The in-demand event showcased a wide variety of wines and styles, educating and engaging key players in the US wine industry, a key strategic market for Georgia
October 12th – New York, NY – Wines of Georgia, the organization that represents and promotes the wines of the country of Georgia and is financed by the National Wine Agency of Georgia, which is a legal entity under the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia and the country’s wineries, celebrates a successful Grand Tasting and Masterclass event, the first of its kind for Georgia in the US, which took place in New York City at Manhatta at the end of September. The organization’s initiatives around building awareness for importers, retailers, sommeliers and the media are an important part of the growth Georgia is experiencing in this key market.
Thanks to the support of the importers who work with Georgian wines, Wines of Georgia executed an exceptional industry event that showcased the best of Georgia. With over 100 wines presented, 200+ trade and media professionals were able to discover the wide variety of styles, from traditional to international, and including reds, whites, rosés and sparkling wines, as well as have the opportunity to connect directly with the importers and producers present and learn more about the country’s ancient wine history and culture, regions and terroirs, and the growth of Georgians wine in the US.
Tamta Kvelaidze, Head of Marketing & PR at the Georgian National Wine Agency, says, “We are thrilled to have had so many wine professionals come and experience Georgian wine in the US. It is important to continue to build on the relationships between importers and customers in this important market, and we are excited to see the results as the footprint of Georgian wine continues to grow in the US.”
The event kicked off with a standing-room-only, engaging educational seminar hosted by Wines of Georgia Ambassador Chris Struck, in which four sommeliers competed in two rounds to present the most compelling Georgian wine pairing for a classic New York dish. Alexis Percival from Ruffian Wine Bar, Christy Frank from Copake Wine Works, James Sligh from Grape Kid at the Children’s Atlas of Wine and Danielle Rosenberg from Le Pavillon Restaurant participated, using a selection of 22 Georgian wines to pair with either a chicken empanada or pastrami on rye.
The event continued with a masterclass, also fully booked, led by Wines of Georgia Ambassador Christy Canterbury MW, on “The Spectrum of Amber Wines”, featuring eight wines that covered a variety of different grape varieties and techniques to make amber wines. This exciting category was once considered niche just a few years ago, and now it can claim a wide variety of enthusiasts, with Georgia leading the way.
The grand tasting featured over 100 wines from 21 importers and wineries that included:
Binekhi Winery, Corus Imports, Dozortsev & Sons, Georgian Vintages, Georgian Wine House, Georgian Wines and Spirits, Ghvinos Wine Group, Iberian Wines Imports, Independence Wine & Spirits, Jos! Wines, Marani Tsereteli, Neki Selections, Parson’s Fine Imports, Saperavi Brothers, Saperavi USA, Silk Road, Skin Contact Wines, Teliani Valley Winery, Terraneo Merchants, Vinoveli, Weygandt-Metzler
With continued growth of Georgian wine exports to the US, events like the recent Grand Tasting reflect the efforts by the Georgian National Wine Agency’s aim to educate US trade, press and consumers as part of the prioritization of the US as a key export market.
Wines of Georgia thanks all the attendees, importers and ambassadors who helped make this event such a success.
About Wines of Georgia
Wines of Georgia is a promotional campaign financed by the National Wine Agency of Georgia and wineries to educate the US wine trade and general public about the history, culture, quality and universal appeal of Georgian wines and the country’s qvevri winemaking tradition.
