Technological Tensions: Negotiating Politics and Viniculture in Georgia’s Wine Economy

• In-person event
• 403, Southam Hall, Carleton University
• 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6

• Contact
• Jeff Sahadeo, JeffSahadeo@Cunet.Carleton.Ca

Event Description:

This talk examines the politics of winemaking technologies in Georgia. From traditional heritage methodologies of fermenting wine in kvevri (clay pots embedded in the ground) to the introduction of oak barrels and stainless steel vats, vinicultural materials tell stories of how Georgian winemakers contend with histories of Russian imperialism and negotiate their current wine markets. Winemaking approaches reflect understandings of identity, political sentiments, and hegemonic global systems of taste and place that drive consumer politics worldwide.

About the Speaker:

Rikki Brown is a PhD Candidate in Cultural Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her research examines the wine industry in Sakartvelo (the country of Georgia) and how politics, place, and authenticity of wine are negotiated between local winemakers, the state, and neoliberal actors.