Georgian Wine - National Wine Agency

More than 100 experts from around the world are participating in the 14th annual conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE), which is being held at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University. The event was attended by TSU Rector Giorgi Sharvashidze, Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia Levan Davitashvili, New York University Professor Carl Storchman, Chairman of the Georgian National Wine Agency Levan Mekhuzla, President of the America-Georgia Business Council Mamuka Tsereteli, Director of the National Museum of Georgia Davit Lortkifanidze, Georgian and foreign specialists, professors and students. 
Wine economists from the USA, Germany, UK, Japan, Hungary, France, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Netherlands, Italy, and Georgia discuss the wine economy and industry and share their experiences and ideas with colleagues.
"This is the first time the event of such rank is being held in Georgia. Professionals in this field have come from different countries. This will contribute primarily to the research of the issues related to the wine economy and the economic development of the country in general. Many have heard that there is a long tradition of wine production in Georgia, and now it is time to position it in the big market. We will talk about these issues at the conference," said Giorgi Sharvashidze.
The Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia Levan Davitashvili spoke about the importance of the conference for the country: "The participants of the conference will have the opportunity to learn more about the opportunities, culture, and traditions of the Georgian wine industry. We are having leading specialists in the wine sector here. The conference will greatly support the Georgian wine industry in terms of international recognition. We are trying to increase awareness of Georgian endemic varieties and winemaking methods. For example, traditional Qvevri wine-making technology is different from everyone else, which is the advantage of Georgian wine."
Foreign specialists will get to know the unique practices of winemaking and grape varieties in the homeland of wine. The conference will contribute to the development of international academic and educational cooperation in the direction of the wine economy; Also, it will help the Georgian wine industry to access the USA, Germany, UK, and other markets.
According to Mamuka Tsereteli, president of the America-Georgia Business Council, "the conference is another way for the world community to learn about Georgia's role in the development of wine culture. Georgia is a country in the vanguard in terms of both – the history and development of the wine industry. Being the hub of anything related to wine, wine history, wine economy, and wine policy is crucial for Georgia. This conference is of great importance in terms of the establishment of Georgian wine on world markets."
The annual conference of the American Association of Wine Economists is held at different times in the world's leading wine-producing countries and has a very important role in the development of the wine economy. The chairman of the National Wine Agency, Levan Mekhuzla, spoke in this regard: "This is another very important event and another acknowledgment that Georgia has appeared on the world map of winemaking and is perceived as a serious and important wine-producing country. This conference will once again contribute to raising the awareness of Georgian wine."
Karl Storchman, a professor at New York University, spoke about the significance of the uniqueness and culture of Georgian wine: "During the conference, we will discuss important issues related to the wine economy, such as climate change and marketing. Being here is very important for us because Georgia is a country of wine, it is known for many grape varieties, which is especially interesting for us. The world can learn a lot from Georgia."
  The 14th annual conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) is held with the support of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, the National Wine Agency, and the America-Georgia Business Council. The conference will last for 4 days. One of the parts of the event is a tour of Kakheti and Kartli, where the guests will learn more about Georgian varieties, wine production technologies, and Georgian wine culture and economy.