Georgian Wine - National Wine Agency

At an external meeting of the Georgian Parliament's Agriculture Committee held at the National Wine Agency, the Agency's Chairman, Levan Mekhuzla, presented a report on the activities carried out in 2025 and spoke about the reforms planned for developping the winemaking sector.

The meeting was chaired by Giorgi Guguchia, Deputy Chairman of the Committee.

It was noted at the meeting that the state's support for the viticulture and winemaking sector in recent years has significantly strengthened the winemaking industry.

"Against the background of this success, ongoing processes in the world, in particular, the trend of decreasing consumption in the global wine market, have presented the sector with new challenges, which was accompanied by the spontaneous cultivation of vineyards in Georgia and the artificial increase of per hectare yield with various preparations. The above-mentioned circumstances led to a surplus of grape harvest in the country," noted Levan Mekhuzla, Chairman of the Agency.

The reality created in the sector has caused the need for significant reforms on the agenda, primarily related to the introduction of regulations for vineyard cultivation and ensuring high wine quality.

An important aspect of the reform is the amendment to the Law of Georgia on Vine and Wine, which envisages that starting next year, permission for the cultivation of an industrial vineyard will be issued by the LEPL National Wine Agency.

"When cultivating vineyards, attention should be paid to the quality of vine seedlings, cultivation exposure, soil, and varieties. Everything must comply with the standard that allows us to obtain a quality grape harvest and wine. If the entrepreneur takes all of this into account, they will not encounter any obstacles in obtaining permission to cultivate. For the stable development of the winemaking industry, care for the quality of wine must begin in the vineyard. In a context where wine consumption has decreased in the global market and there is high competition in the market, this is the only way to produce a high-quality product and not hinder the development trend of the sector in recent years," noted the Chairman of the National Wine Agency.

The first step towards ensuring high quality was taken in 2025, when grape prices varied during the harvest. The price difference depending on quality will persist and become even more strict next year.

"The grapes used to make wine must be of uncompromisingly high quality. During the 2026 harvest, there will be 3 different prices for grapes: grapes with a sugar content below 17% will be equated with hybrids (vine varieties prohibited by the Law on Vine and Wine) and will have a lower price. The price of grapes with a sugar content of 17-21% for white grapes and 17-23% for red grapes will be less than 1 GEL. Grapes will be considered wine grapes with a sugar content/condition of more than 21% in the case of white grapes and more than 23% in the case of red grapes," noted the Chairman of the National Wine Agency.