For state the quality of the Georgian alcoholic beverages is priority
Chairman of the National Wine Agency Levan Mekhuzla and Chairman of the National Food Agency Zurab Chekurashvili met with the representatives of the sales networks of alcoholic beverages and discussed the issues of mandatory certification of alcoholic beverages produced in Georgia, intended for sale in the local market.
The producer or the person selling the alcoholic beverages, when selling the products on the local market, is obliged to have a certificate of conformity of the products, which is issued by the National Wine Agency based on the protocol issued by the accredited laboratory.
"Along with the development of the winemaking industry, the need to protect the local market more; that all producers be on equal competitive conditions has become a part of agenda; In order to protect the interests of consumers, traceability tools should be strengthened. The representatives of the trade networks are obliged to request a certificate of conformity from the producers and to sell them accordingly. I would also like to note that from January 1 of current year until now, the National Wine Agency has issued a certificate of conformity for the local market to 800,000 bottles produced by 100 companies, which indicates the activity of wine producers", said Levan Mekhuzla.
“The image of Georgian wine outside the country has significantly increased in recent years. The agency's priority and the most important for it is to protect the interests of the local population as much as possible. At the same time, the National Food Agency welcomes and is ready to actively cooperate with the business sector", said Zurab Chekurashvili.
For the purposes of strengthening the quality control of Georgian wine and other alcoholic beverages, the legislative amendment entered into force on January 1, 2023. Corresponding changes in the "Law of Georgia on Grapes and Wine" were implemented in 2021. Until now, mandatory certification applied to export products in full, and only to DO wines and chacha on the local market.