Become Sommelier - Campaign Has Started
Georgian Sommelier Association and Tbilisi Wine School joint campaign has started.
Joint press-conference was organized by the president of Georgian Sommelier Association Shalva Khetsuriani, head of National Tourism Administration Giorgi Chogovadze and head of Marketing and PR department of National Wine Agency, Irakli Cholobargia, they spoke about the details and importance of the campaign.
As Shalva Khetsuriani stated, the aim of the campaign is to develop sommelier profession and improve the culture of wine consumption.
“The aim of “Become Sommelier” campaign is to develop sommelier profession in order to have more skilled professionals in the field, to improve the culture of wine consumption and availability of information about Georgian wine culture for foreign visitors. We became a member of International Sommelier Association two years ago and since that, we have started to develop international standards in the field. We are open for anybody interested in this profession” - stated the president of Sommelier Association.
Sommelier certificated course students are HoReCa and tourism sector staff, people interested in starting wine business, also the staff of wine sector and amateurs.
“The course is created for people, who want to learn sommelier profession to be employed in HoReCa sector, so we try to help them with employment as far as we can. The second category is people, who want to start wine business. The campaign also took the interest of wine lovers, who want to improve their knowledge in the field” - announced Shalva Khetsuriani.
He also said, that students, who pass Georgian Sommelier Association (GSA) national and WSET international exams of equal level will be made a “Sommelier” or “Assistant Sommelier” admitted by GSA.
As the head of National Tourism Administration says, wine tourism development encouragement is one of the prior courses.
“Tourism is prior field of our country. Wine, wine tourism and improvement services in wine products is very important, as one of our main goal is to improve wine tourism and get interest of more people in traveling in Georgia exactly in wine tourism line. The project “Become Sommelier” is important as for increasing quality in service centers, as general realizing and development of wine culture in Georgia” - stated Giorgi Chogovadze.
As Irakli Cholobargia estimated, the project has important marketing pressure on Georgian wine popularization.
“When a tourist comes and meets high quality service, that gives opportunity to feel Georgian wine perfectly, so he will return to his country and keep Georgian wine consumption. So, this campaign is an indirect marketing trend for Georgian wine popularization. Wine tourism is one of the crucial components for our country and the projects of this kind will provide progress of wine education” - said Mr. Cholobargia.
This is the second time the campaign “Become Sommelier” is organized. In 2015, 80 students passed certificated course of sommeliers, 21 of which were made a “Sommelier” or “Assistant Sommelier”.
The updated program will last 6 months. The lectures will be in Georgian and English languages.
Georgian Sommelier Association is the official provider of world leader wine education organization WSET.
Tbilisi Wine School is supported by Tourism Administration of National Wine Agency of Agriculture of Georgia, “Adjara Group” and hotel “Rooms”.