A Supra is a festive feast in Georgian culture centered around traditional Georgian food and wine. Typically, Supras include a tamada, or toastmaster, who gives toasts to celebrate life and death. The toasts are followed by various speeches, polyphonic singing, and of course, food! Plates, platters, and bowls covered with plates of food to be exact.
The founders of Saperica, Erika and Lasha, will be attending the event to share their stories along with three industry professionals of the Finger Lakes that traveled to Georgia last summer: Chef Samantha Buyskes, owner of Simple Red Events, Holly Fusco, Event Manager at Dr. Frank Winery, and Natalie Travis, owner of Outlet 111. We are thrilled to hear more about their experiences at this celebratory feast with our fellow Women For WineSense Finger Lakes members!
More About Our Speakers!
Erika Frey is a wine educator and consultant with over 25 industry certifications including Certified Sommelier and the WSET Diploma in Wine and Spirits. She has worked in wine retail for over 12 years, and she specializes in building awareness and interest in lesser-known wine regions and categories. Erika is also a WSET Certified Educator in Wine and Spirits. She teaches all levels of the WSET Wines program for the Commonwealth Wine School and Grape Experience. Recently, she has also collaborated with the Khetsuriani Sommelier and Wine School in the Republic of Georgia to offer the WSET Level 3 qualification. Erika has been invited as a speaker for Georgian Wine House, Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery, FLXcursion, the Ghvino Forum and Cornell University.
Lasha Tsatava is a native of the country of Georgia where evidence of winemaking has been found dating back 8,000 years. Although he has spent more than half of his life in the United States, his passion for Georgian wine, gastronomy and culture is as strong as ever. Lasha is the Wine Director for Chama Mama restaurants in New York City where he curates a program of thoughtfully selected Georgian wines. He has been awarded an honorary status of Georgian Gastronomy Ambassador 2021 and completed his WSET Diploma in Wine in the same year. He is the first Georgian to earn the WSET Diploma. Lasha has also completed the Italian Wine Maestro and French Wine Scholar programs. Lasha has been invited as a speaker at Ghvino Forum, Dr Konstantin Frank Winery and Cornell University. He has been serving as one of the Directors of the Boston Sommelier Society since 2019 and is involved in promoting the wines of Georgia around Boston, New York and beyond.
About Saperica, our Quarter 1 Community Outreach Partner!
Their mission is to promote Saperavi and other Georgian grape varieties along with Georgian gastronomy and culture in the Finger Lakes, NY and around the U.S., by organizing and facilitating educational seminars and exchange programs between the regions, for wine and culinary professionals and enthusiasts. Your support and contributions will enable them to fund Saperica programs.