BBC Asks if Georgian Wine Can Win Over Global Drinkers

On 28 February, the BBC published an article asking if Georgian wine can win over global drinkers.

The article’s author Natalia Golysheva meets with experts of Georgian wine such as Koka Archvadze deputy director of the Tsinandali estate and Irakli Cholobargia from the Georgian National Wine Agency.

Georgia’s qvevri winemaking dates back at least 5,980 BC, which makes Georgia “the world’s oldest wine producing country.” Despite Georgia’s winemaking legacy, its industry has faced many difficulties.

During the Soviet-era, many of Georgia’s grape varieties were replaced with mass-produced varieties.

“When Georgia gained its independence there was a big effort to increase propagation of the older varieties,” writes Golysheva.

However, with Russia buying 95% of Georgia’s exported wine, the industry took a heavy blow when Russia placed an embargo on wine importation in 2006. Although they are now once again the biggest importer, the industry was forced to look at other markets.

Georgian wine is becoming more and more popular around the world. It’s now exported to over 55 countries around the world. “I never thought my wine would be offered in very good restaurants in Italy or France, Michelin-starred restaurants,” says Gia Piradashvili, founder of Winiveria. “But now we do, and we are not alone.”

You can read the article in full here. 

by Amy Jones 

Photo source: BBC

Although qvevri wine has a very distinct taste, Lisa Granik an expert in Georgian wine, believes that more wine drinkers in the west ‘could want to try something new and different. Georgian wines could grow in popularity,’ reads the article.