In 2006, I had just returned from America and found myself at the wedding of a distant, unknown relative. It was there that I first met Magda Surguladze. As we conversed, I discovered that she was a sommelier. This revelation surprised me; I hadn't expected to encounter a sommelier in Georgia during that period. At the time, the nearest sommelier school was in Moscow, and the profession was virtually unheard of in Georgia. Yet, in 2005, Magda had returned to Georgia as the first Georgian woman sommelier. Although she doesn’t delve into details, I imagine that working as a sommelier in Georgia back then was no easy feat. Many of you may recall the state of our restaurants at that time—basic establishments often with rustic, unrefined atmospheres. Picture a Georgian man enjoying shashlik with tuna bread from a skewer, and then imagine a young woman delicately explaining wine pairings to him.
Over the years, we have evolved. Today, we boast a diverse array of restaurants, and a sommelier school has opened, making the profession quite popular despite the modest pay. In 2005, Magda stood alone as the sole female sommelier. Now, there are a dozen of us, including myself. However, being a sommelier involves much more than just working in a restaurant and pairing food with wine. In Magda's case, she is a practicing sommelier who collaborates with several restaurant complexes, sets up wine bars, selects wines that complement specific menus, serves on tasting commissions, and teaches agriculture as a doctor of agricultural sciences, all while being a winemaker by profession.
As for myself, my role as a sommelier complements my primary profession. As one of the first wine guides, I collaborate with the National Wine Agency. My knowledge of both world and Georgian wines is invaluable when working with importers, wine writers, journalists, and other international sommeliers.
Despite these advancements, attitudes towards female sommeliers have not changed significantly, especially among locals. The prevailing mindset questions what a woman could possibly know about wine and how she could teach it. Wine drinking is often seen as a masculine pursuit in our patriarchal society. However, Georgia is home to many successful female sommeliers and winemakers, and countless women work in the wine industry. So, give us a chance, gentlemen. You might be surprised at what we can offer.
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