Food and wine drive social life across Georgia. [Photo provided to China Daily]

In the meantime, the country's entrepreneurial merchants have been busy in China, setting up dozens of Georgian wine shops around the country, from big cities to the far west, where Georgian food and wine have been known since Silk Road days.

"China, the Baltics and the US are all important markets now," says Irakli Cholobargia, head of marketing for the National Wine Agency in Georgia's capital, Tbilisi. "These are countries that will accept something new if you can tell a good story about it."

Georgia's position as an East-West crossroads has shaped its food and wine for centuries.

"It's not fusion," insists Tekuna Gachechiladze, the chef/owner of Littera and Culinarium in Tbilisi. "Our native cuisine has been shaped for thousands of years, with influences from Persia and the Middle East."

Our visiting group savors a big spread of her colorful dishes. There are tasty morsels of nadugi, a fresh-milk cheese similar to ricotta, and adjiki, a savory spice mix made into a paste like North African harissa. On another plate, a green spice blend bursts with layers of flavor: green pepper, mint, tarragon, coriander and garlic.