Article about Manana Akhvlediani in the magazine "Ladies Drive" – a business magazine for strong women
The business magazine for women called "Ladies Drive" is published four times a year in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and tells the story of women who have a lot to say.
In the Fall 2020 issue, we will see Manana Akhvlediani, who has been a participant in the BPN Georgia program since 2018. We are pleased to have this strong Georgian woman in this edition and wish her professional success.
Translated version of the article published in German:
Madam Wine. Madam Wine
Who invented it? Not the French, not the Italians, not the Spaniards. And certainly not the Swiss. The cradle of wine is in Georgia. 525 endemic grape varieties have been grown here for 8,000 years. When it comes to whetting the appetite of wine lovers, one winemaker is wholeheartedly involved in this endeavor. She has set no less than the goal of popularizing Georgian wine worldwide and is especially committed to offering wine to women. Allow us to introduce you to Madame Wine – Manana Akhvlediani. Long live her!
Wine is the second most important export product in Georgia. Not only is Georgian wine very popular in Russia, but the growing interest in “natural wines” and traditional Georgian winemaking is also helping Georgian dry qvevri wine gain a foothold in the American and European markets, as well as in Switzerland.
Manana Akhvlediani is involved in these processes. She grew up in Tbilisi in the family of a civil engineer and a teacher, “a spoiled, spoiled child,” as she herself puts it. Her grandfather was a winemaker and always taught his grandchildren the traditional method of winemaking. Manana has been in charge since childhood. At the age of 4, she performed on the theater stage, organized concerts, and dreamed of becoming a director, but her plans were shattered by the death of her father, and Manana had to give up the carefree student life in St. Petersburg and return to her mother, her homeland, and her grandfather’s roots.
Initially he worked at the school and After the collapse of the Soviet Union, she even became involved in Georgian politics. In the 1990s, Georgia was ravaged by war, famine, and hopelessness. “We were called the lost generation because we couldn’t realize ourselves, but I kept trying to figure myself out.” By chance, Manana ended up at a winery in 2000, where she continued her grandfather’s traditions. This is where her unique story as a woman winemaker begins.
"Winemaking is a man's job? Why pretend to be?!"
Manana founded her own business with modest savings and the sale of inherited jewelry. At first, she sold wines from various winemakers. Winemaking in Georgia was considered a man’s job. “I broke this stereotype!” she says with a smile. She created the brand “Madam Wine” and still successfully produces wines for women. “I only employ women who love the phenomenon of wine. A woman has a special perception of wine. She treats it with more tenderness and feeling, “that’s why women are considered the best oenologists in the world.” “A woman is like wine – mysterious, open-hearted, cheerful, but also strict and unknowable,” says Manana, a winemaker by profession, who has since made a name for herself not only in Georgia but also abroad by producing “women’s wine.”
Is it a problem? This is not a reason to give up.
The first success in the foreign market was followed by the first failure. One planned project was canceled due to lack of funding. BPN Georgia (Business Professionals Network) saved me from disappointment. This organization provides entrepreneurs with individual coaching and educational seminars in the field of industrial economics to support their businesses. “ BPN Georgia experts analyzed the finances, risks and marketing of my enterprise and taught me how to draw up a solid business plan.”
After several shout-outs and expert advice, "Madame Vine" is back on the road to success. " BPN Georgia Inspired by the advice of and successfully motivated by the international wine exhibition, I organized the first exhibition of Georgian women winemakers and invited 12 Georgian women winemakers to participate in the conference “Women in the Wine Business 2019” in the Netherlands and Belgium. Next year, this conference will be held in Georgia. The spirit here will also be Madame Wine – aka Manana Akhvlediani. It couldn’t have been otherwise.
Fearless and thoughtful
Looking back on her career, Manana believes that a person goes through several stages in life and is different at each stage. "This applies to me too. Diversity helped me find myself. Self-knowledge is the greatest achievement of a person."
The search for oneself led me to wine. “I realized that I had reached the shore. Georgia is a country of wine. We consider the vine to be a living being with a soul. When the vine is in trouble, we mourn it, as we mourn the death of a person. The vine is the backbone of the economic and spiritual strength of the Georgian state.”
Her next project? Of course, it is already planned. “It will help increase the awareness of both my wine and the wines of the entire region,” says Manana. In addition, she wants to expand her own winery: Manana currently produces 4 types of red wine and rosé. It is also planned to produce wine from rare varieties. She wants to implement this project together with strategic partners or investors. At the same time, she has to compete with such leading wine countries as Italy, France and Spain. “I want to win the hearts of wine lovers with both quality and price. I realized one thing: age can only stop you when you are no longer burning inside. Business is about courage, risk and constantly looking for new ways. For this, you need to love and believe in what you are doing.” What inspires Manana? “I once read that progress is the work of crazy people, because only they are brave and not afraid of failure. "So I was a fearless fool too. My enterprise is like a small stream that slowly grows to join a big river. But I like this small stream too, because it is not turbid."
So much poetry can only flow from the lips of a female winemaker. “Wine is poetry in a bottle.” We salute Manana and other female winemakers who enchant us with their poetry!
For additional information about "Madam Wine", see: www.madamwine.ge/
If you also want to become BPN Georgia program participants, contact us today at 599-87-93-41, or deregister at https://bpngeorgia.ge/home/programme/BPN-programme
