Georgian Wine - National Wine Agency

Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Levan Davitashvili attended the presentation on the main results of the Vineyard Cadaster Program and the awarding ceremony of one of the first fully-dual vocational education program - "Viticulturist-Winemaker" graduates in Georgia.
It was noted at the event that in 2014, the National Wine Agency started to create a cadastral system for vineyards. The Agency, on behalf of the German Government, has received significant support from the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) in developing the concept of the cadastral system.
"The vineyard cadaster is an important element for the Georgian wine quality control and for the development of the field in general.  The cadaster includes electronic information on agronomic data of both growers and vineyards. I think the creation of a viticulture cadaster is a very important step for the development of the Georgian wine sector and for increasing the awareness of Georgian wine in the international markets. The cadaster will support the full implementation of the legislation, which we have developed in cooperation with Europe, based on European principles, "- said Levan Davitashvili.
At the event, it was emphasized that successful cooperation was established between Germany and Georgia in creating a vineyard cadaster. In Kakheti and Racha-Lechkhumi, a number of activities were carried out to implement the vineyard cadaster program and develop the system.
The second part of the event was dedicated to the dual vocational education program  participants awarding ceremony. Twenty-five students successfully completed the three-year course. At the graduation ceremony, Levan Davitashvili noted that due to the importance of the wine sector, the training of professional staff in the field is of particular importance.
"Viticulturist-Winemaker" vocational program was approved in 2016 and it is one of the first fully dual vocational education programs implemented in Georgia, as 60% of the learning outcomes of this program are achieved in wine companies. Program modules and learning outcomes are defined according to the requirements of the private sector.
Today, the program is implemented by three colleges together with up to 35 wine companies. Up to 80 young people are in the process of learning. Georgian Wine Association supports the implementation and coordination of this program.
 Several modern textbooks have been developed for the program, such as: "Viticulture", "Winemaking", "Laboratory Analyzes of Wine", "Food Safety for Cellars" etc.
The event was attended by the Ambassador of Germany to Georgia Hubert Knirsch, Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture Otar Shamugia, representatives of international organizations, public and private sectors.