Month: December 2023

Known as ‘the cradle of winemaking’, Georgia has a history of over 8,000 vintages. With over 500 indigenous grapes and a unique winemaking tradition of qvevri, this stunning mountainous country has a few cards up its sleeve to impress even the most discerning palates. This has been once again proven by the IWSC’s 2024 Wine Judging in Georgia which had our international experts sing praise to Georgian grapes and wine styles. At the end of the tasting, organised in partnership with The Gurjaani Wine Festival and National Wine Agency of Georgia, we sat down with our judges, David Kermode, Will Hill, Cat Lomax, as well as Head Judge Alistair Cooper MW, to hear their opinions of Georgian wines and their future on the global stage.

“I am very impressed. This is my second trip to Georgia – the first one was 4-5 years ago. And I have seen a qualitative leap forward in those four to five years. We found some absolutely world-class wines during this judging,” shared Head Judge Alistair Cooper MW.

The medal results are a testament to the consistent quality of Georgian wines – this year, out of nearly 450 wines that entered the competition, more than 60% were awarded with medals, including 18 golds. These results are similar to last year’s Georgian Wine Judging, when around 57% of wines received medals, including 16 golds.

It is not just the quality, but also the diversity of Georgian wines that impressed our judges.

“There are so many different styles on the show! And not just styles from one variety to another. But regionally, we are seeing a lot more identifiable dependency between where grapes are coming from, and the kind of winemaking decisions that are very, very clear in the glass,” said Will Hill.

Cat Lomax praised the distinctive character of the Georgian wines tasted: “Some of the top-flight wines that we awarded golds were truly standout and incrediblymemorable in terms of the aromas that you get in the glass. They just have a real hallmark, an individuality sort of stamped onto them, which is just distinctive for this one country in the world. So yes, they are qualitatively, very much up there with the best wines.”

Some of the most distinctive Georgian wines are certainly skin-contact wines made in qvevri, noted the judges who were impressed by the way qvevri allows the grape character to shine through, while also adding a rich texture to the wines.

“Something we found was quite consistent in qvevri wines was this umami kind of flavour. Sometimes it presented itself as a kind of soya bean, sometimes a little bit more like parmesan cheese, but in a very desirable subtle way. And the texture that can come from using a qvevri is something you don’t really get from other vessels. This wonderful integration of spice and tannin, and this drying kind of finish!,” shared Will Hill.

The judges emphasised that when it comes to qvevri-made orange wines, careful extraction is crucial for maintaining the balance and avoiding the overly dry sensation on the palate. When done well, these wines are outstanding and their ageing potential is truly remarkable, said the judges.

“Ithink, very often they are wines that need to be drunk with food – due to the grip they have. But they offer such fantastic opportunities for pairing with food! So they’re kind of a sommelier dream, I think because they can go with so many things,” added Alistair Cooper MW.

However, a sommelier’s dream could be a retailer’s nightmare pointed the judges, as selling these wines off a supermarket shelf might prove challenging.

Cat Lomax shared some tips for the producers: “The brilliant thing about selling wines in a restaurant is a hand-sell moment – the sommelier can give you the story, explain exactly why this wine will go perfectly with this particular dish. That’s very different in a supermarket environment where you have nobody guiding you – all you have is a small ticket and a label. So the more guidance you can give consumers to help them on that journey, the better it will be in terms of results, both in terms of sales, but also loyalty, because you’ll have a customer who understands your wine and knows when to drink it”.

Placing more emphasis on the labels and including tips and hits for consumers, such as serving and food pairing suggestions, was something our judges recommended to Georgian producers.

Speaking of the standout grape varieties, our experts highlighted Saperavi, often named the ‘king of Georgian grapes’ – a well-deserved title, according to the judges who described these big bold red wines as consumer-friendly and compared them to Malbec.

Alistair Cooper MW shared: “I think it’s a great variety that will appeal to many people. And that I think, is one of its star qualities, in a way linking it to something like Malbec – it’s just as ‘user-friendly’. It’s accessible for the less engaged consumers yet right the way up to very engaged consumers and professionals. I think it has a lot to offer. And it can age really well.”

The judges admired the rich exuberant character of Saperavi wines, emphasizing that this grape also requires careful extraction and skillful tannin management.

“Stylistically, I think the most successful Saperavi wines that we have tasted have had really intelligent management of tannin. Obviously, as a big, rich grape variety, it’s quite easy to verge into very extracted wines and to get very drying tannins. So, as I said, the more successful wines are where that tannin has been reined in. It’s ripe, it’s adding a bit of grip, but it’s not dominant. And there’s lovely fresh acidity on the finish so that you get a lovely kind of juiciness,” shared Cat Lomax.

As for the other grapes that performed well, the judges highlighted a few white varieties – specifically, Kisi, Rkatsiteli, Khikhvi and Mtsvane Kakhuri.

“I think Kisi does very well in qvevri styles, but in non-qvevri as well. It’s floral and aromatic, but not overly so, not like, let’s say Torrontes or Gewurztraminer can be. I think Kisi has got this lovely, more restrained morality than those grape varieties, perhaps with some minerality on the palate, looking more towards Gruner Veltliner or something like that. so I think that it’s a great variety that is very much in line with what’s trendy at the moment,” shared Alistair Cooper MW.

Judge Will Hill added: “I found some exceptional examples of Rkatsiteli even with a few years of development in the bottle which was very exciting. But in terms of some of the qvevri wines we tried, Khikhvi in particular, was wonderfully spicy, with great texture – it is one of my favourites I found in qvevri. We were pleasantly surprised by another grape– Mtsvane Kakhuri – the elegance that we found in this grape really produced some of the best qvevri wines we came across.”

Summarising the tips and advice for Georgian wine producers who are aiming to grow their export, our judges, once again, emphasised that the quality is there – now it is time to focus on branding and storytelling. Start with the label, said the judges. Make sure the front label is easy to read and understand for consumers across the world, and the back label contains some clear and not overly complicated descriptors – such as, what the wine tastes like, how to enjoy it, what to pair it with. As for the winemaking practices – careful extraction is key.

Cat Lomax explained: “Across both reds and qvevri wines, one of the key messages I would give would be about managing tannins. It’s very easy, as we’ve already mentioned, with Saperavi to end up with big extracted wines with quite grippy, chewy tannins. The same can be said of qvevri wines. The longer skin contact can result in a wine that is quite drying. So it’s all about thinking about that last sensation in the mouth. Is it juicy and fresh? Or is it drying? And if it birding towards drying, you’ve probably extracted a bit too much.”

Alistair Cooper added, that focusing on youthful, fruit-forward, easy-to-drink Saperavi at a slightly lower price point will help to win over new consumers and push the category forward.

Another tip the judges shared is working closely with independent retailers who can become true ambassadors of Georgian wines. “Independent specialists have a loyal following of customers, and they’re growing well. So many people that I know that are not in the wine industry, that are semi-engaged or engaged consumers, trust these gatekeepers. So I think we need to make sure that those gatekeepers and those independents are engaged, because they have a huge role to play in furthering the accessibility of Georgian wines to consumers,” said Alistair Cooper.

Georgia is a very special place for a wine consumer to explore, with authentic wine traditions and unique grape varieties, said the judges. At the same time, the country successfully combines its heritage with modern winemaking techniques, producing wines that are easy to understand and enjoy anywhere in the world. It is exciting to see the quality of Georgian wines grow, and our judges are looking forward to diving deep into the country’s authentic wine styles next year.

Our team of international experts spent an eventful week in Kakheti, Georgia’s biggest wine region, during our Global Judging event organised in partnership with the Gurjaani Wine Festival and National Wine Agency of Georgia.

The judges visited Kakhetian wine producers, from big, benchmark wineries to boutique, family-run projects, and tasted their way through over 500 entries. This year, in addition to the wines from Georgia itself, we were delighted to welcome entries from Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The judging panel was overseen by Alistair Cooper MW. A stellar team of international experts joined Alistair at the tasting table: Cat Lomax, Emma Penman, Will Hill, Georgios Iordanidis, Melania Battiston, David Kermode, Zara Serobyan and Salvatore Castano. Local Georgian judges also joined the panel bringing their invaluable insight and knowledge of the region.

“I am very impressed. This is my second trip to Georgia, the first one was 4-5 years ago. There has been a huge step forward in quality since that time; we enjoyed some absolute top-end wines during this judging,” shared Alistair Cooper MW.

The judges appreciated the careful use of oak, as well as the individuality and the distinctive regional character of many Georgian wines that entered the competition. This character really shone through in Georgian qvevri wines, which put on a brilliant performance: 9 golds and many more silver and bronze medals have been awarded to orange wines made following this tradtional method.

“The best-performing wines were orange wines – we found a number of great examples, which were a joy to taste. The very best of these won gold medals due to their fresh acidity, highly perfumed nose, elegant palate and restrained, non-drying extract,” shared the judges.

Kisi and Rkatsiteli are the grapes that showed particularly well when vinified in qvevri, said our experts. One of the highest scoring wines of the Georgian judging was a Kakhetian orange Rkatsiteli. The wine earned 97 points and a solid gold with judges praising its nose of sweet dried apricots, golden raisins and freshly baked pastry, as well as its velvety texture and a long lasting finish.

Saperavi, Georgia’s most widely planted red variety, was another standout grape with good results achieved by both qvevri and non-qvevri styles. The judges noted, when it comes to Saperavi, careful extraction, tanning management and a cautious use of oak are key. With the right approach in the vineyard and at the winery Saperavi yields juicy, lush, well-structured wines.

“Saperavi is a great variety. It’s like Malbec in a way – it’s very accessible, it has a lot to offer, it’s very consumer-friendly. And it has the ability to age really well – we tasted some wines that were 13 years old and they showed really well,” shared the judges.

Overall, Georgian wines performed exceptionally well at this year’s tasting with more than 280 medals awarded in total.

Speaking of Armenian wines tasted this week, the judges highlighted that Areni from Vayots Dzor region performed well, with 9 strong medals earned by Areni wines.

“The most successful wines allowed the character of the grape to shine through (red cherry notes), but were ripe and had balanced acidity. We did find a couple of wines where the oak was too heavy, so this is something for producers to be conscious of when making decisions in the winery,” revealed the judges.

Other Armenian varieties that performed well were Akhtanak & Nrneni, said the judges. In total, Armenian wines received over 20 medals, with nearly half of all entries from this country being awarded.

Our 2024 Awards officially kicked off with the IWSC Wine Judging in Georgia. Last week, we were delighted to hold a Global Judging event in this country for the second time – after the roaring success of the 2023 judging.

This year, in partnership with the the Gurjaani Wine Festival and National Wine Agency of Georgia, the judging took place in Kakheti, Georgia’s key wine region. In addition to the wines from Georgia itself, we welcomed entries from Armenia and Azerbaijan. With over 500 entries, this year our Wine Judging in Georgia was an even bigger event.

Our judging panel was led by Master of Wine Alistair Cooper who was joined by internationally renowned on-trade and off-trade wine experts and communicators:  Cat Lomax, Emma Penman, Will Hill, Georgios Iordanidis, Melania Battiston, David Kermode, Zara Serobyan and Salvatore Castano. Local Georgian judges also joined our international panel.

Georgian wines put on a brilliant performance with 285 medals awarded in total, including an impressive number of 18 golds, over 70 silvers and over 190 bronze medals.

The judges were particularly impressed by qvevri-made, orange wines which, according to our experts, showed complexity and distinctive regional character. Georgian qvevri wines received 8 gold medals and many silver and bronze awards, with the highest-scoring wine of the competition being a qvevri wine – Kardanakhi 1888 LLC Tsarapi 2020. This entry received a stellar score of 97 points and a solid gold, the judges calling it a “super star” and admiring the “golden raisins and freshly baked pastries on the nose, with warm apricots and sweet spice. A velvet palate with a complex yet silky structure of toasted nuttiness, finishing on candied oranges and balanced acidity”.

Two more gold-winning qvevri wines received impressive scores of 96 points from our judges: LTD Kakheti Company Bedoba Orange 2021 (“complex and layered with wonderful precision. Ripe aromas of persimmon, sweet spice and ginger with a creamy yet textured palate”) and Mildiani Khikhvi Qvevri Bouquet 2018 (“a wonderfully expressive and aromatic bouquet with complex layers of tart quince, honey, dried mango and orange zest”).

Several gold medals were awarded to wines made of Saperavi – Georgia’s main red grape. The highest-scoring Saperavi wine also came from Mildiani Family Winery. Their Mukuzani Reserve 2018 received 96 points and a gold, the judges describing it as “richly-fruited and deliciously spicy”. Mildiani Family Winery were the most decorated producer of this year’s Georgian judging, with a total of 13 medals including 4 golds.

This year we saw over 50 Armenian entries take part in our Wine Judging in Georgia; about half of them were awarded with medals, including one silver and more than 20 bronzes. This shows positive change and progress happening in the Armenian winemaking said the judges, noting that wines made of Areni, Armenia’s indigenous grape, performed especially well.

We were delighted to see several Azerbaijani wines enter the competition for the first time and receive some bronze medals. With the country’s wine industry quickly growing, our judges were excited to taste some very good examples of Azerbaijani wines and are looking forward to tasting more entries from this country in the future.

Georgia’s position as a viticultural treasure was underscored by IWSC Executive Director Christelle Guibert at the recent awards ceremony. “Georgia’s wine industry stands unique, offering a diversity of wines that deserve global recognition,” Guibert stated. “Our mission to elevate Georgia on the world wine map is ongoing, and it’s our fervent wish to see it esteemed as the cradle of winemaking.”

The International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) wrapped up with an impressive showcase of 520 wines from over 170 companies. A knowledgeable jury awarded a total of 310 medals, with Georgian vintners sweeping all 18 golds. The silver medals included one notable recipient from Armenia, while the bronze medals were shared among Georgian, Armenian, and Azerbaijani producers.

Hosting the IWSC Wine Judging for the second time, Georgia has turned this event into a tradition that carries prestige for participating companies. Beyond the accolades, the competition affords winners the invaluable rewards of new skills, knowledge, and experience in the wine industry.

This year’s competition, in collaboration with the Gurjaani Wine Festival and the National Wine Agency of Georgia, expanded to evaluate wines from Armenia and Azerbaijan as well, signifying a regional celebration of winemaking.

Jury members, led by Alistair Cooper, president of Cata d’Or and global consultant for United Cellars, included renowned figures such as Europe’s Best Sommelier 2021 Salvatore Castano, and Emma Penman of Waitrose & Partners, among others. Georgian wine expertise was represented by local professionals like Levan Mekhuzla, Chairman of the National Wine Agency, and others.

The IWSC 2024 Wine Judging in Georgia, organized by the Gurjaani Wine Festival, is supported by entities including the National Wine Agency and sponsored by Teliani Valley and Bank of Georgia, reflecting the event’s role in championing Georgia’s ancient winemaking heritage.

The prestigious International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) concluded its latest edition, boasting a remarkable tally of 520 wines from over 170 companies. Georgian winemakers shone brightly, securing all 18 gold medals, while a single silver medal was awarded to an Armenian producer, and the 220 bronze medals were shared among 196 Georgian, 22 Armenian, and 2 Azerbaijani companies.

This gathering in Georgia, now a revered tradition for the second consecutive year, celebrated not only the victors but also served as a platform for imparting valuable industry knowledge, skills, and experience.

IWSC Executive Director Christelle Guibert praised Georgia’s distinct and storied winemaking history, expressing delight at the nation’s hosting of the competition. Alistair Cooper, Master Of Wine and jury chairman, was struck by the rapid progress he witnessed in Georgia, urging local vintners to maintain their forward momentum.

The competition, enhanced by a partnership with the Gurjaani Wine Festival and the National Wine Agency of Georgia, has grown into a regional showcase, assessing wines from Armenia and Azerbaijan alongside those from Georgia, reinforcing the region’s rich winemaking heritage.

Levan Mekhuzla, chairman of the National Wine Agency, reflected on the IWSC’s prestigious standing among global awards and its importance for companies looking to break into international markets, particularly in the US, UK, and Europe.

David Songulashvili, chairman of the sectoral economy and economic policy, hinted at the competition’s expansion next year to include even more countries, highlighting Georgia as a pivotal wine hub.

Among the winners, Giorgi Chiviashvili of Brica Winery and Eldar Mildiani of Mildiani shared their triumphs and the energizing effect of their success.

The competition’s judging panel comprised international experts including Europe’s top sommelier Salvatore Castano and Waitrose & Partners’ wine buyer Emma Penman, alongside local experts like Levan Mekhuzla and Ana Godabrelidze.

Organized by the Gurjaani Wine Festival, the IWSC 2024 Wine Judging in Georgia was supported by the National Wine Agency, National Tourism Administration, Gurjaani Municipality City Hall, and Gepra, with sponsorship from Teliani Valley and Bank of Georgia. This event underscored Georgia’s 8,000-year wine legacy and its deserved prominence on the global wine map.