Rtveli in Georgia: How to Experience the Wine Harvest (2026 Edition)

Rtveli, Georgia’s annual grape harvest, is one of the most exciting times of year to visit the country’s wine regions.

But there is one important thing to understand before you start planning your trip: Rtveli is not a single festival held on a fixed date.

The harvest moves across Georgia from east to west as different grape varieties ripen. Every vineyard works to its own timetable, so even neighbouring wineries might pick their grapes on different days.

In Kakheti, Georgia’s biggest wine region, the harvest normally gets underway from late August or early September. Western wine regions including Imereti and Racha harvest later, and in some parts of Western Georgia, the Rtveli can continue into November or even December.

For travellers, there are several ways to experience Rtveli: You can join a working family harvest, book a special grape-picking and winemaking experience at a vineyard, or time your visit to coincide with one of Georgia’s autumn wine festivals.

This guide covers when to expect Rtveli in 2026, wineries and tours that welcome visitors, confirmed Rtveli events for this year, and my tips for participating.

When is Rtveli 2026?

2026 harvest start date in Kakheti: September 10.

Harvest timing largely depends on the weather. Every winery works to a different schedule depending on conditions, elevation, and the winemaker’s preferences around sugar content.

As a general guide:

• Kakheti: Late August-October
• Kartli: September-October
• Imereti: Late September-October
• Racha-Lechkhumi: October
• Guria & Western Georgia: November-December

For context, grape processing in Kakheti began a little earlier on September 2 in 2025 and August 13 in 2024. The unusually early 2024 start followed severe summer weather, which prompted an earlier harvest in parts of the region.

If experiencing the Rtveli is a priority for you, September in Kakheti is the safest option. If you are travelling later in autumn, look west to Imereti or Racha instead.

In 2026, the harvest officially started on September 10.

A working Rtveli normally starts early in the morning before it gets too hot. Grapes are cut from the vines by hand, collected in buckets or crates, then loaded up and transported back to the cellar.

Traditional Georgian winemaking uses qvevri, large clay vessels buried underground. But the way grapes are crushed and prepared varies enormously between producers.

One of the most recognisable images of Rtveli is grape stomping in a satsnakheli, a long wooden trough. While some families still use traditional presses, modern mechanical crushers and destemmers are now very common.

This is worth knowing if you are booking a Rtveli experience: Barefoot grape stomping is not automatically part of a real Georgian harvest. At some wineries it is offered specifically for visitors, while at others you will observe the grapes being processed using modern equipment.

Other harvest traditions might include making churchkhela with fresh grape juice, baking bread, preparing mtsvadi and other dishes, and of course tasting wine.

Finally comes the supra. Led by a tamada or toastmaster, the feast marks the end of the day’s work and celebrates the new harvest.

How can visitors participate in Rtveli?

It is important to know that not every winery is open to visitors during Rtveli. This is the busiest time of year for winemakers, and many people (understandably) prefer to focus on the actual winemaking rather than accommodating guests.

There are essentially three different ways visitors can experience the Rtveli:

1. Join a real family Rtveli

This is the most authentic option: You join a winemaking family on the actual day they are harvesting their grapes.

That means rolling up your sleeves for some hard work! Depending on the family, you might pick grapes for a couple of hours, help transport them, watch or assist with processing, prepare food, then sit down together for a supra.

The downside is that dates are difficult to predict. Weather can change plans and a winemaker might only decide to harvest a particular vineyard a few days beforehand.

My partners at Eat This! Food & Wine Tours are arranging a number of Real Rtveli experiences this year. See here for details, and use the coupon code wanderlush for a 5% discount.

2. Visit a winery for a Rtveli experience

Many wineries offer special harvest programs for visitors during September and October.

These are normally much easier to organise because they run on fixed dates. Activities might include picking a small quantity of grapes, stomping grapes in a satsnakheli, making churchkhela, touring the cellar, tasting wine and eating a supra-style lunch.

These experiences can be great fun, but they are not necessarily the winery’s actual working harvest.

3. Attend a wine festival

Finally, there are public wine festivals held during the autumn harvest season. These are excellent for trying wines from dozens or even hundreds of Georgian producers in one place. It is a great opportunity to experience the Rtveli atmosphere, but it is not the same thing as participating in the grape harvest itself.

Georgia’s biggest wine festival, the Gurjaani Wine Festival, is the one to plan around. The program combines tastings from 100+ wine producers with food, music and an enormous outdoor mtsvadi barbecue.

The 2026 Gurjaani Wine Festival is confirmed for Saturday October 10.

Rtveli experiences for 2026

This list is a work in progress – if you know of any other Rtveli events, please share the details in the comments so I can add them. Thank you!

🍇 Real Family Rtveli with Eat This! Tours

• Location: Kakheti, Kartli & Western Georgia (various small wineries)
• 2026 dates: Various dates from August 22-November 7
• Price: From 375 GEL per person (including return transfers from Tbilisi)
• Bookings: Website

My preferred wine tour operator in Kakheti (and the only company that offers a full program of scheduled, professionally organised Rtveli experiences), Eat This! Tours is once again running a huge number of events all over Georgia throughout the 2026 harvest period.

The first excursions kick off at the end of August, with most harvest tours happening throughout September and October. Choose from full-day or overnight itineraries that include grape picking and crushing, a supra, and all the wine you can drink.

Eat This! works with small family wineries to craft intimate, authentic experiences – so you can be sure their Real Family Rtveli tour is the real deal. The grapes you pick will be used for this year’s wine, guaranteed.

I was lucky enough to join this tour in 2025. From harvesting grapes and tasting wine in the vineyard, to learning how to make khinkali and listening to our incredible Tamada’s toasts, every moment was moving and full of meaning. Hand on heart, it was one of my favourite experiences in Georgia to date! (Most of the photos on this page were taken that day.)

Advance reservations are essential, and tours do sell out (places are already limited on some dates). Book via the website, and use the coupon code wanderlush for a 5% discount.

🍇 The Every Day Rtveli with Eat This! Tours

• Location: Telavi (various small wineries)
• 2026 dates: Every day from August 24-November 7
• Price: From 410 GEL per person (including return transfers from Tbilisi)
• Bookings: Website

Those grapes don’t wait for anyone! If you need to plan your itinerary further in advance – or if the Real Rtveli dates don’t work for you – Eat This! also offers a more structured Everyday Rtveli experience during harvest season.

The full-day program combines grape picking and pressing with winery visits, wine tasting and food. Because it is designed specifically for visitors rather than being tied to one family’s exact harvest day, it is much easier to book around fixed travel dates.

The price includes return transfers from Tbilisi – or if you’re already in Kakheti, pick-up is also available from Telavi.

Advance reservations are essential, and tours do sell out. Book via the website, and use the coupon code wanderlush for a 5% discount.

🍇 Grape Harvest Day Tour with Weekend Travelers Georgia

• Location: Kakheti
• 2026 dates: September 19
• Price: 220 GEL per person (including return transfers from Tbilisi)
• Bookings: Website

Weekend Travelers Georgia organises day hikes around Tbilisi and alternative excursions to southern Georgia, Armenia, and beyond. In autumn, they host special harvest trips to a small family vineyard in Kakheti, with transfers to and from Tbilisi included.

Weekend Travelers’ itineraries are always fun and focused on social exchange. This is a great option for solo travellers and expats living in Tbilisi.

🍇 Rtveli @ Keti’s House

• Location: Shilda village, Kvareli (30 mins from Telavi)
• 2026 dates: Every weekend from September 11 until the end of October
• Price: On request
• Bookings: Facebook

Keti’s House is a family guesthouse in Shilda that has been hosting visitors for Rtveli for many years.

For 2026, they are offering two options every weekend from September 11 until the end of October: A full three-day program from Friday to Sunday, with two nights’ accommodation, cooking classes, meals and entertainment, or a harvest-only experience on Saturday, with grape picking and pressing followed by a tasting.

🍇 Rtveli @ Rostomaant Marani

• Location: Telavi, Kakheti
• 2026 dates: September 15, 19 & 25
• Price: 350 GEL per person (including return transfers from Telavi)
• Bookings: Website

Rostomaant Marani in Telavi is hosting a series of hands-on Rtveli experiences throughout the 2026 harvest season. The program includes grape picking in vineyards near Telavi, traditional grape crushing, a qvevri wine tasting, BBQ preparation, a Georgian cooking masterclass, and a traditional Rtveli dinner with wine.

The three confirmed shared dates are September 15, 19 and 25, with private and flexible experiences also available between September 10 and October 10 depending on the weather.

Wineries open for the Rtveli 2026

If you prefer to travel to Kakheti independently, the following vineyards host guests during the Rtveli period. They still require advanced notice, so be sure to get in touch at least a couple of days prior.

Practical tips for the Rtveli

Book ahead, but stay flexible. Rtveli dates are sometimes confirmed at short notice and can change depending on the grapes and the weather. 2026 has been particularly volatile weather-wise, with lots of rain, flash flooding, and an unseasonably cool summer in many areas – and this may well impact the harvest.

Ask exactly what is included. The word Rtveli is used quite loosely in tourism. Check whether you will be joining an actual working harvest or a visitor experience, and whether grape picking, pressing, lunch and wine tastings are included.

Wear practical clothes and shoes. Vineyards can be dusty or muddy, and grape juice stains. Wear something comfortable that you don’t mind getting dirty. Consider bringing a pair of gardening gloves with you.

Remember that a real Rtveli involves real work. If you join a family harvest, expect to spend time actually picking grapes rather than simply posing for a photograph with a basket. There might also be periods of waiting while grapes are moved or processed.

Think carefully about transport. Rtveli normally ends with plenty of food, wine and often chacha. If you are travelling independently, have a designated driver or arrange a taxi in advance. Better still, stay overnight in wine country.

More resources for wine lovers

• How to find an authentic wine tour in Georgia
• Where to do a wine tasting in Tbilisi
• The best bars in Tbilisi for wine and more
• Best things to do in Kakheti (and recommended wineries)
• Best wineries in Imereti near Kutaisi
• Where to stay in Kakheti wine region
• Guide to Telavi, Kakheti’s biggest city
• How to travel to Kakheti from Tbilisi using public transport
• Wine harvest celebrations around Europe
• Underrated wine regions in Europe