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.
Chef Samantha Buyskes | Private Chef and FLX Ambassador
Q: Georgian Tastes – your first impressions when you familiarized yourself with them.
A: Before going to Georgia, I had seen on a few culinary shows with Georgian food and experiences, and I also own a couple Georgian cookbooks that I have drooled over, but never experienced the cuisine. I wasn’t prepared for how amazing it all was.
Q: Georgian Gastronomy is one of the most distinguished in the world, similarly to our winemaking, it too has centuries long tradition. During your visit you had an opportunity to taste Georgian dishes and familiarize yourself with the local flavours. How would you rate your overall experience and what is your opinion about Georgian cuisine in General?
A: I simply fell in love with their use of vegetables, herbs, and nuts with the addition of local cheeses, breads, grilled, roasted, or braised meats. All which makes the setting for a beautiful table. The whole idea of dining, the Supra, with lots of conversations, toast, and wine makes for quite the experience.
Q: How likely are we to find these or any other Georgian dishes on your restaurant menus in the future?
A: I absolutely have already thought of a few experiences that I want to create for people. I work as a private chef, and also do pop-ups with local wineries, breweries and distilleries I vend at a few local farmers markets. I look forward to offering The Supra as a dining experience. Shoti Sandwiches at farmers markets and mtsvadi on my fire table. There’s also the khinkali and khachapuri for a pop-up experience idea to be served with beer.
Q: Do you find the concept of bringing Georgian chefs to the Finger Lakes region appealing and are you supportive of this idea?
A: 100%. We are a region full of beautiful agriculture, local meat, cheese, bread, and wine. It’s a Natural fit for our region. Let’s do it.
