NTA Wines – Wine from New Wine Countries
New To Ancient Wines offers wine from countries like Chile, Argentina, and South Africa to Georgian wine enthusiasts. The idea came to Irakli when the culture of bottled wine was being established in Georgia.
In this interview with Irakli Mgaloblishvili, Tboba magazine talks about the criteria for selecting wines and where you can taste wines from these new wine countries.
T: How did the idea of NTA Wines come about?
The idea emerged during the pandemic when travel and access to our favorite foreign wines were restricted. At that time, it was nearly impossible to find high-quality wine from New World countries in Georgia.
Despite the restrictions, I managed to travel to South Africa twice, where I personally selected wines for the portfolio. Selling full containers of wine in Georgia was not feasible, so I also offered these wines to neighboring countries, who were happy to collaborate. NTA Wine imports wines from the New World to Georgia, as well as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
T: How do you select the wines for your portfolio?
Our wines are sourced from Argentina, Chile, and South Africa, and you can taste them in wine bars and restaurants in Tbilisi. Although these countries are considered part of the New World of wine, we also have wines that are quite close in style to European wines.When selecting wines, it's important not only for the wine itself to have character but also for the winemaker to stand out with a unique approach and an interesting story. Most of the wineries we work with are first-generation winemakers who are creating new traditions themselves.
T: What unique qualities do New World wines have?
In reality, these countries are not so new, and they can often be even older than some European countries.
I believe that non-traditional wine countries will soon become more popular than traditional ones. We’re already seeing signs of this – British sparkling wines are becoming very popular, and wine is being produced in Sweden.
T: What is Georgian winemaking lacking?
Knowledge – we still have a lot to learn. We also need more resources, especially in viticulture. When I compare our vineyards to those in other countries, it makes me sad because I believe we can do better. In fact, a few wineries have the potential to change the entire industry and become the driving force behind it.
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