This year’s activities will aim to educate and engage trade and press in the US, a key strategic market for Georgia
New York, NY, June 28, 2023 – Wines of Georgia, the organization that represents and promotes the wines of the country of Georgia and is 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 its participation in several trade and press events for the United States market in the second half of the year, including trade trips to Georgia, joining the TEXSOM Conference in August, and organizing a Grand Tasting and Masterclass event in New York in September. The events aim to engage and educate key players in the industry, with the US as a top strategic market for Georgia. According to the National Wine Agency, US imports of Georgian wine rose in 2022, as in previous years, and the success is continuing into 2023.
Tamta Kvelaidze, Head of Marketing & PR at the Georgian National Wine Agency, says, “We are thrilled to witness the continued growth in Georgian wine exports to the US, as well as strengthen our relationships with this audience further this year. Our initiatives around education and awareness for importers, retailers, sommeliers and the media are an important part of the growth we are experiencing in this key market for Georgia, and we are excited to see the results.”
Wines of Georgia is coordinating two trips in 2023 for importers and wine retailers to explore the county’s wines as well as the culture and traditions of the region. The first trip in July will focus on importers and their distributor partners, and will include a masterclass on Georgian wine with Master of Wine and Wines of Georgia Campaign Ambassador Christy Canterbury, as well as visits to wineries that are both imported and not yet imported into the US. The trip for retail wine buyers in August will also be led by Christy Canterbury, and will be a deep dive into the region of Kakheti and the indigenous grape varieties of Georgia.
For the second year in a row, Wines of Georgia will be at TEXSOM to showcase the country’s variety of styles and producers. During the August 27 -29th TEXSOM Conference, Wines of Georgia will be sponsoring a lunch and two tables during the grand tasting, featuring wines from Askaneli, Château Mukhrani, Georgian Wines & Spirits Company, JSC Telavi Wine Cellar, Lopota LLC, Mtsvane Estate, Schuchmann Wines Georgia LTD, Shilda Winery, Tbilvino and Vaziani Company LLC.
The Grand Tasting and Masterclasses, to be held at the end of September in New York, will be the first of its kind for Georgia in the US. It will be a unique opportunity for media and trade to connect with the producers and wines of Georgia on a personal level as well as learn more about the country and its regions, its ancient wine culture, and its dynamic terroirs.
As the recognized cradle of wine, Georgia has an unbroken winemaking history dating back 8,000 years, with more than 500 indigenous grape varieties. Today, Georgia has approximately 55,000 hectares (nearly 136,000 acres) of vineyards, which remains consistent with recent years. Of these plantings, 31% are devoted to Saperavi, Georgia’s leading red grape variety. The country’s largest wine-producing region, Kakheti, produces 95% of the country’s wines, with Saperavi accounting for 35% of the overall production, at 90,000 tonnes, in 2022.
Globally, wine consumption declined in 2022 and wine exports from Georgia were significantly impacted by global events, including the ongoing war in Ukraine, high inflation and disruptions in the global supply chain. These disruptions in the worldwide supply chain have raised production costs and distribution expenses, in turn raising the retail price of wines. Overall, exports decreased, with the average price of exported wine up by 15% compared to 2021, resulting in a total export revenue of 36.6 billion euros ($39.9 billion) in 2022, a record level thus far.
In 2022, Georgia exported 107,3 million liters of wine to 65 countries, a 28% increase from the previous year. Red wine accounted for 73% of all Georgian wine exports, and 31% of exports were PDO wines. Profits from these exports were $252.5 million, with the average price of one liter of wine at $2.40.
According to statistics from the National Wine Agency for 2022, Georgian wine exports to key markets climbed by 15% overall, with the US increasing by 28%, Poland by 32%, Germany by 34%, Japan by 68%, and Baltic countries by 23%. Countries with the highest average price per liter for Georgian wine exports were Japan and the US, at $5.90 and $5.30, respectively.
In 2022, 1,324,710 bottles (750ml) of Georgian wine were shipped to the US, a 28% increase over the previous year. These exports consisted of 56% red wine, 29% white wine, 10% amber wine, 3% rosé and 2% sparkling, coming from 150 wine-producing companies. The total income for these exports was $5.29 million, up from $4.93 million in 2021.
This evidence of continued growth of Georgian wine exports to the US reflects the efforts by the Georgian National Wine Agency’s push to educate US media, trade and consumers as part of their prioritization of the US as a key export market.
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.
