Wine, gastronomy and culture in the Black Sea city of Batumi

While many visitors will come away from Batumi wowed by its beautiful stretch of Black Sea coastline and stunning architecture, they may be surprised that some of the most evocative memories of their trip are defined by the fine flavours of Georgian cuisine. Coupled with excellent wines and exuberant festivals, Batumi offers visitors a unique, vibrant and tastebud-tingling trip.

Georgian wine

Georgia is inextricably linked with wine: it’s one of the country’s chief products, and the quality of the grapes is known across the world. Georgia even has a strong claim to being the birthplace of viticulture: it’s thought that as far back as 8000 years ago, the inhabitants of this region were pressing and fermenting grapes to make wine. 

The winemaking tradition has held strong to this day, with Georgian wine produced in a unique fashion. Grapes are pressed in large troughs, and the resulting juice – as well as the grape skins, stalks and pips – is poured into an earthenware vessel known as a qvevri. The qvevri is then sealed and buried, allowing the wine to ferment underground, which gives the product a delightfully earthy flavour and cloudy appearance. It’s such a specialised process that it has been recognised on UNESCO’s list of Humanity’s Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Batumi is a particularly good place to sample Georgia’s wine culture: the town is full of excellent drinking spots, which range from cosy nooks to shiny modern bars. Take a wander through the city’s old town to find smaller places which often sell wines produced by the owner, or explore the glitzier bars around Europe Square. Most establishments double as wine shops, so if you find a vintage you particularly enjoy, you can buy a bottle to take home as a souvenir.

If you want a dedicated wine-tasting experience, a worthwhile stop on any Georgia itinerary are the wineries just outside the city. Here, you can see demonstrations of the qvevri process and tour the vineyards before enjoying samples of the end product. The wines made here use grapes native to the Ajara region, such as Tsolikouri and Chkhaveri, which are well suited to the area’s mild, humid climate and produce wines with an earthy flavour.

Gastronomy in Batumi

Georgia as a whole is known for the quality of its food, and the Ajara region is no exception, offering some delicious specialities for visitors to sample. Georgian tradition holds that guests are a gift from God, and as such, it has always been important in the country’s culture to provide excellent meals for visitors. While you’re in Batumi, there are several dishes which you should make sure to seek out.

First and foremost is the Ajarian khachapuri, a rich cheese and bread concoction. Every region in Georgia has its own method of preparing khachapuri, but the Ajarian version is perhaps the very best, and certainly the most symbolic. The dough is fashioned into a thick-crusted boat shape, which is then filled with melted cheese and topped with a generous dollop of butter and an egg. 

The boat shape of the bread symbolises the Ajarian history of seafaring on the Black Sea, while the egg is representative of the rising sun. Perhaps more importantly, the Ajarian khachapuri is absolutely delicious – if loaded with calories – and can be found at almost any café or restaurant in Batumi.

Beyond the khachapuri, many Ajarian dishes also involve cheese, reflecting the region’s strong traditions of sheep, cow and goat farming. Achma, for instance, is a regional speciality featuring thin layers of soft dough interspersed with plenty of cheese, and topped with a crispy crust, making it not dissimilar to lasagne. Sinori is another cheesy option, consisting of small rolls of flatbread topped with garlic and cheese or a sweet version with honey and nuts.

The cuisine isn’t limited to cheese dishes though: other Georgian staples include mtsvadi – which is pork, chicken, or beef marinated in spices before being cooked on a charcoal grill – and lobio, a traditional Georgian dish of beans mixed with garlic, spices and nuts before being baked in a clay pot. 

Khinkali is also unmissable: these delicious dumplings, stuffed with meat, mushrooms or potatoes, are boiled and then eaten with your fingers – prepare to get messy!

Batumi, a vibrant coastal city in the region of Ajara, Georgia, offers a culinary experience that is deeply influenced by its proximity to the Black Sea. The coastal cuisine of Batumi is a delightful fusion of fresh seafood, aromatic spices, and local ingredients that reflect the region's cultural diversity and culinary heritage.

Culture and things to do in Georgia

With careful timing, you could gain further insight into Georgia’s heritage and culture by visiting one of the many festivals hosted in Batumi throughout the year. The biggest event on the calendar is Batumoba, a huge festival held in the autumn – usually April – which features street parades, folklore displays and musical performances. 

Later in autumn, Gandagana Festival takes place. Here you'll find a lively event that offers visitors the chance to see traditional Ajarian dances and participate in cookery classes. The Batumi Summer Festival, usually held in June, has a focus on food and drink as well as dancing displays, and also offering the draw of a spectacular fireworks display above the Black Sea and Batumi’s iconic skyline.

The Batumi Summer Festival’s programme also includes performances by Georgian and international DJs, thanks to Batumi’s growing reputation as a venue for internationally acclaimed music festivals. 

Foremost among these is the Black Sea Jazz Festival, launched in 2007 and featuring artists from many musical genres: past performers have included Robert Plant and Snoop Dogg. The Batumi Music Fest, meanwhile, focuses on classical music, with performances by Georgian artists often inspired by the country’s rich folklore traditions.

Even without attending one of Batumi’s festivals, it’s easy to catch glimpses of Georgia’s rich culture wherever you go in Batumi, with reminders of folk traditions and history scattered across the city. 

The Adjarabet Arena, for example, has a distinctive design which evokes the traditional Georgian dance of khorumi; while on the seafront is perhaps Batumi’s most iconic sight, the Ali and Nino statue, depicting the eponymous lovers from a novel by Kurban Said which offers a deep exploration into early 20^th-century Georgian culture. 

It’s a fantastic demonstration of Batumi’s perfect marriage of traditional culture and modern outlook, which makes the city such an intriguing destination.

This article was made in partnership with Visit Batumi.