May 21, 2008
Georgian Companies Exhibit at the National Restaurant Association’s International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event in Chicago
Seven Georgian wine and brandy companies showcased their products at the two-day International Wine, Spirits & Beer (IWSB) Event, which was organized by the National Restaurant Association, in Chicago on May 19-20. ACDI/VOCA’s USAID-funded AgVANTAGE project and the Georgian Ministry of Agriculture facilitated the companies’ participation in order to introduce high-value Georgian products to new buyers, generate sales and allow the Georgian companies to survey the latest advancements in the industry. The event connected the exhibitors directly to restaurant operators, importers and distributors, who are looking for new trends and product lines.
“U.S. customers who value authenticity are constantly seeking out new and promising product lines, and Georgian wines have enormous potential to secure a niche segment in the market,” AgVANTAGE General Director Nikoloz Grdzelidze said.
The companies Telavi Wine Cellar, Badagoni, Teliani Valley, Tiflisi Marani, Tsinandali Old Cellar, Sarajishvili & Eniseli, and Vinoterra, together with their U.S.-based importers, presented wines and brandies at the show and were warmly received at the event.
“Visitors taste our wines and look amazed. They have never heard of Georgia and its delicious wines,” said Tiflisi Marani, representative of David Akhvlediani at the event.
The event yielded immediate and tangible results. Telavi Wine Cellar signed a contract with a distribution company in Maryland, and its wines will soon appear on the shelves of supermarkets in California, Maryland and New York. In addition, one of the largest distributor/importer companies in Eastern Europe began negotiations with Georgia's Badagoni for importing wines to the U.S. market.
Earlier in the year, ACDI/VOCA’s AgVANTAGE project helped to facilitate the first-ever order of wines from two Georgian wineries—Vinoterra and Tsinandali Old Cellar—to Whole Foods, the world’s largest retailer of natural and organic foods. Whole Foods has since placed an order for the second shipment. In addition, because of ACDI/VOCA’s help, Georgia’s primary brandy producing company, Eniseli & Sarajishvili, launched negotiations with America’s leading alcohol distributor, Future Brands Corporation.
Georgia’s participation in this event was extensively covered by Rustavi-2 TV, the Voice of America and National Restaurant Association’s magazine. IWSB is the industry's first and only professional event focused exclusively on alcoholic beverages, winemakers, distillers and brewers, food-alcohol pairing demonstrations, education programs and trends in the alcohol industry.
When Russia imposed an embargo on imports of Georgian wines in March 2006, the country lost its most important export market, which constituted about 89 percent of Georgian wine sales. In order to support Georgian wineries’ efforts to expand to new markets, ACDI/VOCA assists them in gaining exposure at key international marketing venues. In July 2007, ACDI/VOCA, with co-financing from the Georgian Ministry of Agriculture, helped six of Georgia’s leading wineries to participate at the internationally renowned Fancy Food Show in New York City. The exhibition provided a unique opportunity for the companies to gain U.S exposure and was the biggest display up until then of Georgia's agricultural products in the United States.
For more information on AgVANTAGE, click here.