American wine professional\'s tour in Georgia
With the leadership of International wine master Liza Granik (USA), a group of 10 members of wine professionals visited Georgia. (Liza Granik, Kyle Eberle, Giancarlo Luiggi, Carolyn Beaty, Aaron Zebrook, Amber Rill, Tristan Pray-Vincent, Bruno Almeida, Isabella Fitzgerald, Barbara Haimes).
Within the framework of a week wine tour, American guests visited wine companies and small wineries in Qartli and Kakheti: \"Gotsa Wines\", \"Alaverdi Monastery Cellar\", \"Daniel Winery\", \"Shalauri wine Cellar\", \"Telavi Wine Cellar\", \"Schuchmann-Wines Georgia\", \"Shumi\", \"Teleda\", \"Our Wine\", \"Peasant\'s Tears\", \"Nika Bakhia\'s Cellar\", \"Chelty\", \"Teliani Valley\", \"Lagvinari\", \"Chateau Mukhrani\", \"Tbilvino\", \"Vinoteli\" and \"Bagrationi 1882\".
As the leader of National Wine Agency contractor company \"Tastingwork\", Liza Granik stated, Georgian wine quality is increasing every time. \"Georgian wines are changing every single year, and you can see that for many producers, the quality, the desire to produce very high quality wine in the world level, increases every single year, there are different kinds of wines here, in Georgia, because some are made for more commercial production and then there are some trying to be more artisinal, quality standards are involving in both sections\"- mentioned Liza Granik.
Within the framework of the visit, the guests had opportunity to taste Georgian wine and cuisine, learn Georgian wine history and culture.
As the head of National Wine Agency, Giorgi Samanishvili stated, presentation of Georgian wine to American wine professionals is very important, as the USA seems to be one of the potentially increasing and important export markets for Georgian wine.
\"Generally, USA market is very complicated market, as American consumer is very exacting towards the quality and name. Georgian wine publicity on American market is not high yet, though it increases year after year as a result of visits of such professionals and the cellaboration we have on this market. Now, the professionals are tasting Georgian wines here and the impression they will have will not be the same as to read about some or see any else\"- mentioned Giorgi Samanishvili.
National Wine Agency carries active marketing activities, that provides Georgian wine publicity and competitiveness increase on American market and Georgian wine export area general widening. According to the data of 8 months of the current year, 172 thousand bottles(0,75l) of wine have been exported Georgia to the USA, that is 10% higher, than the similar data of the last year.