Georgia + ISG: five-year global wine-education push
After a July 2026 educator tour and a 28 July meeting with Minister David Songulashvili, Georgia’s Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture and the National Wine Agency launch a five-year education framework with the International Sommelier Guild.
Georgia is writing its next chapter in classrooms, not only in export tables.
Wine Industry Advisor reports a five-year Global Education and International Development Initiative for Georgian wine, built with the International Sommelier Guild (ISG). The path ran through a July 2026 tour by ISG educators from six countries, then a 28 July meeting in which Minister David Songulashvili sat with ISG President Joseph Miller and National Wine Agency leadership. The Ministry and the Agency now frame the next phase: education as state soft power for a country that calls itself the cradle of wine.
Five pillars structure the work: educational programmes and professional development for Georgian wine; deeper international partnerships and commercial reach; hands-on orientation in Georgia for foreign professionals; multilingual teaching and communication materials; and evaluation plus reporting. Further programme detail is due in coming months.
Songulashvili called international recognition of Georgian wine a main state priority — knowledge in professional circles, history and culture on the syllabus, new partnerships as the payoff. Miller framed ISG as an educational authority that already delivers structured programmes worldwide and wants Georgia’s tradition available in many languages, the way other Old World regions already teach their story.
Mini-concept: education is export infrastructure. When foreign sommeliers can study qvevri, Kakheti and Georgian varieties in their own language, the bottle arrives pre-explained.
Keep: five-year ISG–Ministry framework; July tour + 28 Jul Songulashvili–Miller meeting; five pillars from PD to evaluation.
Remember: five-year ISG–Georgia education push; July 2026 tour + 28 Jul meeting; five pillars; Songulashvili — recognition is a state priority.
Source: Wine Industry Advisor