Telavi is the regional capital of Kakheti and the natural base for exploring the wine country. It sits on a plateau above the Alazani Valley with the snow-capped Greater Caucasus forming the northern horizon — a setting that justifies the drive from Tbilisi on its own. The old town clusters around the main square, where a plane tree said to be 900 years old shades much of the central plaza.
The town has a compact core with a busy market, wine shops, and streets that still feel more local than polished. Batonis Castle gives Telavi its royal weight: this was the seat of the Kakhetian kings in the eighteenth century. The Giant Plane Tree is the town's living landmark, old enough to have become part of local folklore.
Telavi is unpretentious and functional, which works in its favour. Come for the small-town Georgian rhythm, then use it as a springboard for Tsinandali, Alaverdi, Ikalto, and the wineries of the Alazani Valley.