“The results of the recent IWSC Georgia wine awards demonstrated how quickly and how far the country has come in recent years in driving both the quality of its wines, but also the diversity and breadth of winemaking that is now taking place,” reads the article by Sunny Hodge published by The Buyer, a popular British online publication.

According to the National Wine Agency, Sunny Hodge summed up the results of the 2025 IWSC Georgia wine awards.

Sunny Hodge was part of the team that travelled to Georgia to take part in the judging with local experts. He reports back on a record year for gold, silver and bronze medals. He is the founder of London wine bars Diogenes the Dog and Aspen & Meursault. His book on the science of wine – The Cynics Guide to Wine – was published in April 2025.

“Georgia represents a meeting of worlds, straddled between Europe and Asia, both the food and wine culture embody the best of Old and New World traditions. Considered the birthplace of wine, clay vessels and grape seed residue verify the first known archaeological evidence of wine production,” reads the article.

The International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) has been held in Georgia since 2022. Its official partner is Gurjaani Wine Festival, while the supporter is the Georgian National Wine Agency.

In 2025, the fourth IWSC Global Judging in Georgia was held in Batumi city and was led by IWSC committee member Sarah Abbott MW, who is an ardent advocate of Georgian wine and committed to bridging the gap between Georgian wine producers and UK trade. Her on-the-ground knowledge of the Georgian wine scene is second to none and her presence in Georgia is received with reverence.

“The two days of judging resulted in an impressive collection of 30 gold medals, 119 silver medals and 113 bronze medals for wines. Georgian spirits garnered an additional four golds, six silvers, and 12 bronze medals,” reads the article.