David Songulashvili met with the President of the International Sommelier Guild

Environment Protection and Agriculture Minister David Songhulashvili met with the President of the International Sommelier Guild (ISG), Joseph Miller. At the meeting, the parties discussed the development of viticulture and the wine industry, the diversification of wine markets, and the importance of promoting the sommelier profession. They also considered the integration of the ISG’s programmes into Georgian universities and vocational institutions.

“For our country, the visit of the President of the International Sommelier Guild is very important. Guests of this calibre play a special role in increasing awareness and development of Georgian wine in international markets. They effectively become representatives of Georgian wine at the global level, which helps us to explore new markets and promote Georgian wine. The active engagement of sommeliers in the Georgian market also contributes to the improvement of the quality of Georgian wine,” said David Songhulashvili.

At the meeting held at the Ministry, the Guild President emphasised the importance of international partnership. According to him, the International Sommelier Guild has for many years been conducting educational courses about Georgian wine in 14 languages in various countries.

“Next month we are launching new courses in cooperation with Georgian Technical University. For our organisation, this is a special opportunity to make Georgian wines even better known in international markets. The expansion of our educational programme means that we can introduce Georgian wines to new continents — whether Asian countries, China, Japan or Latin American markets — in different languages to the consumer. We believe that together we will be able to further increase the popularity of Georgian wines,” said Joseph Miller.

The International Sommelier Guild (ISG) was founded in 1982 and is today one of the leading educational systems in the wine sector worldwide. The organisation works in more than 40 countries, where education in more than 60 schools is taught in 14 languages. The ISG’s programmes include professional sommelier training, winemaking, wine business management, culinary arts and nutrition.

Under the leadership of Joseph Miller, the ISG has become a global leader in sommelier education and certification, helping students’ professional development and establishing international standards.