The names of the local judges for the International Wine Competition IWSC jury have been announced.

Georgia will host the International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) for the third time this year. The names of the local judges of the competition jury have also been announced, who will evaluate the submitted wine samples together with the star team of international judges. It is with their experience and knowledge that the competition will be held in compliance with the highest standards.

Among the Georgian judges are experts and people working in the field of wine: Levan Mekhuzla, Chairman of the National Wine Agency, enologist Mariam Khomasuridze and head sommelier Jaba Dzimistarishvili.

It is important that the number of foreign juries has increased even more this year, and the team of judges of the International Wine Competition, which will visit Georgia, will be led by a member of the jury, a well-known expert and popularizer of Georgian wine in the UK and Europe, Master of Wine Sarah Abbott. Sarah Abbott will be joined by an international jury, including wine buyers, senior sommeliers and wine consultants. This year’s competition once again brings together a distinguished team of professionals. Such as, David Kermode – wine writer and media professional. A former BBC editor, he currently hosts a popular podcast about wine and spirits. Georgios Iordanidis – Head of Wine at Annabel’s London. Specialising in the creation and development of wine programmes. Will Hill – Wine Buying Director at Novel Wines. Expert in discovering lesser-known wine regions, particularly in Eastern Europe. Rachel Pogmore – Wine Buyer at Enotria. Specialising in exploring new wine regions around the world. Sunny Hodge – Wine consultant and author. Known for her innovative approach to managing the wine business. Harry Crowther – Buyer and Consultant at Good Pair Days. Expert in everything from wine production to sales strategies. Eric Zwiebel – Wine Director and Head Sommelier at The Samling Hotel. Multiple winner of international sommelier competitions and Salvatore Castano – Best Sommelier in Europe and Wine Buyer at Friarwood.

“IWSC is one of the oldest and most prestigious wine and spirits competitions in the world, known for its high judging standards and the professionalism of its jury. Holding the IWSC international competition in Georgia has given local entrepreneurs the opportunity to gain international recognition both in the UK and in various countries around the world. The fact that IWSC is being held in Georgia for the third time indicates that there is great interest in our country from the IWSC side, as well as from the Georgian wine industry. The unprecedented growth in the number of participants and wines submitted each year indicates that Georgian entrepreneurs have truly seen the importance of participating in such competitions and are focused on producing the highest quality wine, as evidenced by the growing trends in Georgian wine exports to the European market,” notes Levan Mekhuzla, Chairman of the National Wine Agency.

For your information, IWSC 2025 Wine & Spirits Judging in Georgia, in collaboration with the Gurjaani Wine Festival and the National Wine Agency of Georgia, will be held in Tbilisi from November 27 to December 1, 2024. This year, winemakers will have an important new feature: in addition to wine products, it will be possible to submit chacha, brandy and other high-alcohol beverages to the competition. The competition provides winemakers with a unique opportunity to showcase their products in front of the jury members, internationally recognized, authoritative experts in the industry.

IWSC 2025 Wine & Spirits Judging in Georgia is the General Sponsor of the Bank of Georgia Business, the Official Sponsor is Teliani Valley Winery Competition Supporters: National Wine Agency, National Tourism Administration, Gurjaani Municipality City Hall and JEPRA

Competition Media Partners: Business Partner: Business Rustavi 2, Business Post, Ipress.ge, newsday.ge, cbw.ge, entrepreneur.com, Kommersant, Radio Utsnobi, Businesinsider.ge