Georgian Wine Essentials – a webinar
On the 23rd April Georgian Wine Essentials was the topic of a webinar hosted by Master of Wine, Sarah Abbott.
The webinar, which was attended by 100 wine professionals from the UK, USA and beyond, covered the fundamentals of Georgian wine regions, culture, history, grape varieties and wine styles.
Georgian Qvevri fascinate wine professionals
Polls conducted during the webinar revealed that the majority of attendees had not yet been to Georgia, but had tried Georgian wine, and were keen to know more. Polls also revealed that guests were most interested in learning more about wines made in qvevri, the clay fermenting vessels in which Georgians have made wine for 8,000 years.
Georgian wine culture resonates around the world
Guests included wine importers, retailers, sommeliers, wine educators and winemakers, who asked many intriguing questions, and shared insights that enlightened the whole group.
We heard how the Georgian red grape, Saperavi, is being trialled by a Tuscan winery interested in its properties of drought resistance and retention of acidity. And also how some winemakers in South Africa have imported Georgian qvevri in which to make Amber wines from Chenin Blanc – with exciting results.
It is clear that aspects of Georgian wine culture, renaissance, and uniqueness create connections and interest in open-minded, curious wine professionals around the world. For which we are profoundly grateful.
At a time of booming wine exports to the UK
The webinar guests also heard how Georgian wine exports to the UK have boomed by ten-fold, year on year for the first quarter of 2020. In January to March, over 100,000 bottles of Georgian wine were exported to the UK, compared to 10,000 bottles in the same period last year.
An edited version of the webinar and presentation is available to view below, and on our Youtube channel.
Please email Madeleine Waters (Madeleine [at] swirlwinegroup [dot] com) if you are a wine professional and would like to join future Georgian wine webinars and virtual tastings.
If your interest is personal, rather than professional, you may like to know that many importers and retailers of Georgian wine are holding virtual tastings over the next few weeks, as well as planning in-person events for later in the year – please see our Facebook page for details as the importers post them. You can also order Georgian Wine from a growing network of online suppliers.
Attendees found it very valuable
Thank you so much for this morning’s presentation, it was fascinating and the proof is that there were so many questions. The webinar really made my week. Maggie Rosen, journalist
That was a good seminar. Madeleine, thank you for organising, and Sarah, thank you for presenting in not necessarily the easiest of circumstances. I have been to Georgia a couple of times – ten years apart and love it, and enjoyed having a general refresher overview and update. Rosemary George MW.
It was excellent. I learnt so much from Sarah in that short time. The format with questions worked very well and now I am dying to go to Georgia. Genevieve Charot – Diploma Student
View an edited version of the webinar below:
