Kvareli is a town at the eastern end of the Alazani Valley, close to the border with Azerbaijan, in the heart of the area that produces Kindzmarauli — the semi-sweet red wine made from Saperavi grapes grown on a small defined stretch of south-facing slope above the town. The name Kindzmarauli is protected (or was, under Soviet and then Georgian law), and the best versions come from the original terroir here.
The Kvareli Tunnel Winery cuts 7.7 kilometres into the mountain beneath the town — a Soviet-era project that used the stable temperature of the rock to create a massive wine ageing facility. It is now open for tours and tastings, and the scale of the tunnel, lined with thousands of barrels and bottles, is impressive. The town also has an 18th-century fortress built by King Erekle II, and the local hills make good walking country when the Alazani plain gets hot in summer.