Just three years ago, Georgian wine (and Georgia as a country, really), was unknown to all but the geekiest and most experimental of vinophiles. But, in true Georgian style, change has come quickly. A new focus on exports and enthusiastic response of UK wine buyers and sommeliers, combined with mainstream media promotion of Georgia as an amazing and varied tourist destination, has put Georgia firmly in public view.
One thing Georgians love is to celebrate their wine – and they love to party. Every city and village in Georgia has some form of wine festival, either to celebrate the release of the new wine in Spring, or the gathering in of bountiful harvest in September.
After a successful event in 2018, Georgian Wine UK is bringing a slice of the Georgian wine festival action to the UK once more.
2019 Georgian Wine Festival
The Georgian Wine Festival is a series of tastings, supras and promotions running through the Autumn. Our program includes tastings hosted by the Georgian Wine UK press office, and promotions initiated by importers, wholesalers and retailers of Georgian Wine.
Tastings and talks for the trade
Festivities kick off with a duo of tastings for trade and press, one in Manchester, one in London. They’re free to attend and a brilliant opportunity for members of the UK trade to taste their way around Georgia, also via intimate masterclasses led by Georgian wine expert, Sarah Abbott MW.
Sip, sniff and taste some more: London Qvevri Wine Festival 2019
These are followed by a consumer-focused walk-around tasting, hosted and promoted by four independent Georgian wine importers: Taste of Georgia; GvinoUK; 8000 Vintages, and Proper Natural Wine.
This tasting offers a seriously exciting opportunity for Georgian wine lovers – or the Georgian wine curious! – to get to grips with the more than 20 qvevri made wines.
The £32 ticket includes tastes of all of these, not to mention the crucial other element of Georgian cultural life: food! Not to mention two unmissable masterclasses teaching you all you need to know about Georgian qvevri wines (starting with what on earth ‘qvevri’ are!) and winemaking. These unmissable classes will explore and explain the incredible survival of this ancient method. Qvevri solve a lot of wine-making problems, and that’s why their use has never died out! Come and find out more!
As well as wine and food and interesting discussion, the festival also features a live performance of Georgian dance and plenty of information about Georgia, its ancient traditions of winemaking, culinary culture and the unconditional hospitality.
Guests will have a chance to purchase/order wines at discounted prices directly from the importers, Georgian delicatessen from the Georgian caterers, and books about Georgian wine and cookery from the author Anna Saldadze of Apricate Books.
We hope to see you there!
