American Winemakers, Restaurant Business Representatives, Sommeliers, and Marketers in and About Georgia.
In the Finger Lakes region of New York, the Saperavi Festival successfully returned for its second edition this year. This festival serves as a platform to promote Saperavi, other Georgian varieties, Georgian gastronomy, and culture not only within the region but also across the entire state of New York and the USA. Over the past 60 years, Saperavi has thrived in the Finger Lakes and has established itself as a traditional grape variety with great potential to become the region’s leading red wine grape. Its rising popularity in the region paves the way for its future success throughout America. The annual Saperavi festival, organized by Saperica and its founders, Lasha Tsatava and Erica Frey, aims to achieve this goal.
Lasha, Erika, and other like-minded individuals, established the festival last year. In the same year, they devised a comprehensive plan encompassing educational seminars, events, and exchange programs between the Finger Lakes and Georgia, catering to wine and gastronomy enthusiasts as well as professionals within the industry. The program was launched this year in April, a month and a half prior to the second Saperavi Festival. As part of the program, American winemakers, restaurateurs, sommeliers, and marketers had the opportunity to visit Georgia.
Erika Frey, DipWSET | Co-founder of Saperica, Boston Sommelier Society Director, WSET Education Coordinator at Commonwealth Wine School, Unofficial Ambassador for wines of the Finger Lakes and Georgia (the country): For me, the expectation was that our guests from the Finger Lakes would really be able to feel Georgia more intensely and through to their core. Through our previous Saperica events in the Finger Lakes, we have been able to give many of these people tastes of Georgian wine, cuisine, culture and hospitality. However, it is another level of experience to be in Georgia at the source and immersed in the culture. Already in the first evening, several of us were moved to tears by the beautiful feast, toasts, hospitality and fierce pride that Georgians have for their country, culture and identity. I would say that this expectation was certainly met throughout the trip.
Q: Since this was the first of its kind of a trip, what are your hopes/expectations for the future outcomes?
A: My feeling is that our guests from the Finger Lakes now have a piece of Georgia in their heart, and I expect that all of them have been inspired by at least one thing from Georgia which they will try to incorporate into their lives back at home. I think the Finger Lakes region will be experiencing more Saperavi wine, more Georgian flavors, and more supras for sure.
My ultimate hope is that this trip and future exchanges will continue to foster the human connections and friendships between our two countries. Many of our participants expressed the desire to visit Georgia again with their family and friends. They are also open to hosting Georgian winemakers, sommeliers and chefs in the Finger Lakes. Through these connections, I believe we can promote greater knowledge, understanding and appreciation for each other. More importantly, I think these exchanges and connections can help both wine regions grow through inspiration, collaboration and the sharing of ideas.
