ABOUT ღVINO* FORUM
Ghvino Forum is a celebration of 8000 years of living wine culture in Georgia, where the origins of wine, uninterrupted Qvevri wine-making tradition and unique varietal distinctiveness evolved into the elegance of modern-day winemaking.
The Ghvino Forum was initiated in 2018 by the America Georgia Business Council to advance the understanding of the origin of vine and wine culture, and to explore the intersection of wine, society, and business in Georgia and beyond.
*Ghvino, ღvino or ღვინო is the Georgian word for “wine,” and is widely thought to be the origin of the term.
“GHVINO”
Is the Georgian word for wine and is widely thought to be the origin of the word “Wine”.
VIDEO ABOUT FORUM & WINES
Georgia Cradle of Wine
9th ANNUAL
GHVINO
FORUM
OF
AMERICA
Join leading scholars, industry professionals, and wine enthusiasts in Philadelphia for the 9th Ghvino Forum - a unique international gathering that bridges science, history, and the business of wine.
Georgia, recognized as the birthplace of wine, has cultivated an uninterrupted winemaking tradition for 8,000 year. From the world’s earliest domesticated grapevines to today’s globally recognized amber wines, Georgia’s story is not just history - it is living heritage.
The Ghvino Forum, once again, brings this extraordinary legacy to the United States through:
· A high-level academic conference at the Penn Museum
· Industry seminars and professional networking
· Exclusive tastings showcasing Georgia’s diverse indigenous varietals
· Conversations at the intersection of archaeology, culture, economics, and global wine markets
A central highlight of the 2026 Forum will be a special tribute conference honoring the life and legacy of the late Professor Patrick McGovern of the University of Pennsylvania - the world-renowned biomolecular archaeologist whose groundbreaking research helped confirm Georgia’s 8,000-year winemaking history.
Georgian amber wines, crafted in traditional clay vessels known as qvevri, with extended skin contact, are helping shape one of the fastest-growing categories in the U.S. wine market. The Forum will explore how this ancient method is redefining modern wine culture and contributing to Georgia’s expanding presence in global markets.
More than a wine event, the Ghvino Forum is a platform for cultural diplomacy, economic dialogue, and industry innovation - connecting American audiences with the roots of wine civilization.
Whether you are a wine professional, academic, investor, or enthusiast, the Ghvino Forum offers a rare opportunity to engage with the origins of wine - and its future.
Discover the Origins of Wine -Where History Meets the Future
March 11–12 | Philadelphia, PA
Ghvino Forum 2026 Activities Include
March 11
Seminar and tasting for the trade and media representatives
Where: Rex at the Royal, 1524 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19146
When: March 11, 12:30-14:00
Dinner for conference speakers and invited guests
Where: Restaurant Sakartvelo, 705 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106.
When: March 11, 18:00-21:00
March 12
Conference
History, Geography, Economy, and Politics of Wines in Georgia and Beyond
Celebrating Life and Legacy of Professor Patrick McGovern
Where: Widener Lecture Hall, Penn Museum, 3260 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19104
When: March 12, 13:00 – 16:00
Many Colors of Georgian Wines: White, Amber, Red and Black
Georgian Food and Wine Festival
Where: Restaurant Kinto, 1144 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125
When: March 12, 18:00-21:00
! Guests must be at least 21 years old to attend the wine tasting!
The event is supported by the National Wine Agency of Georgia
About the Ghvino Forum:
Ghvino Forum is a celebration of 8000 years of living wine culture in Georgia, where the origins of wine, uninterrupted Qvevri wine-making tradition and unique varietal distinctiveness evolved into the elegance of modern-day winemaking. The Ghvino Forum was initiated in 2018 by the America Georgia Business Council to advance the understanding of the origin of vine and wine culture, and to explore the intersection of wine, society, and business in Georgia and beyond.
About the America-Georgia Business Council:
The America-Georgia Business Council (AGBC) is a non-profit business association established in 1998. Based in Washington, D.C., the AGBC encourages activities and policies that promote strong economic ties between the United States and Georgia. AGBC’s membership includes both large and medium-sized U.S. companies operating in Georgia and the surrounding region, as well as Georgian business entities that are beneficiaries of significant U.S. capital, management, and expertise. These members innovate, create jobs, and support communities in both the United States and Georgia.
“Wine is, and always has been, our identity.”
GEORGIA: THE ORIGIN OF WINE
ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE
In November 2017, the National Academy of Sciences released a report, Early Neolithic Wine of Georgia in the South Caucasus. Authored by Patrick McGovern and other prominent scientists, this report documents the research project conducted by an international team of scientists which confirmed the beginnings of viticulture and winemaking can be traced to around 6000 B.C., in Georgia.
Image courtesy of: Early Neolithic Wine of Georgia in the South Caucasus
Previous evidence suggested that the earliest signs of winemaking dated to around 5400 – 5000 B.C. in Iran, but this latest project re-examined sites in Georgia at Shulaveris Gora and Gadachrili Gora, 50km south of Tbilisi, using new techniques, and found wine residues from the interiors of eight large jars from the early Neolithic sites. The project was undertaken by scientists from the US, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, Israel and Georgia and fully funded by the Government of Georgia.
Using the most up-to-date technology, the team was able to establish the fingerprint compound for grape and wine (tartaric acid) and three associated organic acids (malic, succinic and citric), demonstrating that the Eurasian grapevine (Vitis vinifera) was present in what is now Georgia, in early Neolithic times, and growing in ideal conditions. The team also found that the quantity of wine the jars could hold – upwards of 300 liters each – suggests that the grapevine had been domesticated and was being cloned and transported using horticultural techniques.
These results not only set the dates for the earliest production of wine, but perhaps most significantly, just how important wine was in the social setting of the earliest periods of human sedentary village life and that it has remained much so to this day.“
The earliest biomolecular archaeological and archaeobotanical evidence for grape wine and viniculture from the Near East, ca. 6,000–5,800 BC during the early Neolithic Period, was obtained by applying state-of-the-art archaeological, archaeobotanical, climatic, and chemical methods to newly excavated materials from two sites in Georgia in the South Caucasus. Wine is central to civilization as we know it in the West. As a medicine, social lubricant, mind-altering substance, and highly valued commodity, wine became the focus of religious cults, pharmacopeias, cuisines, economies, and society in the ancient Near East. This wine culture subsequently spread around the globe. Viniculture illustrates human ingenuity in developing horticultural and winemaking techniques, such as domestication, propagation, selection of desirable traits, wine presses, suitable containers and closures, and so on.
Courtesy of: Early Neolithic Wine of Georgia in the South Caucasus - PNAS,114 (48)
“These results not only set the dates for the earliest production of wine, but perhaps most significantly, just how important wine was in the social setting of the earliest periods of human sedentary village life and that it has remained much so to this day.”
EVENT CONTACT
EVENT
Irine Asatiani
+ 1 202 423 1054
americageorgiabusiness@gmail.com
www.agbdc.com
AMERICA–GEORGIA BUSINESS COUNCIL (AGBC)
Established in 1998, the America–Georgia Business Council (AGBC) is a private, non-profit corporation governed by a Board of Directors. The AGBC promotes trade and investment between North America and Georgia by helping companies focus and accelerate decision-making to forge successful, bilateral business partnerships.
The AGBC relies on a deep understanding of the Georgian political and business landscape, direct access to high-level government officials and agencies, and diverse business contacts to deliver value and maximize opportunities for our members.