IWSC Wine & Spirits Judging in Georgia: Medal Results and Producer Trophy Revealed
Last week, the IWSC’s international judging team flew out to Georgia for our fourth judging event in the country. This year, we were delighted to welcome entries from both Georgia and Armenia, alongside spirits from both regions.
This year’s IWSC Wine and Spirits Judging in Georgia , delivered in partnership with the Gurjaani Wine Festival and the National Wine Agency of Georgia, welcomed close to 400 entries from producers across Georgia and neighbouring Armenia.
Leading our international wine panel was Wine Judging Committee member Sarah Abbott MW, supported by a team of some of the UK’s most respected wine specialists: Will Hill, Rebecca Palmer, Sunny Hodge, Adam Michocki, David Kermode and Joanna Nerantzi. They were joined by Georgian industry professionals, whose regional expertise added vital depth to the assessment process.
On the spirits side, judging was guided by acclaimed sommelier and wine buyer Salvatore Castano.
The Medal Results
- 30 Gold medals
- 119 Silver medals
- 133 Bronze medals
White Wines
The Mtsvane flight organised by vintage was one of the strongest of all the flights, with every single wine scoring a medal, including a gold medal for Giuaani’s Special 2024, described by Rebecca Palmer as ‘concentrated and characterful, expansive on the palate’.
Kisi Qvervi 2024 from Avandi was praised by the judges for its ‘lovely structure with a slight oiliness, leading to supple tannins’. 3 other Kisi wines won gold medals, highlighting the quality of this variety.
A 2024 Rkatsiteli was awarded gold thanks to it’s ‘powerful and floral aroma’. Congratulations to GK Winery. Our judging panel highlighed the ‘exhilaratingly long finish’ and ‘layers of white flowers, candied lemon and fresh garden fruits’.
Red Wines
Red wines scored particuarly highly this year, with our judges awarding 12 gold medals to a diverse range of grape varities and styles. Saperavi wines took home 9 gold medals, proving both the quality and popularity of this bold wine style. This year’s two highest scoring red wines came from the same producer, Mildiani Family Winery who won gold medals for both their 33rd Anniversary 2017 and Saperavi Qvevri 2020.
An Armenian red wine was also awarded a gold medal, with Noa Red Reserve from Noah of Areni scoring 95 points and labelled by the judges as ‘lively’ and ‘well-integrated’.
Also worth noting, LTD Aleksandreuli secured a gold medal for their Usakhelauri Red 2024, made from Usakhelouri, a rare grape variety grown in Western Georgia.
Orange & Rosé wine
Georgia is a country famous for it’s amber/orange wines, producing some of the best wines of this variety in the world. Our judges were pleased with this year’s amber/orange wines, awarding 5 gold medals and a high number of silvers.
The highest scoring amber/orange wine was a 2024 vintage produced by Winery Gurjaani which scored 96 points thanks to it’s ‘intriguing bouquet’ and ‘vibrant palate’. Likewise, a 2019 Kisi aged in qvevri was awarded a gold medal and 95 points, and was highlighted by Salvatore Castano for its “intense nose and ripe fruit”.
One Rosé wine stood out in this year’s competition, with our judges awarding gold to Chkhaveri 2024 from Nodos Wine, finding it a wine of intriguing scent, textured blend and a dry and balanced finish. Two other wines were awarded silver medals, including Noa Rose Tozot from Noah of Areni and Vardisperi Rkatsiteli Rosé 2024.
Spirits
This year’s judging also included spirits from Georgia and Armenia and saw our judges award 4 gold medals, with each spirits scoring 95 points.
One of these gold medals went to Mildiani Family Winery’s Chacha Premium Classic Brandy. Chacha is a Georgian pomace brandy most widely made in the Kakheti region. Our judges were pleased with the smooth and intense palate of this particular entry.
Two other grape brandies secured gold medals. These were Grand Yerevan 10yo Brandy from the Armenian Wine Company, and an XO Brandy from Georgian Legend LLC.
The final spirits gold medal went to Caucasus Spirits LLC’s Somel Honey Spirit, a honey based distilled spirit made from honey orginating from natural mountain flowers. Our judging panel, led by Salvatore Castano, highlighted the delicate aromas of honey, and the balance of sweetness and spice that emerges on the tongue.
Wine Producer of the Year
Following the judging sessions, our judges were delighted to award the Georgian Wine Producer of the Year trophy to Giuaani Winery. Winemaker Giorgi Jmukhadze shared:
“It’s a very emotional moment. I had an expectation that we will win something, but not just how much, it’s just incredible. Winning the Producer of the Year is unexpected, and it’s a big honour for us. From seven samples we won so much gold and so much silver, it’s a big recognition. A trophy like this in Georgia makes a lot of producers more motivated, and it’s a great platform for everybody to showcase their wines and for Giuaani as well, of course. Thank you so much.”
Wine Judging Commitee member Sarah Abbott MW who oversaw the Wine Judging in Georgia added:
“Maria Giuashvili and team are making world-class wines in Manavi. These fine, pure whites, ambers and reds show the incredible quality potential of Georgia’s terroir. They combine heritage varieties, family commitment and technical precision with superb results. Their wine quality, together with their refined and beautiful enotourism, makes them a leader for the growing sector of fine artisanal wineries in Georgia.”