Every ticket for the U.S. premiere of Echoes of Wine sold out within a single day. Not in New York. Not in Los Angeles. In Napa Valley — at the Cameo Cinema, a historic theater in St. Helena where the wine world pays attention.
On July 31, director Jason Wise — the filmmaker behind the SOMM TV whose films redefined how Americans think about wine on screen — will premiere his newest documentary alongside Parsons Fine Imports. This time, Wise didn't go to Burgundy or Napa. He went to the place where wine began.
Echoes of Wine is an immersive journey through the Republic of Georgia — across the vineyard corridors of Kakheti, through the ancient winemaking heartland of Kartli, and into the streets of Tbilisi — where clay vessels called qvevri have held fermenting grape juice for eight millennia. The film, financed by the National Wine Agency of Georgia, is not a tourism reel. It is an argument: that the oldest wine country on earth is also the most relevant one right now.
WHY IT MATTERS NOW
Georgian wine is no longer a curiosity in the American market — it is a category in motion. Imports have climbed steadily. Sommeliers from San Francisco to Brooklyn are building Georgian sections on their lists. Natural wine bars from Portland to Austin are pouring Kisi and Saperavi by the glass. And it's not just the coasts — Georgian wines are now on shelves and lists in Indianapolis and Louisville, markets where a bottle of Rkatsiteli would have been unthinkable five years ago. But the story behind the bottles has never had a vehicle like this.
The world premiere is presented by Parsons Fine Imports, one of the leading U.S. importers dedicated to Georgian wine. Founder Kirk Parsons first discovered Georgia through nearly three decades of U.S. Marine Corps service — professional missions that evolved into a lasting personal connection and, ultimately, a family business built alongside his son, Will. Supporting Echoes of Wine is a natural extension of the company's mission: introducing Americans not only to the diversity of Georgian wines, but to the people, places, and traditions behind them.
"We didn't start Parsons Fine Imports to put Georgian wine on the curiosity shelf. We started it because these wines belong at the table. Jason went to Georgia and understood the same thing we did — this isn't ancient history. This is the most exciting wine country most Americans haven't tasted yet." – Kirk Parsons
THE EVENING: SCREENING, WINE, AND SOMM TV'S FIRST LIVE PODCAST
The sold-out premiere on July 31 at the Cameo Cinema in St. Helena is more than a screening. It is an evening built around the convergence of film, wine, and conversation.
Guests will experience Echoes of Wine while tasting a selection of Georgian wines from the Parsons Fine Imports portfolio — including wines featured in the documentary, such as Villa Mosavali. Immediately following the film, SOMM TV will record its first-ever live podcast episode on site, with Jason Wise joined by Kirk and Will Parsons for an unscripted conversation about what they saw, tasted, and learned across Georgia. No studio. No script. Just the filmmaker and the importers who walked the same vineyards, talking about what the experience meant — in front of the audience that just watched it happen on screen.
MEDIA & TRADE ACCESS
A limited number of seats are reserved for accredited press and trade professionals. For availability, screening credentials, and interview requests, contact the press office at Beviour Marketing.
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