Georgian Wine Association

What Georgian Wine Association does

Georgian Wine Association (GWA) is a non-commercial industry association founded in 2010 and headquartered in Tbilisi, Georgia. It represents 30 Georgian wine producers and serves as the unified national voice for the Georgian wine sector in both domestic and international markets. The association's mandate covers international promotion of Georgian wine, preservation of traditional winemaking methods (notably the 8,000-year-old Qvevri clay-vessel technique recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013), cataloging of 530+ indigenous grape varieties, scientific research support, education, and wine tourism development.

The association's core operational products are two flagship annual international competitions — the Qvevri Wine Competition (run under the Wine Hunter Award brand in partnership with Merano Wine Festival since 2022, with 150 GEL per sample entry fee) and the Saperavi International Competition (100 GEL per sample) — alongside an informational website, a grape varieties database, wine tourism services, and structured participation in major international wine exhibitions including ProWein, VinExpo, the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair, and London International Wine Fair. Distribution to international markets is facilitated through trade delegations to Germany, USA, Japan, Turkey, China, and the UK, and B2B matchmaking events connecting member producers with global buyers.

The business model is a subscription-style non-profit funded by annual membership dues from its 30 member companies, supplemented by competition entry fees and likely institutional support from the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, the National Wine Agency, and the Swiss-funded RSMEDP program. The organization operates with a lean 7-person team (Executive Director, Lawyer, Communications & Business Development Manager, Events Manager, PR Manager, Accountant, Marketing Manager) and does not sell products or services commercially; its competitive advantage lies in official national representation, UNESCO-recognized heritage branding, and curated international event access for members.

Name

Georgian Wine Association

Legal name

ასოციაცია ქართული ღვინო

Website

https://gwa.ge

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Georgian Wine Association (GWA) is a non-profit industry association founded in 2010 in Tbilisi that represents 30 Georgian wine producers. It promotes Georgian wine internationally through flagship competitions, trade delegations across 30+ countries, and wine tourism, leveraging UNESCO-recognized Qvevri heritage.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wine Industry Association Services

NAICS

Wineries (312130), Grape Vineyards (111332)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wine Production & Winemaking (AFAFAAAB), Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE), Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD)

Keywords

• Wine industry association
• Wine promotion services
• International wine competitions
• Wine tourism promotion
• Indigenous grape varieties

Headquarters

HQ city

Tbilisi

HQ country

Georgia

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Association Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from 30 member wine companies. Membership provides access to association services, representation, and participation in organized activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Georgian Wine Association is a non-commercial industry association that represents 30 Georgian wine-producing member companies and promotes Georgian wine in domestic and international markets. It organizes international wine competitions (Qvevri Wine Competition and Saperavi International Competition), maintains a database of 530+ indigenous Georgian grape varieties, supports wine tourism, and runs trade delegations, B2B matchmaking, and participation in major global wine exhibitions to increase international visibility for Georgian wines.

Product overview

The Georgian Wine Association (GWA) operates primarily as an organizational portal and promotional platform rather than a software product. The association's offerings include an informational website covering Georgian wine regions, grape varieties, and traditions; two flagship international wine competitions (Qvevri Wine Competition and Saperavi International Competition); wine tourism services; and a grape varieties database. GWA is a non-profit organization representing Georgian wine producers internationally, founded in 2010 and currently comprising 30 member companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• International Qvevri Wine Competition Annual international competition for Qvevri wines held in Georgia, organized by GWA to evaluate and promote wines produced using the traditional Qvevri clay-vessel method; entry fees apply per sample and the event attracts international producers, buyers, and media.
• Saperavi International Competition Annual international competition focused on wines made from the Saperavi grape variety, organized by GWA with National Wine Agency support to promote Saperavi wines to international buyers and media; entry fees apply per sample.
• Wine Tourism Services Services promoting wine tourism in Georgia, including information and coordination of tastings, food pairings, and accommodation options at Georgian wineries; serves domestic and international tourists interested in Georgian wine culture.
• Grape Varieties Database Comprehensive database of over 530 Georgian grape varieties, including red and white varieties, with descriptions of their characteristics, origins, and winemaking applications; over 425 varieties are preserved today.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and major.

• Wine Hunter Award / Merano Wine FestivalflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Annual international wine competition in Italy. GWA partners to run the Qvevri Wine Competition under Wine Hunter brand and present award-winning Georgian wines at Merano Wine Festival in November. High-profile platform for Georgian qvevri wines.
• RSMEDP (Regional Small and Medium Enterprises Development Project)majorOthers · 1 January 2021Swiss Development and Cooperation program supporting SME development in regions. GWA collaborates on business support services hub for wine producers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Wines of Argentina: Argentine wine promotion body that runs global marketing campaigns and trade programs to position Argentine wines abroad — comparable in mission, geographic origin, and export-promotion focus to GWA.
• Wines of South Africa (WOSA): South Africa's national wine industry body representing producers and promoting South African wines in global markets via trade fairs and B2B programs — directly analogous to GWA's mandate and operating model.
• Wine Institute (California): Public-policy association representing California wineries and conducting international promotion of California wines — a state-level but global-footprint peer with the same industry-representation-plus-marketing mandate as GWA.
• Wine Australia: Australia's national grape and wine body promoting Australian wine internationally through competitions, trade missions, and research — a structurally identical national wine promotion and industry representation association.
• Wines of Chile: Chilean wine industry association promoting Chilean wine exports through international trade fairs, PR campaigns, and education — a directly comparable national wine trade body.
• ViniPortugal: Inter-professional body for Portuguese wines, running Wines of Portugal programs internationally including trade fairs, tastings, and education — a like-for-like national wine trade association comparable in scope to GWA.
• Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC): The Champagne industry's inter-professional council governing production rules, quality, and global brand promotion — an end-state reference point for what a successful wine trade association can scale into.
• Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC): French inter-professional body for cognac that combines regulatory, quality, and international promotion functions — a more mature version of the industry-representation-plus-export-promotion model GWA operates.

Emerging players

• Merano WineFestival & Wine Hunter Award: Italy-based international wine competition and festival where GWA's Qvevri Wine Competition is hosted — a partner-platform peer that demonstrates the global wine competition model GWA is plugged into.

Others

• National Wine Agency of Georgia: Georgian government regulator for wine quality, labeling, and sector policy — a public-sector adjacent peer and Core strategic partner of GWA, useful as a domestic counterpart reference.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCHpL8Ol4lqXQVV7pU8JgLPQ/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/GeorgianWineAssociation
• Instagraminstagram.com/georgianwineassociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/georgian-wine-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Georgian Wine Association