Georgian wine export to Europe increases

When Russia placed an embargo on Georgian wine in spring 2006, the industry suffered the loss of its biggest market.

However, one upshot of this has been the diversification of Georgia’s wine export market—and although the Russian market is yet to be matched, the potential long term pay-off of exporting to more countries is obvious.

Countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States remain the biggest buyers of Georgian wine, but exports have increased to Poland, Germany, the UK and the US, Georgian news media reports.

“It is true that we have entered the European market, although it is very difficult to gain popularity there. To achieve this we need to work hard for at least ten years. Although it is encouraging that we are making headway, given the tough competition,” the newspaper Rezonansi quoted Teliani Valley wine company representative Zurab Razikashvili as saying.

In 2007 some 11.1 million bottles of Georgian wine were exported to 40 different countries, according to the newspaper Akhali Komersanti.