НА РУССКОМ ЯЗЫКЕ

       

 

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Prime Minister assessed Georgia’s wine exports to China

21.12.2017. The Prime Minister considers Georgian wine export to China as “incredible dynamics and outcome”. Giorgi Kvirikashvili talked about the development of free trade network during the presentation of the government program in the parliament.  He said that diversification process of trade markets is steady and the EU market is already the number one trade partner for Georgia.

The Prime Minister predicted export growth to China with launch of the Free Trade Agreement. “Today we can say that 7 million bottles of wine are sold on the Chinese market. This is an incredible dynamic and we have not expected such result. I hope that Georgian wine will become more competitive after 47% of taxes will be removed for Chinese market”, - Kvirikashvili said.

Giorgi Kvirikashvili also talked about popularization of Georgian wine and noted that “our wine should become one of the premium products on the international market with the correct presentation of the history of Georgia, as the oldest winemaker”.

The Prime Minister talked about the protection of local businesses on the background of the expansion of free trade network, saying that protection mechanism is envisaged in all agreements.

 
  ▼ View Map     Add new object    ▼ Read more info   

    Georgian Wine Catalogue   
   
 To add this Search Box to your website,  click  here. Many designs are available.

Sunday, December 17, 2017

Saperavi Word Prize 2017 tasting was held in Tbilisi

PRESS RELEASE      (Official photos: Hvino's Album; ICC's Album)

Saperavi Word Prize 2017 tasting was held in Tbilisi
Wines of best known Georgian variety from all over the world are judged in Georgia for the first time
Saperavi Wine Prize 2017 tasting was held on December 15th in Tbilisi, on the premises of  International Chamber of Commerce (ICC Georgia).
Saperavi World Prize 2017 is the new international wine contest in Georgia, which brings together the wines from winemakers from around the world who use the Saperavi variety.  Saperavi is a grape variety native to Georgia, which is becoming increasingly popular with winemakers around the world. 
Saperavi World Prize  (“SapPrize”) is conceived to become not only a wine contest of Saperavi wines produced in all continents, but a meeting point of international winemakers and Georgian tradition-keepers, backed by eight millennia-old winemaking history of Georgia – the cradle of wine. Official website of SapPrize is sapprize.hvino.com.
Entry in SapPrize is free – there is no participation fee. The slogan of the contest is “Made globally, awarded in Georgia: Best Saperavi wines produced abroad”, because in 2017 SapPrize is open to winemakers from abroad (outside Georgia) who produce wines from Saperavi variety.
SapPrize will be an annual event. Permanent location of SapPrize is Tbilisi, Georgia.

Participants
Small and large wineries from several continents have submitted wine samples to SapPrize. Wines came from Australia (14 wines), United States (4 wines), Azerbaijan (3 samples), Kazakhstan (2 samples), Russia (2 samples) and one wine each from Armenia and New Zealand.

The Jury included:
  • Mr. Andro Barnovi (Georgia), Georgian Federation of Artisan Wine
  • H.E. Lukas Beglinger (Switzerland), Swiss Ambassador to Georgia
  • H.E. William Lahue (USA), Head of the NATO Liaison Office in Georgia
  • Mr. Paul Rodzianko (USA), JSC Cradle of Wine
  • Ms. Ute Seitz (Germany), wine expert
  • Mr. Berthold Seitz (Germany), wine expert
  • Mr. Kakha Tchotiasvili (Georgia), Tchotiashvili Family Vineyards

Awards
Saperavi World Prize will award unique and precious prizes, hand-made by leading Georgian jewelers from Zenaari company – official partner of SapPrize. The gold, silver, and bronze prizes will be miniature copies of “azarpesha” - ancient Georgian wine vessels, usually made of silver or gold. These richly decorated objects, which are now rare antique collectibles, where chosen by SapPrize organizers to underline special role of wine in Georgia’s history and culture.
The winners of Saperavi World Prize will be announced at a special ceremony, the date of which will be specified later.

Saturday, December 16, 2017

Judging at the first Saperavi World Prize competition


by Ute SEITZ, wine author and wine tourism adviser                                  

16.12.2017 (Hvino News). Saperavi is a grapevine variety known mainly in Georgia - where it is the most commonly planted red grapevine variety. Most Georgians are probably not aware of the fact, that their national treasure is planted also in other regions of the wine world.

So, Mr. Alexander Kaffka, the head behind the website Hvino News, and his team had the idea to organize the Saperavi World Prize competition. Hvino News is a website which usually informs the world on regular base about Georgian wine news in English and Russian.

Saperavi wine producers from all over the world were informed about the competition and sent their samples to Tbilisi.

The date for tasting and judging the wines was set on December 15th. The jury met at ICC – International Chamber of Commerce, which kindly provided rooms, at 10:30 hours. While bottles, covered with brown paper bags, were opened jury members had time to accommodate and get to know each other.

Tasting started at 11 o’clock. Jury members sat along a big, dark wooden table, where all the wrapped and numbered bottles were standing in a line. Everybody had a name sign, a pile of scoring sheets in front of them, three wine glasses, bread and water to neutralize and rinse the mouth.

The jury consisted of Mr. Kakha Tchotiasvili, Tchotiashvili family vineyards, Mr. Andro Barnovi, Georgian Federation of Artisan Wine, H.E. Lukas Beglinger, the Ambassador of Switzerland in Georgia, Mr. Paul Rodzianko, JSC Cradle of Wine, Mr. Berthold Seitz, German wine expert, H.E. William Lahue, Head of the NATO Liaison Office in Georgia,  and Ms. Ute Seitz, German wine expert.

Mr Seitz took over the chairman position and explained the modalities of the scoring and completion of the scoring sheets.

Friday, December 8, 2017

Official 11 months data: Georgia earns $155m by exporting 70m bottles of wine

08.12.2017 (Hvino News). According to official data, Georgia exported 70.2 million bottles of wine to 52 countries from January to November 2017, adding $154.8 million to the economy.

Revenue increased by 49 percent from the same period in 2016, while the volume of exports increased by 54 percent, the National Wine Agency (NWA) reported.

The top five countries that imported Georgian wine in January-November 2017 were:

Russia – 43,903,947 bottles
Ukraine – 7,660,334 bottles
China – 6,736,081 bottles
Kazakhstan – 3,096,879 bottles
Poland – 2,388,352 bottles

Wine exports also increased to the European Union (EU), China and other traditional export markets for Georgia.

Thursday, December 7, 2017

Presentation of Georgian wine in Japan

07.12.2017. The grand presentation and tasting events of Georgian wine were held in Tokyo and Osaka, which were led by National Wine Agency's contractor Kenichi Ohashi, Master of Wine.

The event held in Tokyo, the capital of Japan, was attended by the Ambassador of Georgia to Japan Levan Tsintsadze, deputy head of NWA Andro Aslanishvili and advisor to the Chairman Davit Tkemaladze.

Presentation of Georgian wine was attended by public and media representatives. They had the opportunity to taste the wines of the following companies: Chateau Mukhrani, Papari Valley, Shumi, Lagvinari, Giuaani, Orgo and Winery Khareba. The tasting in Tokyo, along with Kenichi Ohashi, was also led by Japanese sommelier Hiroshi Yishida, and in Osaka - sommelier Satoru Mori.

Japan is one of the progressive export markets for Georgian wine. According to 11 months' data of the current year, 155 thousand bottles of wine were exported to this country, which is 8% higher than the similar data of the  last year.

On the invitation of the National Wine Agency, Kenichi Ohashi has visited Georgia twice this year to research Georgian wine market. In addition, Kenichi Ohashi published articles about Georgian wine  in the last two issues of Japanese magazines Sommelier and WANDS.

   
  ▼ View Map     Add new object    ▼ Read more info   

    Georgian Wine Catalogue   
   
 To add this Search Box to your website,  click  here. Many designs are available.




Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Badagoni opens Georgian cultural center in China

05.12.2017 (Hvino News). A new Center of Georgian Culture in China was opened by Badagoni wine company in partnership with its local partner in China.

The Georgian cultural center in the city of Taixing (Jiangsu province) is situated in an attractive building of original design, with a considerable adjacent territory. The roomy halls are equipped to demonstrate Georgia's attractions, culture, and history. Special attention is paid to Georgian traditional wine-making and wines produced by Badagoni.

“I would like to congratulate Georgian wine lovers with this important event and also would like to express thanks to the Ministry of Agriculture of Georgia for supporting us in promotion of Georgian wine throughout the world” – said Giorgi Salakaia, the owner of Badagoni company.

In exclusive interview to Hvino News,  Badagoni explained that the center is a private investment of Badagoni’s Chinese partner. "We are planning further expansion of this Center and similar activities in China and also in other countries", - pointed out Giorgi Salakaia.

U.S. food service experts predict doubling sales of Georgian wines in 2018

05.12.2017 (Hvino News). A major resource for America's food service industry Nation’s Restaurant News included Georgian wine in its list of  "8 food and drink predictions for 2018", published every year by Bret Thorn, NRN senior editor.

In the section on Georgian wine, the NRN's "8 food and drink predictions for 2018" reads:
"Wine drinkers are looking for something new, natural and with a compelling story, and the former Soviet Republic of Georgia delivers all three. With a wine-making tradition going back thousands of years, Georgia is exporting wines that are inexpensive, kind of funky and, in many cases, all-natural. Sommeliers are starting to rave about them, and major cookbooks and wine books about Georgia have been published this year. Possibly thanks to a push from the country’s agriculture ministry, sales of Georgian wines in the U.S. are projected to rise by 50 percent or more this year, according to a publicist for Georgian wine".
Nation’s Restaurant News describes itself as "leading resource for business intelligence in the foodservice industry".

© Hvino News
  
  ▼ View Map     Add new object    ▼ Read more info   

    Georgian Wine Catalogue   
   
 To add this Search Box to your website,  click  here. Many designs are available.

Georgia won 20 awards at International Wine Challenge 2018

05.12.2017 (Hvino News). The results of the "Tranche 1" of prestigious wine competition International Wine Challenge (IWC) 2018, held in London, were officially announced.

7 wine companies from Georgia won 20 awards, including 1 gold, 8 silver, 6 bronze, 5 " commended" awards.

The list of awarded wines follows:

Thursday, November 30, 2017

New Year's Wine Market 2018

30.11.2017 (Hvino News). Georgian Wine Club and Veris Bazari (Wine Factory No.1) are pleased to invite you to a new holiday - the New Year Wine Fair, to take place on December 23-24. All of Georgia’s flagship companies along with small wine cellars will offer you their best wines for your New Year and Christmas dinner parties. Sparkling wines, along with white dry, amber qvevri wines, red dry, qvevri, semi-sweet and sweet, as well as fortified wines and strong beverages will be available in the same space for you to look, taste, select and purchase.

The New Year Wine Fair will last for two days, from 10 AM to 8 PM. The two floors of old wine cellars at Winery No. 1 (entrance from Petriashvili and Melikishvili streets) were chosen as a venue for the event.

Wineries wishing to participate in the fair can register before December 15. For detailed information, contact the Georgian Wine Club.

Email: info@wineclub.ge, phone: 577 413010.

Get into the holiday spirit!

Press Release   
  ▼ View Map     Add new object    ▼ Read more info   

    Georgian Wine Catalogue   
   
 To add this Search Box to your website,  click  here. Many designs are available.

Guinness Book of Records lists Georgian wine as world's oldest wine

30.11.2017 (Hvino News). After the recently announced findings of international group of scientists on archaeological evidence discovered near Tbilisi,  the Georgian wine was included in the Guinness Book of World Records as "the oldest wine".

"Chemical evidence of wine, dating back to 6000–5800 BC, was obtained from residues of ancient pottery excavated in the archeological sites in Georgia", - the Guinness World Records webpage reads, - "Prior to this discovery, the oldest chemically identified wine from Hajji Firuz Tepe (Iran) dated back to about 5400–5000 BC. These new findings are from about 600–1,000 years earlier, and indicate that wine-making and possibly viticulture were already in place about 8,000 years ago".

Read original page at Guinness Book here. Read more at: Leading international publications report on world's oldest wine discovery in Georgia.

© Hvino News
 
  ▼ View Map     Add new object    ▼ Read more info   

    Georgian Wine Catalogue   
   
 To add this Search Box to your website,  click  here. Many designs are available.

Friday, November 17, 2017

Prime Minister comments on research findings recognizing Georgia as homeland of wine

17.11.2017. (Hvino News) “Very intensive work has been done by the group of international scientists, and I’m sure everyone is delighted that the research is finalized, and it was acknowledged that the eldest wine was discovered in Georgia. We have a chance to positively introduce our country internationally in this regard, and this gave us the possibility to represent Georgia in the the Center of Wine Civilizations in Bordeaux, ” - Giorgi Kvirikashvili commented on the results of the research, published by National Academy of Sciences of the United States.

In article 'Early Neolithic wine of Georgia in the South Caucasus' scientists from Georgia, USA, France, Italy, Canada, Denmark and Israel presented multi-disciplinary project findings, stating that the chemical analyses of ancient organic compounds found in pottery fabrics from the sites in Georgia date back to early Neolithic period 6,000-5000 BC, thus being the earliest biomolecular archaeological evidence for grape wine and viniculture from the Near East.

“I’m sure this scientific work will continue, and we’ll discover more interesting facts on wine making traditions and wine in Georgia.” the Prime Minister commented today during the weekly government meeting.

"We are excited and proud, and so is every Georgian and every friend of Georgia. I congratulate all of you!" the Prime Minister stated.

© Hvino News
   
  ▼ View Map     Add new object    ▼ Read more info   

    Georgian Wine Catalogue   
   
 To add this Search Box to your website,  click  here. Many designs are available.

Thursday, November 16, 2017

Leading international publications report on world's oldest wine discovery in Georgia

16.11.2017. World’s leading editions - BBC News, The Guardian, The New York Times and have reported about this historic discovery. Researchers found wine residue on pottery shards at two Georgian sites dating back to 6,000 B.C. The pottery jars were discovered in two Neolithic villages, called Gadachrili Gora and Shulaveris Gora, about 50km south of Georgia’s capital Tbilisi.

The people living at Gadachrili Gora and a nearby village were the world’s earliest known vintners—producing wine on a large scale as early as 6,000 B.C., a time when prehistoric humans were still reliant on stone and bone tools.

“Raise a glass to Georgia, which could now be the birthplace of wine” - The New York Times reports.

The findings are the earliest evidence so far of wine made from the Eurasian grape, which is used in nearly all wine produced worldwide.

Georgian wine at 5 events in New York and Los Angeles

16.11.2017. Georgian wine was showcased at five events of fine, natural wines in the United States’ cities of New York and Los Angeles during the past one week, announced the Georgian National Wine Agency.

RAW NY, an international exhibition of natural wines in New York and RAW LA in Los Angeles hosted exciting collections of fine, natural, organic and biodynamic wine artisans, including some from Georgia as well.

Tamta Kvelaidze of the Georgian National Wine Agency stated that there is growing interest towards Georgian wine in the United States which is also reflected to the wine export statistics.

In the first 10 months of 2017 Georgia exported 395,000 bottles of wines to the United States – 68 percent more compared to the same period of 2016.

The United States takes the ninth place among the top 50 countries that import Georgian wine.

The Georgian National Wine Agency plans to continue active marketing activities in the United States in 2018 as well.

   
  ▼ View Map     Add new object    ▼ Read more info   

    Georgian Wine Catalogue   
   
 To add this Search Box to your website,  click  here. Many designs are available.

Georgian wines in Sweden

16.11.2017 (Hvino News). Exhibition "Stockholm Food and Wine" was held at the Scandinavia's largest exhibition center in Stockholm, Sweden on November 9-12.

Georgian wine companies participated in the exhibition for the first time. Represented companies are Bagrationi-1882, Kakhetian Traditional Winemaking, Besini, Askaneli Brothers, Shilda, Vaziani, Kakhetian and BG Wines. They  were represented with assistance of "Georgian Wine for Nordic" company.

During the exhibition Georgian wines were displayed in the main bar of the exhibition where local residents, importers, bloggers, wine journalists and sommeliers had the opportunity to taste Georgian wine and learn about Georgia, its wine culture and history.

© Hvino News 

  ▼ View Map     Add new object    ▼ Read more info   

    Georgian Wine Catalogue   
   
 To add this Search Box to your website,  click  here. Many designs are available.

"The Guardian": Evidence of world's earliest winemaking uncovered by archaeologists

by Ashifa Kassam and Nicola Davis

16.11.2017. A series of excavations in Georgia has uncovered evidence of the world’s earliest winemaking, in the form of telltale traces within clay pottery dating back to 6,000BC – suggesting that the practice of making grape wine began hundreds of years earlier than previously believed.

While there are thousands of cultivars of wine around the world, almost all derive from just one species of grape, with the Eurasian grape the only species ever domesticated.

Until now, the oldest jars known to have contained wine dated from 7,000 years ago, with six vessels containing the chemical calling cards of the drink discovered in the Zagros mountains in northern Iran in 1968.

“When we pick up a glass of wine and put it to our lips and taste it we are recapitulating that history that goes back at least 8,000 years,” said Patrick McGovern a co-author of the study from the University of Pennsylvania museum of archaeology and anthropology, who also worked on the earlier Iranian discovery.

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Record number of Georgian wine companies take part in ProWine China

15.11.2017 (Hvino News) A record 33 Georgian wine companies are participating in ProWine China in Shanghai - that's 3 companies more than last year. One of largest wine fairs in China is open on 14-16 November in Shanghai's SNIEC exhibition centre.

The full list of Georgian companies represented at ProWine China follows below. In addition, a Georgian masterclass is featured in ProWine's programme. The seminar called "Guide to Premium Georgian wines" by Debra Meiburg MW is scheduled for November 15 at 1:45pm.

Participating Georgian wine companies:

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

"The New York Times": Wine from prehistoric Georgia with an 8,000-year-old vintage

By Nicholas St. Fleur

14.11.2017. Raise a glass to Georgia, which could now be the birthplace of wine. The country, which straddles the fertile valleys of the south Caucasus Mountains between Europe and the Middle East, may have been home to the first humans to conquer the common grape, giving rise to chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and thousands of other reds and whites we enjoy today.

In a study published Monday, researchers found wine residue on pottery shards from two archaeological sites in Georgia dating back to 6,000 B.C. The findings are the earliest evidence so far of wine made from the Eurasian grape, which is used in nearly all wine produced worldwide.

“Talk about aging of wine. Here we have an 8,000-year-old vintage that we’ve identified,” said Patrick McGovern, a molecular archaeologist from the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and lead author of the study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Georgian wines are the oldest wines in the world

14.11.2017. The Georgians were producing and enjoying wine in the Caucasus as far back as the Neolithic period (6000-5800 BC), new research released today by PNAS reveals. These are the earliest tangible signs of viticulture and winemaking ever discovered, some 600-1,000 years older than the previous recorded discovery of Hajji Firuz Tepe, in the Zagros mountain region of Iran.

The evidence was obtained by applying state-of-the-art technology to newly excavated materials from two sites in Georgia, with an international team led by Patrick McGovern, Scientific Director at Pennsylvania University, also known as the "Indiana Jones of ancient wine".

Georgia, which borders the Black Sea and is situated at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains between Europe and Asia, is noted for its dynamic, traditional winemaking activity. The country attracts interest from wine lovers and professionals alike.

Today Georgia remains faithful to its ancient traditions of making wine in qvevri, large ceramic pots which are buried underground, creating distinctive 'amber' wines. UNESCO has included this unique traditional method in its Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) list.

University of Toronto: Archaeologists find earliest evidence of winemaking in Georgia

by Sean Bettam

14.11.2017. Excavations in the Republic of Georgia by the Gadachrili Gora Regional Archaeological Project Expedition (GRAPE), a joint undertaking between the University of Toronto and the Georgian National Museum, have uncovered evidence of the earliest winemaking anywhere in the world. The discovery dates the origin of the practice to the Neolithic period around 6000 BC, pushing it back 600-1,000 years from the previously accepted date.

The earliest previously known chemical evidence of wine dated to 5400-5000 BC and was from an area in the Zagros Mountains of Iran. Researchers now say the practice began hundreds of years earlier in the South Caucasus region on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia.

Excavations have focused on two Early Ceramic Neolithic sites (6000-4500 BC) called Gadachrili Gora and Shulaveris Gora, approximately 50 kilometres south of the modern capital of Tbilisi. Pottery fragments of ceramic jars recovered from the sites were collected and subsequently analyzed by scientists at the University of Pennsylvania to ascertain the nature of the residue preserved inside for several millennia.

"Wine Spectator": Origins of winemaking in Georgia stretch back 8,000 years

Photo Wine Spectator / A. Dunlap
by Suzanne Mustacich

14.11.2017. Archaeologists uncover evidence of grapegrowing and winemaking from 6000 BCE in two ancient villages in Georgia. Dr. Patrick McGovern confirmed evidence of winemaking from Stone Age sites near Tbilisi.

Archaeologists excavating in the Republic of Georgia have unearthed wine jars dating back to 6000 BCE, the earliest evidence of the domestication of the Eurasian grapevine for the purpose of making wine.

The discovery hinges on pottery fragments from eight ceramic jars found 30 miles south of the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, a short distance from the modern border with Armenia and Azerbaijan, during the re-excavations of two ancient Stone Age village sites.

The ceramic fragments were taken for a battery of state-of-the-art chemical analyses at the University of Pennsylvania, where Dr. Patrick McGovern, scientific director of the Biomolecular Archaeology Project for Cuisine, Fermented Beverages, and Health at the Penn Museum, confirmed the presence of tartaric acid, as well as malic, succinic and citric acids, in the residue in the jars. McGovern is a biomolecular archaeologist with a passion for unlocking the mysteries of ancient alcoholic beverages. Tartaric acid is a chemical marker used to identify the presence of grapes and wine.

Monday, November 13, 2017

Georgian wine on Europe's ARTE television channel (with video)

13.11.2017 (Hvino News) European television channel ARTE is broadcasting a French documentary focusing on Georgian wine "Georgia: journey to the origins of the vineyard" (original title: Géorgie : voyage aux origines de la vigne in its series  "Vines and men" (Des vignes et des hommes). Directors of the film produced by ARTE France are Sarah Carpentier and  Eric Michaud.

ARTE's introduction reads: "A fabulous journey through the most amazing vineyards on the planet, shaped by age-old traditions. Vine and wine were born in Georgia at the foot of the Greater Caucasus more than six thousand years ago. Since ancient times, the wine is made there and kept in jars, buried in the earth, the "qvevris" ... A unique technique, which almost disappeared under the Soviet era, and the winemaker Soliko Tsaishvili and others have saved and perpetuate"

Full documentary can be viewed below (in French):



ARTE is a public Franco-German TV network, that promotes programming in the areas of culture and the arts.

© Hvino News

  ▼ View Map     Add new object    ▼ Read more info   

    Georgian Wine Catalogue   
   
 To add this Search Box to your website,  click  here. Many designs are available.

Official: Georgia increases wine export by 59%

12.11.2017 (Hvino News). According to official data, Georgia has exported about 61 million bottles of wine between January-October 2017, which is 59 percent more in comparison with the same period last year.

Income from wine export equaled $134,6 million that is 52 percent more than the same period last year,” the National Wine Agency reported.

Wine export grew to following countries:

China, by 41 percent- 6,086,733 bottles
Russia, by 87 percent-38,355,125 bottles
Ukraine, by 48 percent-6,237,652 bottles
Poland, by 18 percent-2,151,342 bottles
Latvia, by 31 percent-1,279,718 bottles
Belarus, by 42 percent-1,318,852 bottles
USA, by 68 percent-394,464 bottles
Germany, by 57 percent-367,342 bottles
Israel, by 149 percent-180,824 bottles
France, by 187 percent-98,194 bottles
Azerbaijan, by 76 percent-102,342 bottles

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

Georgian winemakers again are in the focus of "Napa Valley Register"

07.11.2017 (Hvino News). Napa Valley Register, an American professional wine business resource, has published a new article on Georgian wines.

"I first tried wines from the Republic of Georgia more than a year ago and wrote a piece titled “The Weird and Wonderful Wines from the Republic of Georgia.” In that piece, I wrote, “There is so much for us to learn about Georgian wine. We can try to compare Georgian wines to wines we know but they really do not fit into a familiar category. Georgia is a country with indigenous varieties and unique techniques and winemaking styles,” - writes author Allison Levine, who is owner a marketing and event-planning agency.

"A year and a half later, I sat down for another seminar on Georgian wines. Wine consultant Taylor Parsons, who led the panel last year after returning from his first trip to Georgia, led the panel again.... He returned to Georgia again this year, and after his second experience, Parsons said he believes that it is our “obligation to tell the whole wine story” of the Republic of Georgia.

The author reviews several favorite wines from the recent tasting, including wines by Archil Guniava, Nikoloz Antadze, Aleksi Tsikhelishvili. Read original article here.

© Hvino News
 
  ▼ View Map     Add new object    ▼ Read more info   

    Georgian Wine Catalogue   
   
 To add this Search Box to your website,  click  here. Many designs are available.

Monday, November 6, 2017

Metallic qvevri used by winemaker in USA

06.11.2017 (Hvino News). Winemaker Gavin Robertson at Niagara College Teaching Winery in USA is using wine technology resembling that of Georgian qvevri to produce "Orange wine" of Sauvignon Blanc. The difference is that instead of millenia-old traditional use of clay, the modern vessels are made of steel.

Gavin Robertson says: "At NC Teaching Winery, we produce the majority of our wines using conventional, modern technology and scientific principles...  Our buried “orange wine” project will compare the relative simplicity of grapes interacting with microbiology at an appropriate temperature to all of the high tech, sophisticated ways that we achieve consistent, quality products in the modern industry.

The purpose of the project is to explore the idea, with our students and visitors, of low intervention or "natural" winemaking in a way that hearkens back to ancient winemaking techniques. These techniques were prevalent in Neolithic times in the geographic origins of the wine grape, in the Transcaucasian area between the Black and Caspian seas, in what is now Georgia and Armenia"

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

KTW to open a hotel in Akhasheni

01.11.2017. Bank of Georgia announces financing of the Kakhetian Traditional Winery (KTW) project. According to the bank, the group will build a 41-room hotel in Akhasheni, Kakheti region.

The wine cellar, sampling area, restaurant and swimming pool will be placed at the hotel. The investment portfolio of the project is 2.3 million USD funded by the Bank of Georgia. The funding has been issued within frame of the DCFTA project.

It is noteworthy that cooperation between the KTW Group and the Bank of Georgia has been established since 2014 and as a result of this, wine enterprises were opened in Velistsikhe, Keda and Askana.

Wine and brandy of KTW Group is sold in 17 countries worldwide. However, 70 percent of the product import from KTW Group production accounts for Ukraine.

KTW Group has built and equipped one of the biggest spirits industries at the territory of Velistsikhe wine enterprises financed by Bank of Georgia in the Kakheti region.

Construction of two fruit processing plants in Keda and Chokhatauri is one of the first partnerships between the Bank of Georgia and the KTW Group. The Bank of Georgia financed the project in 2014, which produces high quality, natural jams and compots under the brand “Nena”.

   
  ▼ View Map     Add new object    ▼ Read more info   

    Georgian Wine Catalogue   
   
 To add this Search Box to your website,  click  here. Many designs are available.

Monday, October 30, 2017

Interview with "qvevri-crazed" English natural winemaker

30.10.2017 (Hvino News) British professional wine medias have recently published a detailed interview with Ben Walgate - an English winemaker who is using Georgian qvevri on his farm in East Sussex. His interview to Doug Wregg, marketing director at natural wine importers Les Caves de Pyrene, first appeared in the company's blog as "Chatting with: Ben Walgate, the qvevri-crazed English natural winemaker". Soon it was republished by professional magazine The Buyer under title "Ex-Gusbourne chief Ben Walgate on his English Georgian qvevri-style wine".

"When you go and visit an English winery you would not expect to see the winemaker grappling with an underground Georgian qvevri. But Ben Walgate is determined to do things very differently from his former life with his new natural, biodynanic farm in Peasmarsh, East Sussex", - writes Doug Wregg.

Prior to starting his own farm, Ben Walgate was CEO at Gusbourne Estate, an important sparkling wine producer. When he became interested in natural wines, he "got on a plane and spent three months travelling around Europe, visiting natural and biodynamic producers. It was not only the wine, but also the people, and the approach, that appealed".

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Georgian Embassy hosted book presentation with Carla Capalbo

25.10.2017 (Hvino News).  Embassy of Georgia in Washington hosted the presentation of Carla Capalbo's book "Taste Georgia: A Food and Wine Journey in the Caucasus". Ambassador David Bakradze greeted the guests, followed by Ms. Capalbo describing her journey through heart and soul of Georgia. Guests of the event enjoyed the Georgian wine and appetizers specially selected and prepared from Carla’s book by our Embassy's chef Zuka Shonia.

According to Booklist Online review, “In addition to the brilliant photographs and 65-plus recipes, Capalbo introduces the warm hospitality and amazing wine regions of a country that spans the area between the mountains and the Black Sea. Georgian food and traditions charm.”

“And while the style of cooking and local dishes are distinct as you move about, and interesting details about the country’s lengthy, complicated history keep the pages turning, it’s the photos and descriptions of individual winemaking operations still utilizing thousand-year-old methods that capture the imagination. An agricultural country of stunning beauty far removed from the bustle of tourism-weary western Europe, Capalbo has done the great service of bringing the country’s treasures within reach of any visitor through the use of maps, listings of hundreds of places of interest, and suggested itineraries,” – writes Forword Review.

Friday, October 20, 2017

Kakhetian Traditional Winemaking to open store in Prague

20.10.2017. Kakhetian Traditional Winemaking plans to open a store in Prague, Czech Republic, the company head Zurab Chkhaidze told Business Course.

In 2016 the company set up KTW Europe subsidiary in Czech Republic, which supplies products to the Czech market. The new store will open in three months, he said.

Advantage of the European representation is that the company is able to receive small orders and this strategy is justified form the economic point of view, Zurab Chkhaidze said.

Nobody will send vehicles for 20-30 boxes from Georgia, while small volume may be bought on the local market, the company director said.

At the European representation the company sells wines, brandy, and food products under Nena brand.

   
  ▼ View Map     Add new object    ▼ Read more info   

    Georgian Wine Catalogue   
   
 To add this Search Box to your website,  click  here. Many designs are available.