Dinner at The Burjanadzes

I met the Burjanadze family to learn about Georgian cuisine, but what unfolded was an intimate journey into the rhythms of Georgian life. In the serene countryside of Georgia, their home in Kakheti was a treasure trove of culture, romance, and tradition. The Burjanadze house was alive with the sounds of traditional music. As we prepared for the supra (სუფრა), Bacho and his father, Zaza, would gather by the piano, filling the air with songs about hardship, resilience, and love. During dinner, Bacho would pick up his balalaika, joining his grandmother in a duet . Between the music, they shared stories of life under the USSR. Zaza recounted his time in Moscow for military service, he would sneak into underground shops, drawn to the allure of forbidden records by American artists like Bob Dylan and Neil Young, even though he didn’t understand a word of English. For Zaza, music was a universal language, one that conveyed a spirit of freedom and emotion that transcended words. Smuggling these records back to Sagarejo, he would mix and play them for friends and neighbors. Today, Zaza has embraced a simpler life, nurturing grapevines, crafting traditional Georgian wine, and welcoming visitors with warm Kakhetian hospitality. Kakheti, Georgia