Georgian Wine Finds U.S. Savior
Georgian Wine Finds U.S. Savior
Sep 2, 2011 6
TBILISI, Georgia — John Wurdeman uncorks a bottle of Pheasant's Tears, holds it to the sun, and drinks with a smile.
Vintners describe the longhaired American artist, with his imaginatively named wine, as an unlikely savior of their industry in the Black Sea country of Georgia.
He started the business after a Russian trade embargo, which threatened the existence of 35 existing wineries. Georgia makes some 90 million liters a year and previously exported 80 percent to Russia.
"There is an 8,000-year wine-making tradition, and there are 520 wine grapes here," Wurdeman says. "We have the best wine story on the face of this planet."
Comments