Ep. 2331 Zulfiya Ibragimova of Almawine Group | Asia Wine Market: Almaty Special Edition

Welcome to Episode 2331 and the first episode of the new special series focusing on the Asian Wine Market. In today’s episode, Roza Zharmukhambetova IWA interviews Zulfiya Ibragimova, President of the Kazakhstan Sommelier Association and Import and Portfolio Manager at Almawine. Key Learning Objectives: Explore the evolution of Kazakhstan’s wine industry and the role of the Kazakhstan Sommelier Association in growing the wine community. Learn about ALMAWINE, one of Kazakhstan’s leading wine importers and distributors. Identify opportunities for Italian wines in this emerging market, including popular styles, underrepresented regions, and importer preferences. Asia Wine Market is a new podcast series from the Italian Wine Podcast that explores the fast-growing wine markets across Asia. Designed for wine professionals, importers, and producers, the series highlights regional trends, consumer behavior, and business opportunities for Italian wine exports. To learn more about the new series, listen to the pilot episode: https://www.italianwinepodcast.com/Episodes/ep-2324-stevie-kim-interviews-roza-zharmukhambetova-asia-wine-market-almaty-special-edition/ Through 10 exclusive episodes, this series offers insights from key industry players and builds up to the Vinitaly Kazakhstan Roadshow 2025 — a strategic event connecting Italian wineries with Central Asian wine importers, sommeliers, and distributors. Whether you're looking to enter the Kazakhstan wine market or expand your brand presence in Asia, this series is your starting point. To learn more about Kazakhstan market, listen to Stevie’s interview with Marco Alberti, the former Ambassador of Italy to Kazakhstan: https://www.italianwinepodcast.com/Episodes/ep-2205-marco-alberti-ambassador-of-italy-to-kazakhstan-on-the-road-with-stevie-kim/ Today’s guest: Zulfiya Ibragimova Zulfiya Ibragimova is a wine professional with 10 years of experience in the industry. Her career includes roles as a wine consultant, restaurant sommelier, wine school instructor, and private tasting organizer. She currently serves as the President of the Kazakhstan Sommelier Association, is a member of the Exam and Education Committee in the International Sommelier Association (ASI), and oversees wine imports and portfolio development at ALMAWINE. Connect: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zusomm Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zu_somm/ Today’s host: Roza Zharmukhambetova Roza Zharmukhambetova has a background in foreign languages and education. She discovered her passion for wine in Beijing, where she gained two years of experience in wine sales. Since returning to Kazakhstan, she has focused on studying Italian wine and exploring its regions. Roza holds certifications as an Italian Wine Ambassador (VIA), Italian Wine Scholar (WSG), Langhe Wines Ambassador (BBA), and Valpolicella Wine Specialist (VEP). She is also a member of the Kazakhstan Sommelier Association. Since late last year, she has been a member of the Italian Wine Podcast (IWP) team, contributing her passion for Italian wine. Connect: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roza.zharmukhambetova Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/le_vin_enrose/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rozazharmukhambetova/ _______________________________ Let's keep in touch! Follow Italian Wine Podcast on our social media channels: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/italianwinepodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ItalianWinePodcast Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/itawinepodcast Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mammajumboshrimp LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/italianwinepodcast If you feel like helping us, donate here: https://www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show/ Until next time, Cin Cin!