‘First Large-Scale Export’ of Georgian Wine to U.S. Planned

10,500 bottles of Georgian wine, worth USD 48,000, will be sold in the Whole Foods Market (WFM) chain in the United States, in what has been described as the first large-scale export of Georgian wine to the U.S.

WFM, the world’s largest retailer of natural and organic foods, contracted Vinoterra and Tsinandali Old Cellar wineries in Kakheti, Georgia’s major wine-growing region, with the support of the U.S. government, the U.S. embassy in Tbilisi said on February 28.

WFM already sells Georgian wine produced by Teliani Valley since 2006. A total of 30,000 bottles of the Teliani Valley has been sold through WFM chain, according to the Georgian Wine House, the company that promotes Georgian wine culture and distributes Georgian wines in the U.S.

As part of a USAID-funded project, Georgian wine producers participated in the Fancy Food Show in New York last July to promote their products. In response, U.S. wine buyers visited Georgia to discuss business opportunities, which in turn resulted in WFM distributors contracting Vinoterra and Tsinandali Old Cellar wineries.

The first order of 10,500 bottles, the U.S. embassy said, will be bottled and shipped to Seattle. The volume is expected to more than double within a year.

Georgian Economy Minister Eka Sharashidze, U.S. Ambassador John Tefft and USAID Mission Director Robert Wilson will participate in a wine tour on February 29 to observe preparation for “the first large-scale export of Georgian wines to the U.S,” the U.S. embassy said.

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