Hong Kong and Shanghai host Georgian wine festivals

The popularity of Georgian wine is growing in Asia thanks to several events dedicated to raise the profile of Georgian wine abroad.

Today the National Wine Agency of Georgia announced nine Georgian wine companies had presented their wines at Georgian wine festivals in Shanghai, China and Hong Kong.

Over two days festival guests were introduced to the rich history and culture of Georgian wine and were invited to taste the traditional Georgian tipple matched with Chinese cuisine.

Guests of the Georgian wine festival were able to taste wines from Bagrationi, Chateau Mukhrani, Dugladze Wine Company, GWS, Kakhuri Traditional Winery, Kakhuri Gvinis Marani, Winery Khareba, Mildiani and Unsakhelauri Vineyards.

The awareness of Georgian wine has been increasing in China. The whole wine industry is involved in promoting Georgian wine in the Chinese market. [Georgia’s] relations with China are improving at Governmental level, which also influences the volume of sales of Georgian wine,” said head of the National Wine Agency of Georgia Giorgi Samanishvili.

At both one-day festivals wine master Debra Meiburg accented the distinctiveness of Georgian wine.

Georgian wine can offer a great variety, for example, new types of wines and low-alcohol wines with fruit aromas. [Other festival] wine masters also praise Saperavi wine, which is very different. Chinese consumers who have very different taste can easily choose their favourite Georgian wine as this country offers really different sorts of wines,” said Meiburg.

Between January and June 2016 more than 1.9 million bottles of wine was exported to China, latest figures showed. This was a 148 percent increase than the same time in 2015.

Last year Georgia exported 2,672,154 bottles of wine to China - 122 percent more year-on-year.