12th Annual WinExpo Georgia
From June 13 – 15, the 2019 International Wine and Spirts Fair, WinExpo, was held at Expo Georgia in Tbilisi. The annual event is organized by ExpoGeorgia, an exhibition center and fairground, and supported by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia and the National Wine Agency of Georgia. WinExpo is “the only international Wine and Spirits Fair in Georgia and the whole Caucasus Region, presenting [the] full range of [the] wine industry, products and services.” They call themselves a “hybrid project between an exhibition, competition and a business forum with the focus on increasing profit through wine sales in a warm and welcoming environment.” The exhibition promotes itself as an opportunity for wine producers to increase sales, reach new markets, and build business partnerships with other wine-related businesses and service providers.
The 2019 WinExpo, in its 12th year, featured approximately 160 companies, 110 of which were wine producers. Wine makers from 12 countries were represented. In addition to winemakers, other components of wine and alcohol production presented their products – viticulture and winemaking machinery, fertilizers, grape vine saplings, bottling and labeling materials, accessories, and a wide range of other services. Nearly 4000 visitors attended the exhibition. Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Levan Davitashvili, opened the exhibition on Thursday.
Within the framework of the WinExpo, the 11th International Wine Competition was held. This year, out of a total of 300 wines presented by 81 companies, 26 wines were awarded gold medals, 52 won silver medals, and 133 wines took home bronze. Competitors included both large international factories and small family-run wineries.
For the first time, the Embassy of France to Georgia and representatives of Inno’Vin, a French wine innovation cluster, attended the exhibition. A special presentation was also made by Tatianna Mann, a British wine expert, on market specifications in the UK and regulations for potential exporters.
The top wines were presented their awards by Deputy Minister of Environment Protection and Agriculture Khatia Tsilosani, Chairman of National Wine Agency Levan Mekhuzla, and members of the competition’s jury.
Among the outstanding wines, there were five that the jury gave special distinction to. The jury included sommeliers, oenologists and international experts and professionals in the wine industry. The chairperson of the jury for the 11th International Wine Competition was Tim Atkin, a British Master of Wine and award-winning wine journalist, broadcaster and commentator. Atkin judged alongside other international wine specialists – Master of Wine Kenichi Ohashi (Japan), Master of Wine Alistair Cooper (UK), wine expert Marcelo Retamal (Chile), master sommelier Matthew Robert Wilkin (UK), oenologist Mikheil Meskhi (Georgia), wine expert Giorgi Dakishvili (Georgia) and wine expert Nika Aghdgomelashvili (Georgia).
The National Wine Agency reported that the members of the jury, particularly those from abroad, “made positive assessments about the fact that a high number of young winemakers were present in the competition this year, and also welcomed the activity of female winemakers.”
By Samantha Guthrie
Image source: WinExpo