8 Georgian wines and chacha win top awards at China's CWSA contest

28.08.2018 (Hvino News). Eight Georgian wines and one chacha were awarded with double gold awards at China Wine & Spirits Awards (CWSA) 2018. Besides the top  "double gold" wards, Georgian wines won 23 gold medals, 5 silver and 9 bronze awards. This is a huge progress compared to last years' performance at CWSA.

The full list of Georgian prize-winners follows:

Double Gold:

• Alaverdi Tradition red 2016, Badagoni 
• Alaverdi Tradition white 2016, Badagoni 
• Chacha Original, Badagoni 
• Tamada Qvevri Red 2014, GWS 
• Mukuzani 2014, Kakhuri Gvinis Marani 
• Kartuli Vazi Saperavi Budeshuri 2016, Tiflis Wine Cellar 
• Kartuli Vazi Kindzmarauli 2017, Tiflis Wine Cellar 
• Réserve Royale 2014, JSC Château Mukhrani 
• Nelkarisi Saperavi 2014, JSC Friends' Cellar 

Georgia Capital buys rest of winemaker Kindzmarauli Marani

22.08.2018 (Hvino News) Georgia Capital (BGEO Group) announced the buyout of the remaining 39.5% equity stake in Kindzmarauli Marani on Wednesday.

The London-listed firm said that, following its acquisition in April, it held a 60.5% indirect interest in Kindzmarauli through a locally-established special-purpose vehicle.

"Georgia Capital expects that the purchase of the minority stake will strengthen its existing beverage business with an increased presence in the growing domestic and international markets for Georgian wine," the board said.

In May 2018, BGEO Group announced that Georgia Capital (its investment arm) has acquired a 60% indirect controlling interest in Kindzmarauli Marani LLC for $7.25 million. Read more: Georgia Capital acquires control over Kindzmarauli Marani.

BGEO Group is a UK-incorporated holding company of a Georgia-focused investment platform. BGEO already has stakes in another leading wine company Teliani Valley, and in many other industry sectors including  Aldagi (insurance sector), m2 (real estate), Bank of Georgia.  

© Hvino News

The First Saperavi World Prize: RESULTS

Georgian wine ranked 5th most expensive in the world

22.08.2018 (Hvino News). American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in its Twitter recently published a table entitled "Unit Value of Wine Exports", based on United Nations Comtrade database. According to the table, Georgia ranked 5th in the world by wine export price - at $3.49 per liter in 2014-2016.

The world's costliest wine comes from France at $6.59 per liter.

In the average, Georgian export wine is more expensive than Italian ($3.06) or Spanish ($1.32).

Wine industry professionals have contrasting opinions if high export price is good or bad for Georgian wine export.

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The First Saperavi World Prize: RESULTS

Hailstorm damaged vineyards and other farmlands in Georgia's Kakheti region

19.08.2018 (Hvino News). A heavy hailstorm hit Kakheti's capital Telavi and Akhmeta municipality, which is in the heartland of Georgia's main winemaking region.  Heavy rain and hail damaged vineyards and other  farmlands.

"Everything that could only be destroyed was destroyed. In total during this year, the hails have destroyed approximately 200 hectares of agricultural land. The main problem is that the vineyards are not insured, so the owners can not get compensation," - said David Mamukelashvili, representative of the municipality in the village of Matani.

The mudflows flooded several streets of the city on Telavi and hampered the traffic movement. The first floors of the houses were also flooded.

Emergency Management Service received 51 notices from Telavi and Akhmeta districts. No one was injured.

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The First Saperavi World Prize: RESULTS

"Georgian Wine Asian Tour" started in Singapore and South Korea

09.08.2018  (Hvino News). "Was so impressed by the high interest in Georgian wines by the top sommeliers in Singapore!" - commented Debra Meiburg MW, who leads "Georgian Wine Asian Tour 2018" - a series of Georgian wine promotion events in South East Asia.

The Tour started in Singapore and South Korea. It will continue in China (Shanghai, Macao, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong-Kong).

Organized by Meiburg Wine Media, the Georgian wine tasting events within "Asian Tour 2018"  are attended by wine importers, representatives of media, restaurants and hotel chains. About 10 Georgian wineries are represented.

South-East Asian countries are an important market for Georgian wine. During the first seven months of 2018, export to South Korea reached 40,980 bottles (growth 1,305 percent), as for Singapore – 40,800 bottles (growth 7,600 percent).

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The First Saperavi World Prize: RESULTS

Official: Georgia earns $107 million by exporting wine in January-July

08.08.2018 (Hvino News). According to official state resource, Georgia exported 45.4 million bottles of wine to 50 countries in January-July of 2018, and earned about $107.8 million from the export. The revenue increased by 28 percent, while the volume of exports rose by 19 percent.

The top five importing countries in January-July 2018 are:

Russia – 28,564,609 bottles
Ukraine – 5,040,319 bottles
China – 3,514,066 bottles
Kazakhstan – 1,996,860 bottles
Poland – 1,886,618 bottles

Georgia exported 9.9 million bottles of Georgian brandy (+20 percent) and 219,500 bottles of chacha (+114 percent) abroad in January-July 2018.

In total, Georgia has gained  $173 million from sales of alcoholic beverages abroad in January-July 2018, including wine, brandy, chacha and others.

© Hvino News

The First Saperavi World Prize: RESULTS

"Financial Times" on a new era for Georgian wine

'The country’s traditional wine specialities are culturally fascinating and globally unique'

by Andrew Jefford

04.08.2018. On New Year’s Day this year, Georgia and China implemented a free-trade agreement. In Beijing and Tbilisi, glasses were doubtless raised in celebration — as they should have been for a deal that linked the world’s two oldest alcoholic-beverage cultures.

Organic residues found in pottery from the Chinese Neolithic village of Jiahu in Henan province furnish the earliest attested traces of consumption of alcohol by our species: the villagers, between 9,000 and 7,700 years ago, seem to have drunk a mixture of wine fermented from either grapes or hawthorn fruits mixed with rice beer and mead. Archaeologists working in Georgia, meanwhile, revealed in November 2017 that the world’s oldest pure grape-wine residues had been found in two Neolithic villages, dating back about 8,000 years. China can claim to have fermented the world’s oldest drink, and modern Georgia the world’s oldest wine.