We are thrilled to announce that Wines of Georgia, the birthplace of wine, will host a one-of-a-kind event at Manhatta Restaurant (28 Liberty Street) on Tuesday, September 26th. What started as curiosity and buzz a few years ago has now turned into one of the industry’s leading trends. Join us for this unique series of events and take a deep dive into one of the most historic and inspiring wine regions in the world, the country of Georgia.

A growing contingent of Georgia wine industry insiders are waging an informal influence campaign to elevate the country’s vast array of wines. It’s a battle of perception: Although the number of Georgian wines exported to the United States hovers just under a million bottles—an increase of more than 3.5 times over between 2012 and 2022—Georgian wine largely remains a specialty offering.

That’s because it’s closely associated with amber wine, also called orange wine. This white wine is aged on skins, which lends it a signature orange hue. Georgia has become known for producing these amber wines in qvevri, or large clay pots, which are generally buried underground and fall into the natural wine category. They have been a part of Georgia’s history for thousands of years.

“Amber wines from the country of Georgia have been a ‘new’ trend (ironic to hear the word new referencing one of the oldest wine making regions in the world anyway!), but the fad has recently grown into an established consumer category,” says Chris Struck, Beverage Director at ilili Restaurants. “Now, they’re not just curious, they’re ready to revisit it with gusto. Skin contact white wines are displacing some rosé sales — we’re seeing the once-unbridled enthusiasm for the pink shade disrupted by consumers clamoring for a darker hue and wines with a more tannic tug.”