 10th century, though its present form owes much to King Erekle II, who made it his royal seat in the mid-18th century and transformed it into a political and cultural center. The town sits at the heart of Georgia's eastern winemaking region, where qvevri traditions run thousands of years deep. Unlike the more polished wine tourism of Sighnaghi, Telavi offers an authentic working-town atmosphere—vineyards pressing against Soviet apartment blocks, family cellars operating from basement doors, and a Saturday market where farmers sell their own saperavi and rkatsiteli by the liter. It is the practical gateway to the region's monastic wineries and the Alazani Valley floor.