U.S. Government Supports Georgia to Become One of the Key Wine Tourism Destinations Worldwide

On September 23, USAID’s Economic Prosperity Initiative (EPI) together with Tbilvino, one of the leading local manufacturers of wine, hosted world class wine critics at the Tbilvino office to conduct a wine masterclass and blind tasting. The event was dedicated to organoleptic evaluation and comparison of world wines to Georgian wines, as well as information sharing about the latest trends in the global wine industry. Four leading wine experts – Dr. Patrick Farrell, Lisa Granik, Peter Koff and Joel Butler – led the event.

This master class is part of a program designed by the EPI to familiarize 10 first class wine experts – wine masters, wine bloggers and writers, wine educators and consultants – with Georgia’s culture of wine and winemaking and to introduce the country as a favorable wine tourism destination. These wine opinion shapers have been visiting Georgia over the past week to discover the world’s oldest wine tradition. In order to increase their knowledge and appreciation for Georgian wine as a whole, the program included winery and monastery visits, an introduction to Georgian cuisine and Georgian polyphonic songs, wine tastings, and other traditions that surround wine culture in Georgia.

EPI is actively involved in the wine tourism industry because of the tremendous competitive potential of the sector. The project, administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is helping the sector improve the quality of services, build the capacity of wine tourism industry associations, and support marketing to promote the country as a significant destination for global wine tourism. Through these and other efforts, the US Government is helping to further the growth of the Georgian economy and create prosperity for the people of Georgia.