Georgian Wine in the Netherlands - Mana Ottmer

The popularity of Georgian wine has been steadily increasing every year, as evidenced by several factors. Mana Otmeri has been promoting Georgian wine in the Netherlands for nearly a decade. Initially, Georgian wine was imported from France, but today, she has her own shop where wine enthusiasts can attend Georgian wine tastings.

Q: Why did you decide to introduce Georgian wine to the Netherlands?

It all started because my Dutch husband was so enchanted with Georgian wine that we decided to introduce Georgia to the entire country. This was around the time when Georgian winemakers began to emphasize the quality of their wine. Therefore, we decided to make Georgian wine popular in the Netherlands.

In the early years, wine could only be purchased online, but since 2019, we have opened our own shop. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, I now actively conduct tastings.

Q: How do you choose wines for the Dutch market?

We ensure that customers not only get to taste the wine but also learn about the winemaking process. We have highlighted several brands that sell quite well, with customers specifically coming for those wines. The local consumers are quite different from German or Belgian wine enthusiasts, and it’s still challenging to position qvevri wines here.

Our selection process involves choosing wines that fit the market, even if I personally like a particular wine. We need to select those that Dutch consumers will appreciate.

Q: What type of customer is a Dutch wine lover?

Dutch consumers are quite different from other Europeans; they tend to be more discerning. This is likely because the Netherlands is a beer country and wine culture is still developing here. Price is very important to them; they are not fond of expensive wines and prefer to buy what they already know. We have customers who know what they want, and we actively work with them to introduce new and interesting wines to increase their selection.

Q: What does Georgian winemaking lack?

Perhaps Georgians love wine more and are therefore less critical. There is a need for more sincerity and acceptance in quality assessment. I do not want to see Georgian wine in the low-priced segment in supermarkets; I believe our niche is in the medium and high-quality range, which we are capable of achieving.

Winemakers should strive to maintain high quality. European consumers are very demanding when it comes to quality and always consider the price-quality ratio.