Who is the customer of Georgian wine - Leiko Tsanava

The consumer is an important evaluator of any product. The degree of satisfaction of their requirements determines the success of the company. It is the same with a wine company – we need to know who the customer is, what they pay attention to, and what they are looking for in wine. We talked to Leiko who is the head of relations with customer of 8000 vintage about that topic.

T: who are the wine consumers?

The experience of the last 7 years of 8000 vintage has shown that wine consumers are diverse, so it is difficult to think of them as one segment, one group. The user’s age is different, their professions, interests, lifestyle are different. Wine is a unique product, its uniqueness determines the difference of the consumer, and on the contrary, their heterogeneity creates the wine as it is.

The first visitors of 8000vintge were people who already had an interest in wine, were more or less familiar with it, and it was their desire to create such an object in Tbilisi. A place where you can buy wine, talk about wine and meet people who love wine like you.

It is worth noting that during the last decade, we have seen with our own eyes the growth process of wine consumers, how wine lovers have become enthusiasts. Today, the consumers of 8000vintage are no longer just lovers, a little interest in wine is enough.

T: what do consumers pay attention to when choosing wine?

The main achievement of 8000vintage is that our customers place the main emphasis on organoleptic, by which I do not mean only the taste quality of wine. it is the emotion that the wine leaves in the consumer, and he chooses it according to that.

The second criterion is technology and variety. In the recent past, we were limited to specific varieties, we were less interested in new varieties and technologies. Today, wine lovers have begun to search for innovations, which motivates winemakers to work, to find, to restore old, forgotten varieties.

The last and no less important criterion is branding, packaging, content. Which cannot develop as fast as the wine itself. I mean the content of the packaging, the label, which is mostly aimed at representing the brand in general and does not give us enough information about the liquid. The label is the first communicator between the consumer and the wine.

T: Georgian vs foreign customer:

The difference between Georgian and foreign customers is disappearing over time. I mean, that a few years ago, Georgian wine lovers were skeptical about innovations, new varieties. And the foreign consumer was constantly asking for novelty new tastes.

Today, the Georgian consumer has grown significantly, became more interested in wine and started experimenting, searching for new things, tasting different varieties.

T: Tips for customers: what to focus on:

Wine is a living organism. Realizing this leads you to look for emotion in it, which is as important as its taste qualities. The more you get to know it with interest, the more depth you will discover. When it comes to being a beginner, it might be better to know as little as possible about technology, breeds, and trust your gut completely.

I would advise consumers to look for positive characteristics while tasting wine.

The consumer is the most important judge of any product, but for winemakers listening to the consumer is vital. The success and growth of the recent period is the merit of wine lovers.

T: tips for winemakers: what to pay attention to:

No matter what business you are in, there is always a danger that you will lose the ability to see through the eyes of the customer, and once you lose that, you will lose touch with your customer. I would advise winemakers to try other people’s wines, both Georgian and foreign.  For those who want to keep an eye on the development of Georgian wine and develop it themselves, who want to be constantly informed about interesting wines, we have created the 8000 vintage wine box, which anyone can subscribe to every month. This is one way to study the market.

In my opinion, the second problem that winemakers face is design and label. It is important, before to introduce himself to the customer, to talk not only about the brand, but also about a specific wine of a specific harvest. I am glad that the new generation of winemakers is actively doing this, but I wish it would take a larger form.

T: what do people look for in wine?

Nowadays, in a fast changing life, constant rush, difficulties, speed, which characterizes the 21st century, lead to the point where we look for emotion in all products. Especially in wine, which is probably the most sensitive product in the world.

In my opinion, wine is really an emotion that you never have, that you always want to develop, that constantly reminds you, and at the same time it is unforgettable.

Emotion gives you the incentive to constantly strive for adventure. Adventure give us emotions. It is a continuous chain.