Ateni Valley

The Ateni valley follows the Tana river south from Gori into the foothills of the Trialeti range, a green corridor of vineyards, apple and pear orchards and small villages, with forested hills closing in towards its upper end. It is one of the few corners of Kartli with a wine name of its own: Atenuri, a light, crisp white made mainly from the Chinuri and Goruli Mtsvane grapes and often turned into sparkling wine. Some family wineries in Ateni and nearby villages offer tastings, and many households still ferment wine in clay qvevri for their own table.

The best time to come is the rtveli, the grape harvest, in late September and October, when families pick, press and ferment, and some cellars let visitors take part. In spring the orchards are in blossom. The valley road passes Ateni Sioni, whose 11th-century frescoes are reason enough for the trip, and continues upstream into quieter wooded country. Ateni is about 20 minutes from Gori, so the valley works as a half day from there or a long day from Tbilisi.