Bolnisi Wine Festival Celebrates PDO Heritage and International Recognition
The Bolnisi Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Wine Festival was held for the third time in the historic German district of Bolnisi, continuing the tradition under the slogan: Bolnisi – the City of Golden Wine.
Around 60 wineries from across Georgia participated in the festival, including large producers, small and medium-sized enterprises, and family wineries—all of whom showcased PDO wines.
As part of the festival, a wine competition was held on May 17 at the Georgian-German Wine House. The winners were announced in a celebratory ceremony during the festival. This year, the jury evaluated 138 wine samples from 20 PDOs through blind tasting. A total of 26 wineries were awarded bronze, 14 received silver, and 19 wines were awarded gold medals. Notably, six of the gold-winning wines came from Bolnisi-based wineries, six of which are members of the Wine Bolnisi Association. These members secured 6 gold, 6 silver, and 9 bronze medals in total.
The festival welcomed special guests from Italy and other European countries, including wine importers, experts, bloggers, and representatives of the tourism sector.
The festival was presented by RMG and supported by the Winemakers Association “Wine Bolnisi,” Bolnisi Municipality City Hall, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, the National Wine Agency, Sakpatenti, and Bolnisi Agrocenter.
“I am pleased that Bolnisi hosted the 3rd Protected Designation of Origin Wine Festival. It is a great honor for our company to be the presenter and ongoing supporter of this event. Local wineries have already achieved international standards. I believe that with our continued support, they will reach even greater heights,” said Joni Shubitidze, General Director of RMG.
Since joining the UN Global Compact Georgia Network in 2022, all of RMG’s major corporate responsibility initiatives have been aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The Bolnisi Winemakers Support Program directly supports Goal 8: Decent Work & Economic Growth, and the Bolnisi Wine Festival stands out as one of the program’s most successful projects.
