Gastronomy and Wine Portal

Georgia is fairly considered to be the cradle of winemaking. In 2015, ancient clay amphorae (qvevri) dating back 8,000 years were discovered at an archeological dig in southeastern Georgia. Researchers who analyzed the remains of grapes and grape seeds inside the qvevri dated them to 6000 BCE. This scientific fact proves ancient Georgia to be the oldest spot of grape winemaking in the world, which existed  5,000 years before the beginning of the Iron Age. Many of the vines cultivated in Europe and Asia are known to have Georgian origins. Nowadays this beautiful land of the ancient wine culture is cherishing the national heritage to produce some of the world’s most outstanding wines, with wine culture boosting the national tourism industry. It’s no surprise that Georgia is one of the leaders in the Wine Travel Awards 2023 public voting! The WTA team is glad to greet the Georgian winners. 

SHUMI Winery is the WTA 2023 winner in several categories: The Visiting Card of the Country / Must visit, Brand – the visiting card of the country, Progressive approach, Cultural mission, Magnet of the region, and Education in Enotourism / Unique program for Shumi Wine School. 

SHUMI Winery and tourist complex is located in the village of Tsinandali, Kakheti, in a legendary winemaking region of Georgia. This land belonged to the kings of Georgia and Kakheti, prince Alexander Chavchavadze.The winery has a 25-year history in viticulture and winemaking and has an impeccable reputation as a producer of Georgian wines. SHUMI has created a wide range of grape-based alcoholic beverages made using the company’s own unique technologies. SHUMI Winery was recognized as the Best producer of Georgia by the MUNDUS VINI Grand International Award. SHUMI is one of the leaders of Georgian enotourism. SHUMI Tourist Complex is unique both in infrastructure and in operation. The first Wine museum in Georgia, the first private ampelography collection, the Georgian Ethnographic Pavilion, the authentic Marani, where SHUMI’s wines are made in qvevri and aged in oak barrels, the famous Enoteca — a cellar vault holding SHUMI’s best wines, all surrounded by a beautiful garden with sculptures, make SHUMI an outstanding tourist location. 

SHUMI Wine School launched 6 years ago offers educational programs focusing on the history and development of viticulture, modern and innovative methods of laying and growing vineyards based on varietal biodiversity, and complete agrotechnological cycles of vineyard management. The program teaches the specifics of grape processing, modern innovative and traditional technologies for the production of wine and other alcoholic beverages of grape origin, vinification techniques, sensory assessment based on international rules, as well as current trends in the global wine tourism, including management, planning and promotion of “wine routes”. The program is taught by the experts of SHUMI, as well as well-known Georgian and international experts. The best students can get practical training at SHUMI Winery.

Chateau Mukhrani, the WTA 2023 winner in The Visiting Card of the Country / Must visit category, is one of Georgia’s most famous wineries which has been crafting fine wines since 1878. Since then, Chateau Mukrani has been the icon of quality, status, excellence, and style. 

Nowadays, Chateau Mukhrani located in Mukhrani village near Mtskheta, Kartli terroir, is one of the top wine destinations in Georgia, offering amazing wines and great services, combining the authentic traditions with the international best practices. Chateau Mukhrani is the country’s leader in both quality wine production, and wine tourism / hospitality. The XIX century Mukhrani Palace is a magnificent building, with luxurious the interiors created by an internationally acclaimed designer Juan Pablo Molyneaux. Molyneux’s interior designs refer to the past with a twist of the unexpected, combining fantasy and centuries-old techniques.

Château Mukhrani’s splendid XIX century palace is surrounded by the wood, French gardens and pristine vineyards. The dining area of the palace offers French cuisine with a local twist, accompanied by fine wines from Château Mukhrani cellars.

Askaneli Winery & Distillery, the winner of WTA 2023 pubic voting in two nominations, Brand – the visiting card of the country and Progressive approach, begins its history in a small village of Askana in the Guria region, where the winemaker Antimoz Chkhaidze, one of the founding ancestors, was engaged in the production of wine, selling it not only in Georgia, but also abroad. Nowadays, the founder of the company Gocha Chkhaidze is well-known for his incredible input in the revival of the Georgian viticulture, preserving and recovering unique grape varieties. Askaneli Winery & Distillery owns hundreds of hectares of vineyards, two winemaking facilities in Kakheti and Tbilisi and one fruit distillery in Guria. In addition to producing more than 60 labels of wine, the company produces aged brandy, chacha and sparkling wines. Askaneli is one of the largest companies in Georgia, engaged in the rescue and preservation of indigenous grape varieties and in the promotion of Georgian winemaking. 

Gocha’s Collection is the top line of premium wines from Askaneli, which Gocha Chkhaidze has created himself. The Collection includes three still wines: Prima, an elegant blend of Chardonnay and Rkatsiteli; Muza Qvevri, an outstanding blend of indigenous Rkatsiteli, Kakhuri Mtsvane, Kisi, Krakhuna and Mtsvivani aged in Qvevri, and Saperavi Reserve. One of its wines Prima is dedicated to his wife, to his muse, prima ballerina Irma Nioradze.

Besides its wineries, Georgia is well-known for hosting impressive international wine events, with WinExpo Georgia, the WTA 2023’s winner in the Enogastronomic Events / Magnet of the region category, being the most famous one. WinExpo Georgia is a leading wine industry exhibition with a continuous 15-year tradition. During all these years it has been providing the best opportunities for Georgian producers to present their products to both local and international markets. The expo’s visitors include wine agents, traders, HoReCa representatives, buyers from retail chains and wine boutiques, wine professionals, influencers and international media. WinExpo Georgia is attracting almost 4000 visitors annually, presenting up to 100 companies from different countries. The 15th International ExpoGeorgia Wine and Spirits Fair will be held on June 2-4, 2023.

Georgian wine tourism would hardly exist without inspired — and inspiring — travel guides. WTA team is happy to introduce two Georgian winners of WTA 2023 public voting in The brightest journey category: Daria Kholodilina a.k.a. Dariko Mogzauri and Sofia Nikabadze.

Daria Kholodilina is a Ukrainian-born and Georgia-based wine tourism specialist, and a big friend and promoter of Georgian wine. She is regularly blogging about Georgian wine in her social media under the moniker Dariko Mogzauri (Dariko the Traveler in Georgian). She participated in developing the Georgian National Tourism Strategy 2015-2025. Her contributions were focused on marketing and promotion.

Daria is also a co-author of the definitive (and only) English language guidebook to Georgia’s wine regions, “Georgia: A Guide to the Cradle of Wine.” Published in 2017, this book received the Geoffrey Roberts Award and was highly praised by major international media outlets in the world of wine: The Guardian, jancisrobinson.com, World of Fine Wine, and others. Daria is the co-founder of “Trails and Wines”, a tailor-made tours provider and a proud holder of the Best Niche Tourism Award 2019 at Georgian National Tourism Award. Based on the activity of Trails and Wines, she was listed as one of the 50 Most Daring Entrepreneurs of 2018 according to “Entrepreneur Magazine Georgia”.

Sofia Nikabadze, a well-known Georgian wine blogger, loves wines and travels a lot around Georgia to discover some interesting small family cellars and introduce them to wine lovers. She has been interested in Georgian wine making for 8 years. She is a graduate from the “Wine Connoisseur” Wine School and Studio and is the member of Georgian Wine Guild, “Wine and Grape Origin Alcoholic Beverage Tasting”. Sofia believes that Georgia is going through an era of wine renaissance: new wineries are emerging, the attitude towards Georgian wine is changing, more and more foreign experts, wine connoisseurs and consumers are interested in Georgian wine. All of this is thanks to the fact that Georgian wine finds its proper place in a big family of world wine.

And all this is happening due to outstanding work and effort of the Georgian winemakers, experts, wine travel professionals and wine enthusiasts. Bravo, Saqartvelo!

Georgia is fairly considered to be the cradle of winemaking. In 2015, ancient clay amphorae (qvevri) dating back 8,000 years were discovered at an archeological dig in southeastern Georgia. Researchers who analyzed the remains of grapes and grape seeds inside the qvevri dated them to 6000 BCE. This scientific fact proves ancient Georgia to be […]

The third war in the history of Prince Trubetskoi Winery became the impetus for changes.

Prince Trubetskoi Winery is the only historical chateau in Ukraine. The estate is located in the village of Vesele, Kherson region, and is more than 120 years old. It is no exaggeration to say that this is a piece of history that, before russian military aggression and occupation, every Ukrainian had a chance to get involved with.

The wines of Prince Trubetskoi have repeatedly won the highest awards at prestigious wine competitions. For example, in 2021, the Ukrainian wine that received a silver medal at Le Mondial des Vins Blancs Strasbourg was Rhine Riesling Limited white dry 2016 by Prince Trubetskoi Winery. According to some sources, Rhine Riesling Prince by Trubetskoi was awarded the Grand Prix at the Paris Expo back in 1900. In 2023, for the second year in a row, Prince Trubetskoi Winery was nominated for Wine Travel Awards.

But neither more than a hundred years of history, nor restored pre-revolutionary cellars with a luxurious unique wine collection, which was part of the historic and winemaking heritage, would stop the invaders from barbaric actions. Starting from the first hours of the full-scale aggression, the historic building of the chateau was occupied and looted by russian army, some of the rare collection bottles were broken, and warehouses were bombed. Even though unoccupied, until now the territory of the chateau is under daily shelling. Its recovery will take a lot of time and effort. Only 52 bottles remained from the entire valuable collection.

“The third war in the history of the Trubetsky Chateau pushed us for change,” says the owner. – We decided to rename our Prince Trubetskoi Winery to Stoic Winery, to pay due respect to the philosophy of stoicism and to show that no challenges and dramas can stop us in our desire to make fine wines. From now on, every drop of wine we produce will be just another demonstration of our perseverance and dedication to our work.”

Renaming is the first step towards a new goal and a new history, believe the winemakers of the historic chateau. The name “Stoic” is not chosen by chance. Stoicism is a philosophy of self-control, perseverance, acceptance of the situation and striving for the best, regardless of events.The winemakers emphasize that they respect the history and achievements of the founder of the winery, the Russian prince Trubetskoi, but believe that their identity and future should no longer be connected with the Russian prince.

The former Prince Trubetskoi Winery brought the last 52 bottles of wine which have been rescued from the occupation and shelling, to join the Wines of Ukraine stand at ProWein 2023. “This is all we had left, but for us participation in this expo was a small step on the road to recovery,” the winery management commented. – Among these bottles are those that survived after the explosion of our warehouse in Gostomel. Tens of thousands of bottles were damaged in this warehouse, but a few of them survived. We are currently updating our plans and setting clear goals and… we are changing our name!”

Some visitors of the Wines of Ukraine national stand at ProWein literally cried when they looked at the “before / after” photos of the historic chateau. “Our Ukrainian colleagues were delighted that we did not give up, even though we lost everything… both the building and the wines,” says Serhiy Parkhomchuk, Marketing Director of (formerly) Prince Trubetskoi / Stoic Winery, who personally participated in the expo. 

So – Stoic Winery! The unbreakable historical chateau considers its strategic task to restore the production of high-quality wines, restoring their modern production complex with all the most updated vinification assets. “Our primary task, of course, is to resume wine production and sales. This is an extremely important factor for recovery,” says Parkhomchuk. As well as renovation of the winery’s own laboratory, de-mining and cultivation of 200 hectares of vineyards, renovation of the hotel and tourist complex, in other words —  continuing to create the history of this magnificent land.

Of course, all this will happen when there will be safe access to the estate. But we all believe this time will come soon! The winemakers of Stoic Winery are full of enthusiasm and energy, because, from now on, courage and a steady approach to all life’s challenges are embedded in their new brand.

Photo: Stoic Winery Press Office

The third war in the history of Prince Trubetskoi Winery became the impetus for changes. Prince Trubetskoi Winery is the only historical chateau in Ukraine. The estate is located in the village of Vesele, Kherson region, and is more than 120 years old. It is no exaggeration to say that this is a piece of […]

ProWein 2023 was so big and all-embracing, that it certainly took us some time to process the impressions and structure them into a clear picture of an outstanding and innovative event.

According to the organizers, “the entire who’s who of the industry was present at this year’s ProWein”, and this is probably the best way to describe the recent fair.

Some impressive numbers:

• 14 Halls
• approximately 6000 exhibitors
• 86% of the exhibitors were of international origin, coming from more than 60 countries; the biggest numbers: Italy — 1471, France — 947, Germany — 717, Spain — 693 exhibitors;
• 49,000 trade visitors from 141 countries represented retail and food service/hospitality.

The organizers claim that visitors’ decision-making competence set new standards: according to their estimates, around ⅔ of ProWein 2023 visitors were involved in purchasing decisions. These numbers, combined with the powerful media buzz, not only make ProWein and unforgettable experience both for participants and guests, but also prove it to be a #1 wine & spirits event in the world, and one of the hottest spots for networking, marketing and promotion of wines, spirit and related products, as well as wine tourism, for closing business deals and for bringing industry trends into the spotlight.

Trend 1: “looking for something special”

“I don’t think the world needs even more Merlot or Cabernet”, says Thomas Brandl of Concours Mondial de Bruxelles and xenos.com, and this is, of course, a bright metaphor, not meaning to devalue the world’s most popular red varieties. However, we must admit that the demand for wines from new, emerging or just not-so-well-known wine regions is growing, first and foremost, among professionals and influencers, who communicate it directly to consumers. Wines from India, Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, Korea, Mexico, Peru and Equador may still sound pretty exotic, while names like Turkey, Slovenia, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia etc are no longer a novelty sensation at the wine market, welcoming more “returning” visitors who are tracking their progress throughout several years. However, the pavilions hosting these participants were buzzing all three days of the fair, showing the significant interest.

Wines of Ukraine, for the first time in the history of ProWein, presented the national stand hosting several wineries from all over Ukraine, including the WTA nominees: Beykush, 46 Parallel Wine, Villa Tinta and Stakhovsky Wines, as well a bright “debutant”, Big Wines by Vinos de La Luz (also a WTA nominee), with their first Ukrainian release, BIG WINES BIG ART limited edition Ivan Marchuk 2020. Another WTA nominee, SHABO Family Winery, participated in the fair with their own stand. The company has been doing this for several years, and they claim that ProWein 2023 was different: “From questions like “Ukraine, but where is it?” we’ve evolved to “Yes, SHABO, what new do you have to offer this year?” The fundamental achievement is indisputable — we are proud to represent our country at the international wine stage, and, this time, sharing it with our colleagues was very special to us. It was a truly historic moment — a showcase of Ukrainian wines at the national stand of Ukraine. Ukrainian wines once again presented themselves with dignity and definitely increased the circle of their international fans.”

The feedback Ukrainian wines were receiving from guests of the national stand were very positive too. Carsten M. Stammen, Senior Marketing Project & Account Manager at Wein-Plus Solutions (Germany) commented: “My first encounter with wines and winegrowers from Ukraine at ProWein 2023 was an impressive and encouraging one. I met ambitious people who know what they do and who have to struggle a lot due to the criminal war of aggression Russia imposed on the country, and I tasted wines that were very convincing. There is no doubt that the well-known varieties will facilitate the access to Ukrainian wines for new customers. However, I think that the most promising strategy for the Ukrainian wine industry will be to focus on regional and indigenous grapes such as Telti-Kuruk, Odessa Black or the Georgian Rkatsiteli which is widespread there: only grape varieties like these bear the chance for Ukraine to distinguish itself in the worldwide wine market. The world won’t need more replaceable Chardonnay or Merlot, but wine enthusiasts are curious about authentic, pleasing wines with character that have been made from traditional varieties—and I had the pleasure tasting that Ukraine is offering some very good examples of this kind.”

Thomas Brandl says: “Many visitors of ProWein were pretty much surprised that Ukraine, despite the current war situation, for the first time ever was present with a joint booth – and by the quality of many wines there. I’m glad I could help my Ukrainian friends to gain awareness and visibility before and during ProWein! I knew the country from several visits between 2007 and 2019, and I’m impressed by the rise in quality of the wines especially now, although war damages in some wineries didn’t make it easy to get healthy grapes in at the right time and to process them.”

Trend 2: The triumph of crosses and hybrids

Grape varieties with higher resistance properties, originating from the crossing of several varieties of Vitis vinifera, or crossing them with other genus Vitis species, requiring no pesticides and, therefore, ideal for sustainable viticulture, are already widespread in Europe, and become the next big thing in America. In Germany the wines they produce are called PIWI wines.

The abbreviation “PIWI” stands for fungus-resistant vines. Until very recently, wines produced from PIWI grapes, such as Sauvignac, Souvignier Gris, Mouscaris, Solaris, Cabernet Cortis, Prior etc, were considered to be less elegant and less valuable than those produced from the classic European varieties. However, the times are changing, along with the climate, the vines of PIWI varieties are gaining brighter terroir qualities, and winemakers are perfecting their skills of working with these grapes, bringing out the best in them. Enjoying quality wine is being revolutionized. Germany is the leader in this process, now that German winemakers have been dealing with these varieties for several years. Other wine making countries, such as Italy, Austria, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Spain and Canada, are catching up. 

Trend 3: Zero-alcohol wines

Yes. They are present in our life now, whether we want it or not. The 0-alcohol trend in wines is growing, despite controversial opinions and heated discussions within the industry. Shall we, or shall we not consider this product a wine? How does it correlate with another significant trend of the last few years — sustainable winemaking? ProWein, in collaboration with Meininger Verlag, the organizer of Mundus Vini tasting competition, have solved this problem elegantly by creating the World of Zero Tasting Area at ProWein 2023 in Hall 1, which allowed visitors to obtain comprehensive and efficient information about this upsurge segment. Organizers offered various lectures and panel discussions on the topic held right on the spot. And, of course, the most important part of the World of Zero was the tasting zone. “We are very pleased that we can offer this on-trend topic a perfect platform at ProWein 2023. The annual, professional alcohol-free tastings as well as the editorial competence of Meininger Verlag form the basis for this successful partnership”, says Michael Degen, Executive Director Messe Düsseldorf, summarizing ProWein’s collaboration with Meininger Verlag.

Trend 4: Focus on education

Vasylysa Yilmaz, DipWSET student (Turkey), was very happy to see many educational opportunities offered by ProWein 2023 exhibitors. She believes it to be very important: “The general trend of conscious consumption requires more knowledge both from consumer and retailer. Consumers are interested in the story behind a bottle: they want to know more not only about the brand, but also about regions, grapes, winemakers, their techniques and families who (and why) created this wine. Recently the story sells even better than ever. In my opinion, the most trendy exhibitors of ProWein 2023 were those offering educational opportunities. And the most impressive ones (and I believe – most helpful for future sales) – with the best storytellers. Austrian and Greek wines were presented during workshops by a great storyteller and expert Caro Maurer MW. Wines of Hungary were so lucky to have Rose Murray Brown MW to tell their stories with a passion! The stories that conscious consumers would definitely like to listen to.”

Master classes and commented tastings held by wineries and winemaking associations at ProWein 2023 were multiple, and of extremely high quality. Austrian Wine hosted, in total, 14 master classes engaging international experts, such as Master of Wine Caro Maurer who presented the diversity of the Austrian flagship variety, Grüner Veltliner, or Marc Almert (ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2019), highlighting some outstanding Austrian gems outside the country’s mainstream grape varieties. Master of Wine Anne Krebiehl dedicated her masterclass to Rosé Sekt Austria, a sparkling wine with protected designation of origin. Sebastian Russold (Best Sommelier of Germany 2021/22) and Sabine Bauer-Wolf from Austrian Wine lectured on environmentally friendly viticulture approaches to viticulture in Austria. Other renowned speakers included Maitre Sommelier Gerhard Retter, Anne Krebiehl MW, “Deutschlands Bester Sommelier 2021/22” Sebastian Russold and the World’s Best Sommelier 2019 Marc Almert.

Wines of Portugal probably set the record of holding 19 master classes, all of them demonstrating full attendance. Grape varieties, wine regions, vinification aspects and other topics were covered by well-known experts: Konstantin Baum MW, Caro Maurer MW, wine journalist / Portugal expert David Schwarzwälder, wine writer Christina Fischer, chef Patrick Jabs, wine writer Sebastian Bordthäuser, as well Wines of Portugal’s own stars — Wine Educator Sofia Salvador, Rubina Vieira, Head of Continuing Education at Madeira Wine Institute, winemaker Tiago Macena and sommelier Carine Patricio.

Wines of Moldova, the WTA 2023 nominee in several categories and the sponsor of the first WTA release, held the keynote workshop discussing how Moldova, a small yet dynamic country, can compete with the giants of wine. Robert Joseph of Meininger’s Wine Business International, who has been the Jury member for WTA since 2021, led a panel discussion entitled “Wine of Moldova – 10 Revolutionary Years of Building a National Wine Brand”, engaging Elizaveta Breahna, Interim Director of Oficiul Național al Viei și Vinului, Caroline Gilby MW, Wojciech Bońkowski (Poland’s first Master of Wine), and Diana Lazar, representative of a USAID Moldova.

Our own presentation of Wine Travel Awards and a commented wine tasting of 6 Ukrainian wines, produced by the WTA nominee wineries, was, literally, the last seminar of ProWein 2023, and we were happy to see the tasting room full! We are very grateful to our guests for their attention and questions, as well as for the support and interest in Ukrainian winemaking.

Trend 5: Show must go on

Apart from being extremely business-like and efficient, ProWein is becoming more entertaining. Open tasting zones and lounge bars pop up as alternatives to the classic booths. Exhibitors invite DJs and musicians, pairing their performances with the tastings. Making a show literally becomes part of the showcase.

The fair attracts celebrities, and not only those of the wine world. Kylie Minogue, Australian megastar singer and actress, and, as she calls herself, “a beginner winemaker”, brought her award-winning wines to ProWein 2023. Kylie was mingling with the wine crowd, meeting with fellow winemakers whom she considers to be real stars, and hosting tastings at her stand for many of the world’s leading wine buyers.

Seeing Kylie Minogue at the fair was a pleasant surprise. And we do hope that Brad Pitt himself will be presenting his Miraval wines at ProWein 2024, because, after all, nothing seems to be impossible for the organizers of the world-famous wine & spirits expo.

Thank you, ProWein, and more to come!

ProWein 2023 was so big and all-embracing, that it certainly took us some time to process the impressions and structure them into a clear picture of an outstanding and innovative event. According to the organizers, “the entire who’s who of the industry was present at this year’s ProWein”, and this is probably the best way […]

Wine Travel Awards 2022-2023 managed to gather so many magnificent locations, destinations, businesses and personalities in their progressive community. The competition was high and so many wine lovers and enthusiasts supported their favorites at the public voting stage. And now we are ready to sum up the results. 

The geography is wide! This year, representatives from new destinations got nominated for the WTA 2022-2023. In addition to Armenia, Moldova, Georgia, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Canada, USA and India, our community was replenished with nominees from Austria, Greece, UK, Taiwan, Nigeria, Iran and other countries. 

New professions are on the list! The new generation of aspiring Master Sommeliers and MWs are much more open to the world of media and communications. In fact, some of the young somms, especially those who work in emerging wine markets, have crossed the line to become online influencers and ambassadors. In the WTA second edition, sommeliers are widely represented in the Ambassador nomination. The winner of the Ambassador of the Year category will be honoured with the Gérard Basset Prize “Ambassador of the Year” and receive a special prize. 

Traditionally, the Wine & Food Influencer nomination is sponsored by the international winegrowing group of companies Vinos de La Luz. TV hosts, actresses, bartenders, authors, bloggers, photographers and videographers passionate about wine and tourism entered the contest this year. 

The awards’ winners are determined in two stages: firstly, public voting, secondly, professional jury evaluation. According to the voting results, five leading nominees of each category that reached the final, are considered by the WTA Jury Committee, consisting of 12 reputable professionals in such industries as winemaking, food tourism, marketing, and journalism. The selection takes place within a 10-point system according to the unified Wine Travel Awards protocols.

This is an exciting stage of the project as it defines who will proceed to the next round. We congratulate all the finalists of the WTA 2022-2023! 

1. The Visiting Card of the Country

Must visit

#5 SHABO’s wine culture center – 6840 votes

#1 SHUMI Winery – 4702 votes 

#2 Château Mukhrani – 1589 votes

#133 TrEno LMR (The Langhe Monferrato Roero Train) – 1490 votes

#164 Semeli Estate – 1293 votes

Brand – the visiting card of the country

#124 46 Parallel Wine Group – 8718 votes

#9 Family Winery SHABO – 6697 votes

#6 SHUMI Winery – 4718 votes

#159 Gocha’s Collection – Askaneli Winery & Distillery – 1017 votes

#163 Semeli Estate – 944 votes

Progressive approach

#11 SHUMI Winery – 3021 votes

#167 Ijevan Wine-Brandy Factory – 2774 votes

#127 Azienda Agricola Teresa Soria di Emanuele Contino – 967 votes

#154 Α. & G. PAPAIOANNOU – 823 votes

#158 Askaneli Winery & Distillery – 794 votes

Art & History Object

#207 SHUMI Winery – 2693 votes

#126 Casa Martini – Martini & Rossi – 963 votes

#145 Canelli and the Underground Cathedrals – 783 votes

#25 Domaine de l’Évêque – 624 votes

#137 Relais Villa Prato – 620 votes

Region of the Year

#162 Consorzio per la Tutela dei Vini Valpolicella – 1218 votes

#161 Ukrainian Bessarabia’s Wine and Taste Route – 1042 votes

#188 Austria – 1027 votes

#139 Moscato Wine Route – 916 votes

#144 Piemont and Consorzio Asti DOCG – 868 votes

2. Education in Enotourism

Unique program 

#55 Shumi Wine School – 2767 votes

#155 Vitaliy Kovach Sommelier School  – 2131 votes

#201 Austrian Wine Academy – 1051 votes

#129 Accademia Maestri Pasticceri Italiani – 313 votes

#59 Le Bistrot du Sommelier – 303 votes

Cultural mission 

#60 SHUMI Winery – 2620 votes

#177 HOVAZ wine rooms – 662 votes

#196 Schloss Esterházy – 411 votes

# 61 Cité du Vin – 330 votes

# 63 GuideMASTER Wine Tour Guide Program – 184 votes

3. Enogastronomic Events

Magnet of the region 

#79 SHUMI Winery – 2302 votes

#78 The National Wine Day of Moldova – 714 votes

#197 VieVinum – 620 votes

#77 Worldwide œufs en meurette Championship – 594 votes

#202 WinExpo Georgia – 535 votes

Event of the year 

#111 Bodegas Gonzalez Byass – Tio Pepe Festival – 1428 votes

#83 London Wine Fair – 1043 votes

#146 Harvest Celebration at Chateau Mukhrani – 815 votes

#90 “VinOPERA” Castel Mimi – 538 votes

#113 Wine & Gourmet Taipei – 406 votes

4. Ambassador

Ambassador of the year

#179 Artyom Mkrtchyan – 3266 votes

#156 Vitaliy Kovach – 3091 votes

#165 Florence Authier Meuric – 2490 votes

#29 Sonal Holland – 1996 votes

#125 Olimpia Pleșa Brandhuber – 1656 votes

Creative strategy 

#135 Cinzia Benzi – App Bollicine del Mondo – 913 votes

#31 WineMasters.tv – 360 votes

#33 Wines of Armenia – 342 votes

#34 Visit Moldova – 244 votes

#143 Federico Quaranta and Tinto, Decanter Radio Program – 228 votes

5. Wine & Food Influencer

Author of the year 

#36 Nello Gatti – 1408 votes

#152 Ania Smolec – 1088 votes

#40 Per Karlsson – 722 votes

#98 Professor Marianna Sigala – 675 votes

#205 Wines To Find – 372 votes

Expert opinion

#160 Tomasz Prange-Barczyński – 938 votes

#151 Liz Palmer – 586 votes

#153 Bonello Athens – 565 votes

#41 Gergely Szolnoki – 303 votes

#120 The Wine Republic of Italy – 229 votes

The brightest journey

#184 Rojita Tiwari – 1336 votes

#148 Dr. Elizabeth Smith – 887 votes

#95 Daria Kholodilina a.k.a. Dariko Mogzauri – 606 votes

#50 Sofia Nikabadze – 605 votes

#104 Nataliia Burlachenko – 501 votes

6. Wine Guide

Top Guide 

#65 Miguel Leal – 1577 votes 

#69 Einat Klein – 1375 votes

#66 Britt Karlsson – 795 votes

#68 Wines of Armenia – 621 votes

#70 Tanisha Townsend – 528 votes

Travel Operator of the Year

#72 Visit Moldova – 555 votes

#123 Friends Wine Travel – 456 votes

#27 Wine Paths – 434 votes

#71 Moments & Travel – 306 votes

#75 Ways Travel – 257 votes

The nominees enlisted the big support of their friends, loyal audience and caught wine lovers’ eye, so that it yielded the results. Being charismatic and active on social media plays a crucial role in public voting. And we can see these features among our winners – famous chateaux, renowned experts and wine schools, attractive wine events and interesting wine authors and ambassadors. Once again, our sincerest congratulations to the finalists and good luck for the second round!

The WTA winners will be announced in May on the official website and be awarded at the WTA Ceremony on Wednesday, 17 May, from 10 am to 12 pm, at the London Wine Fair. The celebration in honor of the WTA 2022-2023 winners will also take place at the WinExpo Georgia in June. 

Wine Travel Awards 2022-2023 managed to gather so many magnificent locations, destinations, businesses and personalities in their progressive community. The competition was high and so many wine lovers and enthusiasts supported their favorites at the public voting stage. And now we are ready to sum up the results.  The geography is wide! This year, representatives […]

ProWein in Dusseldorf has long ago turned into an all-embracing universe of wines and spirits, and this year’s fair was not an exception. International environment was bubbling with participants and guests from all around the world, while dozens of events held by the world’s leading experts, Masters of Wine, famous winemakers and influencers, were impressive and grabbed the attention of the audience. The WTA team, which had to present the project and its participants to the visitors of this large-scale international hub, was ready for the standing-out challenge, and accepted it gladly. 

The presentation of WineTravel Awards and the tasting of 6 Ukrainian wines, which was, literally, the closing event of the fair, was an uncompromising success: it was the first time that WTA introduced the wines by our Ukrainian nominees at ProWein! We welcomed about 50 guests, including experts, journalists, wine and tourism influencers, traders, winemakers, retailers and HoReCa representatives. 

Oleksandra Hryhorieva, the Wine Travel Awards Project Lead, made a brilliant presentation of the WTA’s activities and plans for the 2023 campaign, as well as boundless opportunities for marketing, networking and business promotion it gives to those engaged in wine production, trade and wine tourism. The presentation revealed the unique concept of Wine Travel Awards (which, earlier this year, has joined the Bernard Magrez Start-Up Win incubator). WTA is not just an award which marks out the best travel locations, outstanding tourism professionals or brands. It is an exceptional B2B networking and marketing movement within a friendly, active and progressive community that unites experts in the field of winemaking and tourism.

This presentation was followed by the tasting held by the WTA Discovery editor, Victoria Makarova, and our Ukrainian colleagues.

The tasting was opened by two samples of the indigenous Ukrainian white variety, Telti-Kuruk: Beykush Telti-Kuruk 2022 and SHABO Telti-Kuruk Grande Reserve 2021. This variety was a new and intriguing discovery for most guests, although at least two of them noted that they were already familiar both with the grape and the producers.

Following were two samples of Odesa Black, Ukraine’s signature red. A short intro of this unique variety made by the WTA speaker warmed up the guests’ interest. A premiere wine Big Wines BIG ART limited edition Ivan Marchuk 2020 was presented by Natalia Burlachenko, CEO of Big Wines by Vinos de La Luz, and Villa Tinta Odesa Black VIP 2019, was introduced by Kostyantyn Tintulov, co-owner of Villa Tinta / Winehall Oksamytne.

They were followed by a wonderful Stakhovsky Wines Merlot “ACE” 2019 from Zakarpattya (Transcarpathia), and, last but not least, by an elegant blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon — Grand Admiral Proudly Ukrainian 2018, with a beautiful presentation by Anna Gorkun, CEO and co-owner of 46 Parallel Wine Group.

Nataliia Burlachenko, CEO of Big Wines, comments:

“This tasting was a very interesting and useful experience. Our guests showed genuine and practical interest in Ukrainian wines. Even after the tasting was over, some of them stayed longer, asking questions, sharing opinions, exchanging business cards with us. Presenting Telti-Kuruk and Odesa Black made by different wineries was a very good idea, demonstrating the diversity of styles and terroir. We are very grateful to the WTA team for organizing this tasting, hopefully, more to come.”

Anna Gorkun, co-owner of 46 Parallel Wine Group, shares her reflections and excitement:

 “The interest in Ukraine and everything related to it was predictable. A “full house” at the Wine Travel Awards tasting could be expected from the moment the event was announced. But the biggest question was, what brought our guests to this event: interest in politics or interest in wine? The world of wine plays by its own rules. There is no room for politics, sentiment or “special” circumstances in it. Despite all the difficulties, we, Ukrainian winemakers, like everyone else, grow grapes, produce wine and present it to the consumer on equal terms with other producers around the world. They can sympathize with us in a human way, but they evaluate us like everyone else, and we have to meet the highest quality standards in order to compete for our place at the international stage. This tasting confirms Ukrainian winemakers are very strong and have a huge potential for development in the future. After all, neither COVID, nor the financial crisis, nor the war in our homeland, nor the lack of basic resources for production (water, electricity, labor), nor limited financing (most credit programs are currently unavailable) presented crucial obstacles for us. We made, are making and will make wines of high quality matching international standards. The audience paid attention to every word that was said about our wines. There was compassion, but we were also proud to feel appreciation. Probably for the first time I felt the synergy of professional attention and human emotion within the audience. I was very pleased to have the opportunity not only to present our wine, but also to see our guests raising a toast to the victory of Ukraine. Our Proudly Ukrainian was a perfect choice for that toast!”

Detailed info about the Ukrainian wines presented in the WTA commented tasting at ProWein 2023 can be found in our article here.

We are very grateful to our guests who provided comments.

Julia Vertgeym, sommelier, Mundus Vini judge, Mosel, Germany:

“I have to say that all six wines presented by Ukrainian WTA nominees are really fine! Very good quality, I’m so proud of our winemakers!”

Michael Buckman, independent wine journalist, Switzerland:

“Most of the wines we were tasting are quite young and may need some time to reach their peak, but they do have a huge potential. It’s amazing to know that 2 out of 6 wineries are just 3 years old, and 1 is, in fact, a debutant. Development of the white Telti-Kuruk and the red Odesa Black depending on aging and vinification style is quite impressive. Well done, Ukraine!” 

Thomas Brandl, a famous wine critic, Concours Mondial de Bruxelles’ Ambassador for Germany, Austria and Eastern Europe and owner of xenos.com (Germany), gave us a word of support and professional advice:  

“I’m impressed by the rise in quality of the wines especially now, considering the challenges of war. Odesa Black and Telti-Kuruk were well known to me from my previous visits to Ukraine, but they presented a completely new experience for most attendees of ProWein. For the future I would suggest you to focus as much as possible on Ukrainian indigenous grape varieties, they are what makes a difference.”

Further on, some tasting notes from our guests. Some of them didn’t specify their names, but we really appreciate their analysis, so these comments are also included in our summary.

Beykush Telti-Kuruk 2022

Agnes Nemeth, Hungarianwines.eu, Hungary:

“I simply loved this wine — so fresh and flowery, easy to drink!” 

Julia Vertgeym, sommelier, Mundus Vini judge, Mosel, Germany:

“Nose: fresh, fruity, notes of lemon. Palate: bitter mineral notes in aftertaste”.

SHABO Grand Reserve Telti-Kuruk 2021

Mariola Kamorowa, sommelier, Czech Republic:

“Complexity, structure, balance, very special minerality. Makes me curious about the terroir.”

Julia Vertgeym, sommelier, Mundus Vini judge, Mosel, Germany:

“Fresh, mineral, high acidity, moderate alcohol, elegant oak aging notes, complex, has great potential. Very good!”

Bryce McNamee, owner of Boutique Wine Collection, American importing company (based in Philadelphia, office in Cape Town, South Africa):

“Remarkable wine!”

BIG WINES BIG ART limited edition. Ivan Marchuk 2020

Mariola Kamorowa, sommelier, Czech Republic:

“Aroma: fruit bomb! Plum, cherry, mulberry, and confiture. Spicy, delicate tones of vanilla, chocolate.”

Julia Vertgeym, sommelier, Mundus Vini judge, Mosel, Germany:

“Nose: dark fruits, chocolate, black pepper, oak aging notes. Palate: elegant tannins. A little too young to drink, good potential. New World style.”

Guest / expert:

“MY FAVORITE WINE!!!”

Villa Tinta Odesa Black VIP 2019 

Guest / expert: 

“Nose: a lot of dark fruits. Mulberry. Blueberry. Oaky. A bit shy, but opens up in a glass. Palate: rich and round tannins.”

Julia Vertgeym, sommelier, Mundus Vini judge, Mosel, Germany:

“Very bright, elegant and smooth. A lot of ripe berries, dark cherry, some oak.”

Stakhovsky Wines Merlot “ACE” 2019

Julia Vertgeym, sommelier, Mundus Vini judge, Mosel, Germany:

“Nose: cherry, plum, ripe dark fruits, white pepper. Palate: smooth, perfect tannins. Very noble and complex. Elegant style. Excellent wine!”

Guest / expert:

“Nose: typical Merlot but more intense, slightly tart fruit, dominating blackberry. General impression: good balance, good work with oak. This wine would pair well with duck confit.”

Grand Admiral Proudly Ukrainian 2018

Yulia Vertgeym, sommelier, Mundus Vini judge, Mosel, Germany:

“Rich in nose and taste. Good balance. In blind tasting it could probably be recognized as a wine from southern Italy.”

Michael Buckman, independent wine journalist, Switzerland:

“Elegantly made, this wine definitely wants to spend more time in the bottle! 3-5 years at least. Good potential.”

The WTA team is very grateful to our participants for their beautiful presentations and amazing wines, and to our guests for their open hearts and valuable attention to Ukrainian winemaking. We would like to thank our hosts, ProWein, for helping us organize this event, and the professional and helpful team of ProWein Forum who made this event an efficient and comfortable experience for us. 

We are very happy that at ProWein 2023, for the first time, Wines of Ukraine were united by a national stand introducing 12 wineries, some of them being WTA 2023 nominees and voting winners. Together with SHABO, Ukraine’s flagship winery and WTA 2023 voting winner, who, for several years now, have been participating at ProWein with their own stand, Wines of Ukraine presented a bigger picture of amazing and heroic Ukrainian winemaking, demonstrating fine quality wines, despite the challenges of russian military aggression in Ukraine. Our wines had a tremendous success at ProWein 2023, and we will do our best in joining our effort in further promotion of Ukrainian winemaking.

More events and wine tasting from WTA and its nominees from Ukraine and other countries are coming soon! 

ProWein in Dusseldorf has long ago turned into an all-embracing universe of wines and spirits, and this year’s fair was not an exception. International environment was bubbling with participants and guests from all around the world, while dozens of events held by the world’s leading experts, Masters of Wine, famous winemakers and influencers, were impressive […]

Together with Coralie Haller, Marianna Sigala co-edited a new book devoted to new managerial approaches and cases in wine tourism – Technology Advances and Innovation in Wine Tourism. It combines theory and practice with research findings of tech advances on wine tourism, enriches knowledge and practice on wine tourism by including case studies related to new tech, […]

The first state visit of King Charles III to France, scheduled for 27 and 28 March, has been postponed to this summer.

This visit is expected in France as a sign of warming relations with Europe after Brexit. As the result of social outcry against pension reform in France, the Élysée decided in the end to cancel the invitation for the sake of the interests and safety of both parties.

We hope that the previously announced program will be implemented later. It was Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Cru Classé de Graves, which was chosen by the monarch.

Invited by Emmanuel Macron, Charles III has decided to include a detour via the Gironde during his official trip. The last visit to Bordeaux of Charles III dates back to May 9, 1977 for the opening of the exhibition “British Painting from Gainsborough to Bacon”. The Prince of Wales then took the opportunity to make a stopover at Château Latour in Pauillac.

This year, the King decided to visit the Smith Haut Lafitte estate, nominated for the Wine Travel Awards. The property of Florence and Daniel Cathiard was chosen for the meeting of the monarch opposite two other castles, which also stood in a row.

“It’s a huge honor for us,” enthuses Florence Cathiard. “Beyond the privilege of receiving the King of England, we receive a historical figure who is one of my icons. I have always appreciated his personality, his commitments, his love of nature. I had briefly had the opportunity to meet him several years ago, through common relations, after his last polo match”.

The first state visit of King Charles III to France, scheduled for 27 and 28 March, has been postponed to this summer. This visit is expected in France as a sign of warming relations with Europe after Brexit. As the result of social outcry against pension reform in France, the Élysée decided in the end to […]

The Wine Travel Awards at the world’s No.1 wine and spirits exhibition ProWein took its place of honor this year.

The International Wine and Spirits Exhibition ProWein, where the Communication Media Group Drinks+ presents its Wine Travel Awards project, opened its doors in Düsseldorf on Sunday.

Wine Travel Awards – a unique Ukrainian start-up that was linched in the most difficult time for the country and persisted despite all the difficulties, gathering a community of wine industry professionals from winegrowers and winemakers to bloggers and various educational institutions. This international wine award is currently in its second year, and the special edition of the WTA Guide has been published for the second time.

In excess of 6,000 exhibitors from over 60 countries are showcasing now their ranges in 13 halls of the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre were Wine Travel Awards Guide is available at the International Trade Press booth.

The WTA Guide is available in print and digital versions.

The electronic version will be published on the ProWein website all year long. Visitors to ProWein will also be able to scan a QR-code from the posters which will lead to the digital WTA Guide. It will be also available on the WTA, Drinks+ and our partners’ websites all year long and spread via email marketing.

The WTA Guide present information on wineries from all around the world and other interesting winemaking locations, as well as stories of the ambassadors and influencers, the Award nominees.

This year, we will hold a special tasting of six wines produced by Ukrainian wineries in the framework of ProWein 2023. We have selected the best of the best — Family Winery SHABO , Beykush Winery , 46 Parallel Wine Group, Stakhovsky Wines, Villa Tinta, Big Wines  (Ukrainian branch of Vinos de La Luz).

Join us on Tuesday, March 21, 2023 – 16.00 / Hall 13 (Forum 13.2).

In addition, for the first time at ProWein, Ukrainian producers are presented with a collective stand, which already in the first days of the exhibition caused increased interest in Ukrainian wine and the Wines of Ukraine brand.

The Wine Travel Awards at the world’s No.1 wine and spirits exhibition ProWein took its place of honor this year. The International Wine and Spirits Exhibition ProWein, where the Communication Media Group Drinks+ presents its Wine Travel Awards project, opened its doors in Düsseldorf on Sunday. Wine Travel Awards – a unique Ukrainian start-up that […]

For many years Drinks+ has been a traditional information partner of VinItaly, reporting on the events of this exhibition. If you are a professional in the food, wine and distilling industries, join the world’s leading event and get a free badge.

On April 2-5, the leading exhibition of wine and spirits – VinItaly, will take place in Verona for the 55th time. Organizers of this large-scale business and advertising exhibition announce that all food, wine and distilling professionals have the opportunity to receive a free badge.

The freebadge is an entry ticket reserved only to international trade operators / buyers with a direct and active role in purchasing. You can get a badge here.

Drinks+ Communication Media Group, with its new innovative project Wine Travel Awards, which has already been joined by many Italian wine operators, will be presented at the stand in the International Wine Hall for the international press.

For many years Drinks+ has been a traditional information partner of VinItaly, reporting on the events of this exhibition. If you are a professional in the food, wine and distilling industries, join the world’s leading event and get a free badge. On April 2-5, the leading exhibition of wine and spirits – VinItaly, will take […]

Consumer interest in such a trend as alcohol-free wine is steadily growing. For the first time, a tasting of such wines took place at the MUNDUS VINI Spring Tasting 2023.

At this year’s Mundus Vini Spring Tasting as part of the 32nd Mundus Vini Grand International Wine Award, non-alcoholic wine was presented for the first time. A total of 187 wines were tasted, the best of which were awarded 21 gold and 54 silver medals.

The largest number of medals went to manufacturers from Germany, followed by Spain, France, New Zealand and Italy. The awarding will take place at ProWein Düsseldorf.

The new tasting topic “Non-alcoholic drinks” was led by MUNDUS VINI board member prof. Dr. Ulrich Fischer.

“In my opinion, there are big differences in the quality of the presented wines. The best wines are characterized by varietal typicality, good taste and delicate tannins, which makes alcohol-free wines a real alternative. I predict that the market share of non-alcoholic wines, which is currently around one percent, will increase significantly in the next few years,” said Ulrich Fischer.

Special awards in the “non-alcoholic beverages” category were awarded to:

Best Sparkling Rosé
VITISECCO ROSÉ alkoholfreier Dry
Bähr Pfalztraube GmbH, Germany

Best Sparkling White
Blanc de Blancs ALKOHOLFREI
Julius Zotz KG, Germany

Best Sparkling in retail markets
ENGEL Riesling alcohol-free
Peter Riegel Weinimport GmbH, Germany

Best Sauvignon Blanc
Now Zero Sauvignon Blanc
Giesen Group, New Zealand

Best Merlot
Vinnuendo 0% Merlot
Mureda Alimentacion SL, Spain

Best Riesling
Freispiel ZIEMLICH GEIL alcohol-free
Weingärtner Stromberg-Zabergäu eG, Germany

Best Pinot Blanc
Breakaway Pinot Blanc entalkoholisiert
Winery Bergdolt-Reif & Nett, Germany

Best white wine in retail markets
Michel Schneider Riesling Non-alcoholic
Zimmermann-Graeff & Müller GmbH, Germany

Best red wine in retail markets
VINSENZA Rosso non-alcoholic, Spain
Peter Riegel Weinimport GmbH

Best Producer
Bähr Pfalztraube GmbH

Best Merchant
Peter Riegel Weinimport GmbH

Photo: https://www.meininger.de

Consumer interest in such a trend as alcohol-free wine is steadily growing. For the first time, a tasting of such wines took place at the MUNDUS VINI Spring Tasting 2023. At this year’s Mundus Vini Spring Tasting as part of the 32nd Mundus Vini Grand International Wine Award, non-alcoholic wine was presented for the first […]