October 24, 2007
Stop the Presses—I'm Hungry: Journalists & Wine Buyers Tour Georgia
It's not often that ACDI/VOCA's work basks in media attention, but the AgVANTAGE project in Georgia proves the exception. Actually, it's not our work with the delectable food and wine of the Caucasus country that is generating buzz but rather the products themselves.
A collection of five food, wine and travel writers is visiting Georgia October 24–31 in conjunction with the country's first wine festival. The festival, in Sighnaghi in the Kakheti wine region, has been organized by the Department of Tourism under the Georgian Ministry of Economic Development.
Besides being wined and dined, the travelers will immerse themselves in Georgia’s rich cultural heritage. They will visit the Black Sea area and mountainous Adjara. They will get a lesson in baking bread and in making churchkhela, a confection consisting of a long string of walnuts or hazelnuts that is dipped repeatedly in a thickened grape juice and dried. The delegation is scheduled to meet with Georgian President Saakashvili at the conclusion of the tour.
AgVANTAGE’s first step in generating publicity for Georgian food and wine was taken in July during an inaugural Georgian appearance at the Fancy Foods Show in New York (www.specialtyfood.com). Under the AgVANTAGE project, funded by USAID, and in partnership with the Georgian Ministry of Agriculture, Georgian companies showcased wine, water, hazelnuts, bay laurel oil, jams and sauces and spices.
The media took note. Florence Fabricant of the New York Times was one of a dozen reporters and editors to cover the Georgia exhibit. In an article about the internationalization of the show, she wrote about the Georgian products and pointed out that most Georgian wines are made from traditional grapes. In fact, authorities believe the area that produces these unique varieties to be the cradle of viticulture some 7,000 years ago. The statue of Mother Georgia overlooking the capital, Tbilisi, holds a wine chalice.
To further relationships with the American wine and food media, the writers whose work has appeared in such key publications as Gourmet, Saveur, Wine Enthusiast, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and the Washington Post were invited to eat and drink their way across Georgia. One of them, Sana Butler, is a travel writer for Newsweek International. The tour is cofinanced by AgVantage and an employment and infrastructure development project being implemented by CHF International.
Their media group will join several representatives from the U.S. wine industry, including an importer, a distributor and a retail buyer, who recognize the value and marketability of Georgian wines. that are gradually being discovered in the U.S.
Georgians have a rich culinary tradition and are famous hosts. As John Steinbeck once wrote: “If one tried to describe Georgia using one single word, the right word would definitely be 'hospitality'."
Georgians are more inclined than ever to be hospitable since they have lost their biggest market, Russia, which imposed an embargo on Georgian food in 2006. They are interested in building exports, and under AgVantage they have. Since 2003 the $23 million project has facilitated over $21 million in export sales, mostly to European markets.
More information about ACDI/VOCA's AgVANTAGE program in Georgia.