Giorgi Lashkarashvili is a graduate of the Agrarian University’s viticulture and winemaking program. With a decade of experience in the wine industry, Giorgi currently works in Germany, with the ultimate goal of returning to Georgia to showcase local terroir and boutique wines.
T: Giorgi, how did your wine journey begin?
I started studying viticulture and winemaking at Agrarian University in 2014. At that time, the field was just being revived, and I wanted to learn something that wouldn’t confine me to the walls. I think I made the right choice. I had excellent lecturers, and during my second year, I went on an industrial internship. Since then, I’ve been involved in this industry.
T: How did your career evolve?
My work in Georgia was mainly with large companies, as there weren’t many small ones at the time. Working for a large company allowed me access to a variety of technologies, regions, and grape varieties. I was fortunate enough to work with the unique microzone of Kvareli, which gave me the opportunity to experiment with rare grape varieties. To this day, five bottles of that wine are still stored in their cellar. This was a significant motivation for me.
I never considered leaving the industry; I just realized that constant development was essential. After working with several large companies, I went to Europe.
T: What was your first international experience like?
Thanks to my former supervisor, I ended up on the island of Corsica. Although Corsica doesn’t have an 8000-year history like Georgia, it is a fascinating region. The most notable difference was that the vineyard maintenance schemes were refined and simplified. Nothing grandiose happens in Europe; rather, individual labor is valued.
T: How should we capture the global wine market?
I lean towards the European approach of focusing on small family-owned enterprises. While I understand that large wineries were necessary for us to reach where we are today, to secure our place, we should focus on terroir-driven, boutique wines. Our unique and diverse landscape provides an excellent opportunity for this.
T: What advice would you give to the next generation?
Start traveling and focusing on vineyards as soon as possible; you can’t go too far without this focus. Everything we eat and drink comes from the soil. Georgia has such diverse soil and grape varieties. Invest all your resources into the vineyard and love wine. It’s not necessary to be a winemaker; you should love wine in a different way.
T: What does Georgian winemaking lack?
I would advise small producers to invest in education before starting their ventures. Larger producers should enjoy their work and not only focus on profits. They are indeed producing excellent products with tremendous potential.
The industry is still young and somewhat uncertain. In five years, the growth of viticulturists and winemakers in the country will elevate it to a higher level. There has been significant work done by the older generation, our lecturers, and enthusiastic friends. Today, we have top people who know how to advance their businesses.
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