Rtveli is running now: 12,400 tonnes in already, and nearly 400 wineries taking grapes

By the middle of September the wine agency reported nearly 12,400 tonnes of grapes processed across Kakheti this season, of which about 6,800 tonnes were Saperavi and 1,700 tonnes Rkatsiteli. The projection for the year is around 320,000 tonnes. Close to 400 wineries are registered with the harvest coordination headquarters, which is the number that matters if you are trying to place guests somewhere that will actually let them work.

Published purchase prices are tiered by sugar content. Saperavi at 21% sugar or above is set at GEL 1.50 a kilo, with GEL 0.90 for grapes between 17% and 21% or partly damaged, and GEL 0.30 for anything under 17% or badly damaged. For other approved varieties the tiers are GEL 1.30 at 20% sugar and above, GEL 0.80 between 17% and 20%, and GEL 0.30 below that. A state harvest management company buys surplus grapes under set rules.

The harvest is a working season, not a show, and that is exactly what guests remember. Ring a winery directly rather than booking through a listing, ask which days they are taking grapes in and whether visitors can help with picking or crushing, and be honest with guests that the schedule follows the fruit. Early morning is when the work happens; afternoons are for tasting. If you are hosting families, check whether the courtyard has shade and somewhere to sit out the heat.

These figures were a snapshot from mid-September and the tonnage climbs daily through the season, so the picture changes week by week and varies by district. The coordination headquarters publishes updates and runs a public information line, and a single call is a better basis for a guest's itinerary than a figure copied from an article, including this one.