A marani and restaurant above the Alazani valley
Sighnaghi sits on a hill above the Alazani valley, and Okro’s Wines is on the climb to St Stephen’s church, on Chavchavadze Street. The terrace looks out over the valley and the Caucasus ridge; the place is a marani, a restaurant and a wine shop at once, run by John Okruashvili. Okro is both the owner’s name and the Georgian word for gold.
The wines are natural and made in qvevri from local varieties: rkatsiteli, kakhuri mtsvane, kisi, saperavi, tavkveri. There is chacha and a sparkling wine as well. The kitchen cooks Kakhetian home food, and tasting sets come with it. Open from eleven in the morning to nine in the evening; book a table in advance, and check the hours and the menu on the spot.