During her visit, Perrotti-Brown toured several wine-producing cellars and companies in Kakheti, tasting a wide variety of Georgian wines and exploring local winemaking technologies. She also participated in a two-day tasting in Tbilisi, sampling around 100 wines from different Georgian producers. Her evaluations were subsequently published in The Wine Palate article.According to the National Wine Agency, the collaboration with Perrotti-Brown aims to promote Georgian wine in the United States and increase international awareness of the country’s winemaking heritage.The Wine Palate provides an expert-curated global wine database, offering users guidance on wine styles and enhancing their tasting experience through professional reviews.Lisa Perrotti-Brown, who has been active in the wine industry for over 25 years, will return to Georgia in October 2025. During her next visit, she will primarily review American and Bordeaux wines, as well as Champagne, including Georgian wines.The United States remains one of Georgia’s strategic export markets. Since 2013, targeted marketing efforts supported by the National Wine Agency have significantly boosted awareness and exports of Georgian wine in the U.S.

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According to the National Wine Agency, the 14-member delegation comprised industry professionals, including Marion Helluy, the manager of Colangelo & Partners’ Georgian wine promotion campaign, along with representatives from the American wine trade sector.During the tour, the American guests visited Georgian wine-producing companies in Kakheti, where they learned about Georgian winemaking techniques and sampled wines produced using both classical and traditional methods on-site. Additionally, in Tbilisi, a Georgian wine masterclass and tasting session were organised, giving the visitors the chance to explore wines from 16 Georgian wineries.“A group from the USA, including professionals from Texas, California, New Jersey, New York, and Florida, is in Georgia. Importers have come to purchase Georgian wines; distributors who work closely with importers to bring these wines to various markets; and retail owners. The main goal of our strategy, developed in close cooperation with the National Wine Agency, is to showcase Georgia’s unique qualities and to create lasting ambassadors for Georgian wine. This will help boost Georgian wine sales across the United States,” explained Marion Helluy.It is important to note that the United States is a strategic market for Georgian wine, with an active marketing campaign supported financially and organisationally by the National Wine Agency.Since 2022, Colangelo & Partners, in partnership with the National Wine Agency, has been implementing a dedicated Georgian wine marketing campaign in the United States. Colangelo & Partners is one of the leading marketing firms in the United States, with over 15 years of experience in the market.

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The book represents the final stage of a three-year project, which also included exhibitions dedicated to the architect in Tbilisi and Kutaisi in 2022–2023.At the presentation, the book was discussed by Dimitri Eristavi, Levan Kalandarishvili, and Manana Arabuli.Lado Alexi-Meskhishvili is one of those prominent architects, whose work left significant traces on Georgia and particularly on Tbilisi. He belongs to the first generation who studied architecture in Georgia. Over the course of his education and work, two fundamental changes occurred in architecture - the introduction of socialist realism (the 1930s), which supported designing national features and often directly pushed for decorativeness; and later, the USSR resolution “On Elimination of Excesses in Design and Construction” (1955), which developed speedy and economical industrial construction, while creating the basis for simplicity and strict forms of expression, therefore, banning all those decorative elements that distinguished the architecture of the former period.Book team:Editor: Dimitri EristaviTexts: Levan Kalandarishvili, Dimitri Eristavi, Ketevan JananashviliVisual concept and design: Manana ArabuliProject Coordinator: Mariam TsikaridzePrinted at IMAK PRESS, Istanbul / 2024The book was published with the support of TBC, within the framework of the 2022 exhibition project Lado Alexi-Meskhishvili – Architect on the Edge of Epoches, curated by Dimitri Eristavi and Lado Shonia, in collaboration with Nini Palavandishvili.  TBC Concept Flagship, Marjanishvili 7, Tbilisi, Georgia.The publishing partner of the book is the Kakha Bendukidze Knowledge Fund.

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Although Khizanishvili is widely recognized for her vivid and colorful canvases, her black-and-white drawings in pencil are being presented here for the first time as a separate body of work.What do these graphic works reveal? At first glance, they might resemble illustrations for a fairy tale. Yet the narrative, the myth, or the character they might belong to remains elusive. Khizanishvili’s women appear as heroines of unknown myths, inhabiting enigmatic scenes whose storylines resist easy deciphering. Their mystery recalls the black-and-white collagraph prints of the Cuban graphic artist Belkis Ayón, who drew on the secret, orally transmitted stories of the Abakuá religious society.Khizanishvili paints her canvases in the studio, but her works on paper are created at home. As the artist herself notes, each drawing functions like a diary entry. With graphite pencil she renders exaggerated figures of her protagonists—giant women whose very skin takes on a strange, textured surface. Through layers of directional hatching she transforms their bodies until they seem clothed in scales or wings. These figures may be dining, embracing skull-headed creatures, or lying in a sulfur bath where a masseur stands pressing down on them with his feet.  A lot is happening in these drawings: the artist uses her imagination to create a personal iconography and tells stories through her own characters.Rusudan Khizanishvili lives and works in Tbilisi. Over the past decade, her work has been exhibited extensively in Georgia and internationally. She currently collaborates with several international galleries, including Kornfeld (Berlin), LJ Galerie (Paris), Mimmo Scognamiglio (Milan), and Window Project (Tbilisi).In 2025 she held a solo exhibition at Seojung Art Gallery (Busan/Seoul, South Korea) and participated in a three-artist group exhibition at Kornfeld (Berlin). Later this year, a duo exhibition is planned at CAM Galería (Mexico City, Mexico).Her works are part of several public and private collections, including the Georgian National Museum of Art, Oni Regional Museum, the Kvareli foundation, and the Breus Foundation.All works on view are courtesy of the artist and gallery Window Project, Tbilisi.Curated by Irena Popiashvili.Venue: Marjanishvili 7, TBC Concept  FlagshipExhibition opening: September 1st, 18:00- 20:00Exhibiton duration – 1.09.-15.10.2025Opening hours: Monday – Saturday, 10:00 – 20:00.

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Eldar Shengelaia received his higher education at the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography. From 1957 until 1959, he worked at the Mosfilm studio. He joined the Georgian Film Studio in 1960.Shengelaia shot his debut film, The White Caravan, in 1963 together with Tamaz Meliava.Notable films by Eldar Shengelaia include: Well (2020), A Chair (2016), Dog Rose (1996), Express Information (1993), Blue Mountains, or Unbelievable Story (1983), Samanishvili’s Stepmother (1977), The Eccentrics (1973), Unusual Exhibition (1968), Miqela (1965), A Snow Fairy Tale (1959), and Legend of the Ice Heart (1957).He was awarded the Shota Rustaveli Prize, St. George’s Order of Victory, the Golden Order of Saint George, and the title of Honorary Citizen of Tbilisi.

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Each tasting featured five varieties of Georgian wine from three different producers, accompanied by a presentation introducing Georgia as both the birthplace of wine and a modern, innovative winemaking nation.The goal of these consumer-oriented events is to diversify export markets and boost sales of Georgian wine in the U.S. - a country that has become a strategic export destination in recent years.Since 2013, the National Wine Agency has invested in targeted marketing efforts in the United States, helping to significantly raise both awareness and sales of Georgian wine. These efforts have included: Tasting seminars for wine professionals and trade representatives across various U.S. cities Regular participation in international wine exhibitions Wine tours in Georgia for American media, sommeliers, and wine industry stakeholders These initiatives aim to deepen American consumers' understanding of Georgian wine and strengthen its position in the competitive U.S. market.The agency states that continued marketing campaigns are planned, with a focus on engaging industry professionals and broadening consumer outreach.

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Georgian wines received awards in the following categories:10 – Platinum44 – Gold35 – Silver2 – Best Trophy5 – PopularLevan Mekhuzla, Chairman of the National Wine Agency, attended the event.Now in its 19th year, the SIWC has been held annually since 2006. Its goal is to promote the highest quality wines globally and strengthen trade and cultural ties within the Chinese market.SIWC is one of the most significant platforms for wine producers to present their products to industry professionals, media representatives, and consumers. Award-winning wines gain widespread media attention and international recognition.Shanghai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone organises the competition. Around 80 wine experts serve on the jury, and all wines are evaluated through blind tasting to ensure fairness and transparency. Awards are presented in five categories: Platinum, Gold, Silver, Trophy, and Popular.

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In 2024, the number of events held in the country amounted to 4.8 thousand, of which the number of offsite events amounted to 177. The number of events held abroad amounted to 136.The number of performances in 2024 decreased by 3.5 percent compared to the previous year and amounted to 4 518. Approximately two-thirds (69.4 percent) of the performances were held in Tbilisi.In 2024, the total number of attendants decreased by 17.6 percent compared to the previous year and amounted to 636.1 thousand. Two-thirds of attendants (66.2 percent) come to Tbilisi, with Imereti in second place (10.3 percent).In 2024, 261 museums and museum reserves were operated in Georgia, of which 104 were memorial, 74 - history (regional studies), 23 - arts, 13 - museum-reserve, 2 – literature studies, and 45 – other types of museums.In 2024, most museums were operated in Tbilisi (22.6%), followed by Imereti (15.3%) and Kakheti (14.2%).In 2024, the number of visitors in museums decreased by 7.8 percent compared to the previous year and amounted to 1.9 million. Average number of visitors per museum equaled to 7.3 thousand persons.In 2024, the number of excursions in museums decreased by 3.0 percent and amounted to 45.0 thousand, the number of exhibitions increased by 2.5 percent and amounted to 939.

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Supported by the Agency, Georgian wine was presented to markets in the United States, Portugal, Finland, Denmark, Austria, Norway, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, Poland, Germany, China, as well as France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Hungary, South Korea, Switzerland, Turkey and Latvia.“The strategic markets for Georgian wine remain the US, the UK, Germany, Poland, the Baltic States, China, South Korea and Japan, where various events are being implemented by contractor companies of the Agency to promote Georgian wine and increase its export potential”, the Agency said.Wine exhibitions, competitions, tours and festivals were also held throughout Georgia to enhance the potential of wine tourism and promote the culture of wine consumption among the domestic population, with the country hosting 54 wine-related events last year, including 17 exhibitions and festivals, 15 tasting-presentations, 16 tours with foreign wine experts, various competitions and a symposium.The Agency added the state programme for promotion of Georgian wine, diversification of markets and increasing of export capacity had been allocated GEL16 million last year, with wine exports rising by six percent and reaching 95 million litres in 2024 compared to the previous year.

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According to statistical data, the expenses of 8 months are up to 52 million GEL. The equivalent of up to 3 million GEL was withdrawn from the ATMs. More than 13 million GEL has been cashed out in Belarus. 23 million GEL was spent on POS terminals.In total, the card transactions of visitors from Georgia (with Georgian cards), according to the 9-month statistics of NBG, are equivalent to 7.1 billion GEL in the currencies of different countries.Most of the transactions are cashless. Out of the total expenses, 6.5 million GEL operations were performed through POS terminals and the Internet. Only 8% of card transactions are cash withdrawals. The highest amount, up to 200 million, comes to Turkey. Citizens of Georgia mainly choose cities in Italy, Spain, France and Germany to travel and spend an average of 140-150 million GEL. It comes to 110 million GEL on cashless transactions in the USA in 8 months.Payments outside the country, with POS terminals (expressed in millions of GEL)

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