“What is Natural Wine?” is the title of a new campaign that the Natural Wine Association will launch in September 2025. The initiative aims to educate wine lovers across Georgia through popular social networks and will feature short videos and informational cards on the Association’s Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube channels.

The project seeks to inform the public about natural wine. It targets a broad audience - both older generations and young people - ensuring everyone understands the principles and standards upheld by the member wineries of the Natural Wine Association.

To date, the Association has relied mainly on its official website, NWA.GE, to share news and articles on Georgian natural winemaking. The site attracts approximately 40,000 unique visitors each year - a number that continues to grow - and publishes not only news but also detailed information about the Association’s activities and its member wineries.

Through the new campaign launching in September 2025, the Association will increase its focus on social media by delivering short, accessible messages about natural wine - especially to young audiences.

Short videos and informational cards will be bilingual: Georgian posts will include English subtitles, and English posts will feature Georgian subtitles. This approach aims to engage international consumers and introduce them to Georgian natural wine.

“Why did we decide to start this campaign? Times are changing, and so are the ways people receive information. Social networks have evolved into the primary channel for news and education. The Association must adapt to this new reality, seize emerging opportunities, and meet the public where they are. Although many Georgian households still produce wine at home, awareness of natural wine remains limited. People often ask basic questions because they lack clarity on how natural wine differs from conventional (industrial) wine or from varietals produced by small-scale wineries,” explains Zura Mgvdliashvili, director of the Natural Wine Association.

Through the campaign, the short, clear videos and cards will reinforce the Natural Wine Association’s founding mission. The content will draw on quotes and excerpts from respected modern Georgian and international authorities in organic viticulture and natural winemaking, as well as insights from renowned historical figures.

Experience shows that “natural wine” can mean different things to different people. Some conventional producers label any grape-based wine as natural, which confuses consumers - especially when they explore products from small wineries. Meanwhile, many small-winery vintners boldly claim their wines are natural, regardless of whether they use commercial yeast, add tartaric acid for acidity, or employ fining agents and filtration.

Some producers lack their own vineyards and purchase grapes of uncertain origin. They often overlook - or simply do not know - the vineyard treatments used by growers, including systemic pesticides, herbicides, and chemically produced mineral fertilizers. Unfortunately, these environmentally harmful practices remain common among many Georgian winegrowers.

Accordingly, the Association will inform the public about its definition of natural wine and the mandatory standards member wineries must uphold. For example, the Natural Wine Association requires member wineries to have productive vineyards and cellars of their own. A winemaker without a vineyard, or a winery without a cellar, cannot join the Association. The Association also strictly prohibits parallel production in both viticulture and winemaking. This means a member must not operate a conventional vineyard alongside an organic one, nor produce wine using industrial methods alongside natural wine.

Wineries that are members of the Association must:

• use only contact and biopreparations to treat fungal diseases and pests
• adhere to the maximum dosage of metallic copper in the vineyards as determined by the Association
• use only organic fertilizers in limited doses to strengthen the vines
• avoid herbicides that are strictly prohibited in organic viticulture for grass control
• protect soil fertility and biodiversity through appropriate vineyard care methods

For natural wine production, member wineries must:

• process only raw materials from vineyards inspected by the Association
• adhere to the standards of natural winemaking, using traditional methods during fermentation, collection, and storage
• avoid any chemical substances in wine, including selective yeasts, enzymes, flavor-regulating acids, bekmez, or other industrial additives
• refrain from adding sugar, which constitutes wine falsification and is prohibited by Georgian law

Starting in September, the Association will address these topics in its new social media campaign. The public will receive clear, concise explanations of what natural wine is and insights into the production processes of Georgian natural wine.