A gold miniature of “azarpesha” – ancient wine drinking vessel  – will become the award of Saperavi World Prize, the first wine contest of Saperavi wines produced around the world.

Saperavi, the “signature” Georgian grape variety, is becoming increasingly popular around the world. Saperavi wines are produced in Australia, USA, New Zealand, Central Europe, and former Soviet republics.

For the first time the Saperavi wines produced in all these countries will be judged in Georgia, by an international jury of top experts in Saperavi winemaking.

13 of the 19 producers that have entered the competition have come from Australia, demonstrating the variety’s success.

Saperavi World Prize is conceived to become not only a wine contest of Saperavi wines produced abroad, but “a meeting point of international winemakers and Georgian tradition-keepers, backed by eight millennia-old winemaking history of Georgia – the cradle of wine”, according to official site http://sapprize.hvino.com.

The contest, which will become annual, is initiated and organized by wine news publisher Hvino News with official support of National Wine Agency and National Intellectual Property Center.

"It was not easy task to identify all the world’s wineries which produce Saperavi, – explained Inge Olsson of Hvino News. – But, once we contacted them, we were happy to see the enthusiasm of winemakers excited about our initiative. One of the winemakers has shortened “Saperavi World Prize” to "SapPrize" and we decided to keep the catchy name".

The entry is still open for wineries from outside Georgia, who produce Saperavi. Participation in the contest is free. The winners will be announced in the autumn.

Hvino News is the world’s primary news and information resource on Georgian wine, published daily since 2012, in English and Russian languages.