The jury of wine experts who rated various varieties at the WinExpo this year said that the quality of Georgian Wines has improved significantly this year.
WinExpo is a 16-year-old event organized by ExpoGeorgia that aims to connect Georgian Winemakers with other winemakers in their field, new wine technology producers, the public and those in related business. The Georgia International Wine Awards, which have been running for 14 years, invites world-class experts to evaluate the quality of Georgian wines.
Resan Kikava is the CEO of ExpoGeorgia. He said that the competition was a great incentive for winemakers to take part, to see improvements in the sector, and to strive to bring Georgian wine up to the level it deserves.
Kikava said that the year was exceptional in terms of both the quality and quantity of wines. “It is more or less the exact same every year. Between 200 and 250 [winemakers], however, the quality has increased and that’s what’s the biggest achievement.”
Kikava stated that of the wineries who participated in the awards over 100 won silver medals. 40 received gold medals and six received trophies. The awards are open to any vineyard that takes part in the festival. Kikava says it’s hard to present homemade wine in front of a jury and have an expert criticize it. He applauds those who are able to do this.
Tim Atkin is a Master of Wine from the United Kingdom and the chairman of the Jury. He always leads the Jury. Kikava said that the awards are based on his method of selecting wine. The jury members must be familiar with Georgian wines, the qvevri process of winemaking, the grape varieties in the region, as well as the differences between Georgian and European wine. Georgians are therefore needed to discuss their experiences on the jury.
WinExpo is open to all wineries, and a special area is reserved for smaller or family-owned enterprises. ExpoGeorgia, according to Kikava, shows its support for the development of the wine sector by allowing smaller vineyards to participate at the event. Liza Jgenti is the designer at Winery 12 Qvevri. This family-owned company participated in the festival for the first time. She said that it was a great chance for them to expand their business.
“It is important to market yourself and to let people know who you are,” said Jgenti. Jgenti said that after the festival you will be invited to events when larger organizations are working with wineries. “I love the communication between wine lovers. We share information with other businesspeople. “We enjoy meeting wine lovers and giving them a chance to taste our products.”
WinExpo is a wine exhibition that takes place every year. It showcases new wines, as well as the quality, the success and the struggles of the wine industry. The wine tasting was followed by a panel discussion with exporters from all over the world. Representatives from Holland, Japan and the UK shared their opinions on the potential of Georgian wine and its struggles in local markets. Such events can help winemakers learn how to adapt to the market and address problems.
According to Kikava it can be difficult for Georgian winemakers to integrate and export their products to foreign markets due to limited resources. WinExpo had a special section dedicated to the technology and businesses in the wine industry, including bottling and labeling. This allows participants to see different products, and gain insight into new methods and tool they could adopt.
Kikava told GEORGIA NOW that the event is supported by many, including the Ministry of Agriculture in Georgia, and the Georgian National Wine Agency. He said that these groups encourage winemakers in Georgia to explore new markets, participate in exhibitions and international.
Kikava says that there is a critical step in selling wine to an international market. “It is important to sell Georgia first as an interesting country, because when people consider buying French wine, France comes to mind; the same goes for Italian wine, Chilean wine, or Australian wine. They first think about the country and understand where the wine came from,” said Kikava. “You should start by pointing out that Georgia is the oldest country in the world to make wine, with over 8000 years’ history behind it!”
Georgia’s wine industry has only recently begun to grow. During Soviet time, wine could never be called “Georgian Wine”. When Georgia became independent, winemakers began labeling and creating wine. However, these were primarily aimed at the Russian market and much of the wine wasn’t bought because of its poor quality.
In 2006, the Russian embargo on Georgian wines was the reason for the subsequent increase in quality and the beginning of exports to Europe, as wine producers searched for new markets to sell their products. Kikava explained the challenge is to maintain the quality of wine, now that the Russian market has been reopened. This will ensure that exports to Europe continue in the event Russia closes its doors again to Georgian producers. Kikava told Kikava that he is glad to see Georgians winemakers focus on quality rather than quantity.
Kikava said, “Wine is not just about the product but also the legacy it leaves behind.” “Just the thought that I have the genes of people who made wine on this land 8000 years ago makes me feel special.” I believe that it should make every Georgian special.”
The event’s jurors were: Tim Atkin, Master of Wine and Head Jury – UK, Beth Willard, Wine Writer – Australia and Kenichi Ohashi, Wine and Japanese Sake Experts – Japan; Cong Cong Bo – Sommelier – UK; Chan Jun Park — Wine Writer and Educator in South Korea. Ana Martin Onzain — Oenologist from Spain. Levan Mekhuzla — Oenologist from Georgia. Mikheil Meskhi
ExpoGeorgia, a convention centre in Tbilisi, organizes large industrial events. They manage their events with the help from partners and create them from scratch. Kikava expressed his gratitude to all those who worked at ExpoGeorgia in establishing WinExpo. WinExpo’s Facebook page has details about the winners.
By Shelbi R. Ankiewicz
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