Strengthening Georgia’s Wine Sector through Training of Trainers Programme

With support from the European Union and Sweden, through ENPARD IV, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has completed a six-day Training of Trainers programme in Georgia.

Led by FAO’s international expert, Julio Prieto Diaz, the training focused on integrated vineyard management. It aimed to strengthen Georgia’s wine sector’s competitiveness. Participants will pass on their skills to other viticulturists, thereby multiplying the knowledge and ensuring the sustainability of the Programme over time.

The programme brought together 18 Georgian specialists. It combined both online and in-person theoretical and intensive practical field sessions carried out directly in the vineyards. Activities took place in Tbilisi, Kakheti, and Mtskheta-Mtianeti.

They covered green pruning and improved vineyard management practices, irrigation, fertigation, and soil assessment techniques, including soil profile evaluation and analysis of soil characteristics. Through hands-on activities in vineyard settings, participants strengthened their ability to apply integrated vineyard management practices in real field conditions.

The training aims to improve grape quality and yield consistency while promoting more sustainable production methods.

“Competitiveness of Georgia’s wine sector starts at the vineyard level,” said Guido Agostinucci, FAO ENPARD IV Programme Manager. “Good agricultural practices, ecosystem services, and food safety are key factors for the realisation of the sector’s immense potential while safeguarding the environment. Through Training of Trainers, pruning festivals, and other knowledge-sharing activities, we are supporting Georgian viticulturists and wine producers in linking the country’s agricultural heritage with modern vineyard management principles.”

“Implementing best sustainable vineyard practices is essential to enhancing the quality of Georgian wine and its market performance in the EU,” stated Denis Reiss, Programme Officer for Sustainable Food Systems at the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia. “The expertise shared by FAO on sustainable viticulture helps tackle critical phytosanitary challenges, thereby safeguarding the genuine character of Georgian wines.”

The Training of Trainers initiative is part of FAO’s broader, EU and Sweden-supported learning tools, benefiting hundreds of wine sector representatives in Georgia. It encourages participants to share their knowledge with peers, strengthening sector unity and progress. It has covered both winter and green pruning techniques, alongside the online grapevine pruning courses available in Georgian. Participants from the earlier training cycle are already sharing their knowledge with peers across the sector. 

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About the European Union:

For more than 30 years, the EU has built a close partnership with Georgia, supporting its development through knowledge and experience sharing, expertise, innovation and financial support. The relationship between the EU and the citizens of Georgia is based on shared values of peace, freedom, democracy, human rights and inclusive economic growth. More about the EU’s support in Georgia: https://eu4georgia.eu/the-european-union-in-georgia/

About ENPARD:

The EU supports rural development in Georgia through its ENPARD Programme. Aiming to reduce rural poverty, ENPARD has been implemented since 2013. The Programme started by supporting the development of the national agriculture potential. Subsequently, it also concentrated on creating economic opportunities for rural populations in Georgia. Since 2021, the Programme has also been working to improve food safety in the country, with additional support from Sweden, and FAO and the Czech Development Agency as the main implementers of this food safety component under ENPARD IV.