Luka Sikharulidze

My name is Luka Sikharulidze, I graduated from the faculty of Viticulture and Winemaking of Georgian Agrarian University and I am currently studying at the WINTOUR (the European master of wine tourism innovation) master’s program. Each semester in the program is taught in a different location, currently I am in Bordeaux, France.

How I got to where I am today?

I have been following this program for a long time and after graduating from the university I decided to try and see what procedures I would need to go through. After several documents and exams, I received a positive answer. Along with the full funding (which amounts to 18,000 euros in the case of Georgia), I was also approved for a monthly scholarship. I started the first semester in September in the city of Tarragona in Spain, currently I am in the city of Bordeaux in France. This program allows me to get know the practices of the three largest wine-producing countries and acquire contacts for my future profession.

Why I chose this profession:

Viticulture and winemaking is considered a very prestigious field in the world, which also allows us to travel, get to know the practices and traditions of other countries, and is also interesting as a way of communication and establishing contacts.

I have a wine cellar in Georgia, specifically in Guria, which I started developing with my family a few years ago, although I had the feeling that I should first gain experience in another country and continue working in Georgia before that.

My goal is:

To acquire as many and diverse experiences as possible, to see and get to know the wine production and tourism practices of many countries, to form friendly and professional connections. The most important thing is to taste the best wines and see the impressive cellars, which apart from wine production, are considered as masterpieces of architecture. Finally, all this will help me to create something different and interesting in Georgia.

What motivates me to do what I do?

In addition to my personal motivation, which I have always desired to travels, see different countries or meet new people, I also have a lot of people who are always by my side and encourage me to go through this interesting and fun, but still difficult path.

What is missing in Georgian winemaking industry?

In my opinion – diversity, more young people and professionals with their ideas and different visions. It is also important to develop in the field of marketing, so that more people get to know the techniques and traditions of Georgian wine, because there are really few wines of the same style in the world as in Georgia. And finally, I would like to mention that it is necessary to bring the products into the real framework and maintain high quality.

Advice to those who choose this profession now:

My advice would be to use this profession to meet people, travel, and study, explore other countries and most importantly have fun. Try to use the time to work in the best wineries, taste the best food and taste the most prestigious wines.