Restaurant, Wine

This historic, French-style wine château falls outside the focus of this book that, as I’ve explained, is about small family wineries working in traditional Georgian qvevri. Château Mukhrani, with its links to the royal Bagrationi dynasty and leading role in establishing European-style winemaking in Georgia, has played a part in the country’s wine history: Prince Ivane Mukhranbatoni was influenced by his trip to Bordeaux and Champagne in the 1870s. The magnificent château (designed by French architects), with its well-tended gardens (originally designed by a Versailles gardener) and cellars with 60,000 barrels, is impressive. It offers many facilities, including a restaurant; there’s also a wine bar in Tbilisi. www.chateaumukhrani.com