The “Wines of Georgia Takeover” program will include a comprehensive set of activations designed to promote awareness and sales of Georgian wines
New York, NY, June 29, 2022 – Wines of Georgia, the organization that represents and promotes the wines of the country of Georgia and 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, is excited to announce, as part of the 2022 US campaign, an upcoming partnership with SevenFifty, the online marketplace and platform that connects the beverage alcohol industry, for the month of July, 2022.
The month-long activation with SevenFifty is aimed at promoting awareness and sales of Georgian wines. The “Wines of Georgia Takeover” program will include a Wines of Georgia landing page with links to articles on SevenFifty Daily, websites, suggested search categories, product lists, and downloadable collateral, with anticipated outreach of over 200,000+ buyers per week. With the goal of encouraging additional sales and new placements of Georgian wines, the SevenFifty promotion will also include a cash incentive prize program for new orders placed from the custom SevenFifty list.
SevenFifty connects importers, producers, distributors, and retail and restaurant buyers. Over 50,000 suppliers and 80,000 buyers utilize the SevenFifty trade platform to conduct business and obtain information in over 49 US states. SevenFifty Daily is the corresponding online magazine about the business and culture of the beverage alcohol industry.
“We are excited for the upcoming Wines of Georgia promotion with SevenFifty,” noted Tamar Metreveli, Head of Marketing and PR for Wines of Georgia. “One of our primary goals of this year’s campaign is to introduce Georgian wines to a wider audience and continue the growth of Georgian wine in the United States, a key export market for us, with great potential. This promotion will bring positive attention to and interest in Georgian wines from top wine buyers in the US.”
Georgia is recognized as the birthplace of wine, with winemaking dating back 8,000 years. Home to more than 500 indigenous grape varieties, Georgia has nearly 55,000 hectares (nearly 136,000 acres) of vineyards, with 55% planted to white varieties and 45% to red, with the majority planted in the Kakheti region in eastern Georgia. The two most prominent grape varieties are Rkatsiteli (white) and Saperavi (red). Wine is produced using both traditional Georgian varieties and methods in qvevri (large clay vessels), as well as European varieties and winemaking methods.
One of the goals of the July promotion is increasing awareness and sales of Georgian white and amber wines through the SevenFifty marketplace search. Rkatsiteli, a native Georgian variety, is a major component in the country’s white and amber wines.
“Rkatsiteli is an ancient grape that is Georgian through and through”, notes Christy Canterbury, MW and Wines of Georgia Campaign Ambassador. “It is impressively versatile. It can be made in international or qvevri styles, used in varietal or in blended wines, and even be made into brandy or used as a table grape.”
Rkatsiteli is the leading white grape variety in Georgia, comprising 43% of all vineyard plantings across 20,000 hectares. It is native to Kakheti in eastern Georgia and is cultivated throughout the province, as well as in Kartli. Rkatsiteli is favored by growers because it is adaptable to site and can achieve relatively high sugars while retaining its acidity. It is arguably most expressive when grown in the northwestern part of the Alazani Valley in the Akhmeta-Ikalto zone, in the villages of Kondoli, Tsinandali, Kisiskhevi, Vazisubani and Mukuzani.
Rkatsiteli is produced through both traditional and European vinification methods, and is the principal grape in most Kakhetian white wines. Because Rkatsiteli has relatively quiet aromatics, it is often blended with 15-20% Mtsvane Kakhuri to add high-toned aromatics and softness. When vinified in the European style, Rkatsiteli offers subtle floral aromas with notes of citrus, quince, and apple. If vinified in qvevri, the wine typically is more powerful, moderately tannic, with crisp acidity; the oxidative handling elicits flavors of honey, dried orange peel, spices, apricot and other stone fruits. Rkatsiteli is predominantly vinified in a dry style, but it is also a core grape variety in the PDO Kardenakhi, a fortified wine, and is suitable for all styles of wine.
Mamuka Tsereteli, founder of Georgian Wine House, a top importer of Georgian wines based in the Washington DC-area, sees how beneficial a collaborative effort between importers is in growing consumer awareness around Georgian wine, and thus, increasing sales. He is looking forward to the SevenFifty partnership and its possibilities. “It’s important that we develop Georgian wine as a category. We need to have enough importers bringing in high-quality wines to establish Georgia as an interesting place to discover. When wine lovers are able to go into stores, ask for Georgian wines, and have a great selection from different producers, this should be our objective.”
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.
