Georgian Wine - National Wine Agency

In the context of intense competition in the global wine market, the primary objective of the ongoing reforms in Georgia’s wine industry is to strengthen the competitiveness of Georgian wine against producers from renowned winemaking countries such as France, Italy, Spain, as well as emerging “New World” wine-producing nations. For the long-term and sustainable development of the sector, the emphasis must shift from quantity to quality. As vineyard formation begins in late February, winegrowers are encouraged to consider the planned changes in advance. This was highlighted by Levan Mekhuzla, Chairman of the National Wine Agency, during a discussion regarding the introduction of three differentiated grape prices based on quality for the 2026 harvest.

Mekhuzla noted that, in order to protect the interests of winegrowers, the state has to purchase surplus grapes that are not acquired by the private sector.

“In previous years, there were cases when the sugar content of the grapes to be delivered was 14-15%, which is a very poor indicator. Such grapes are even less suitable for the production of spirits. Starting this year, a minimum sugar content threshold of 17% will be introduced for wine grapes. Grapes with lower sugar levels will be classified as non-wine (hybrid) varieties and purchased at a significantly reduced price,” Mekhuzla explained. He further emphasized that the price differentiation between conditioned and unconditioned grapes encourages winegrowers to improve quality standards. This approach proved effective during last year’s harvest, when two different prices were set depending on quality, and the vast majority of winegrowers tried to bring the grape harvest to the required condition," noted the Chairman of the National Wine Agency.

During the 2026 harvest, in the event of a surplus harvest, if the private sector does not express interest in purchasing grapes, the state has set the following prices for purchasing 1 kg of grapes:

Grapes harvested from vine varieties permitted by the Law of Georgia “On Vine and Wine”: Sugar content exceeding 20% - 1.30 GEL; Sugar content from 17% to 20% - 80 tetri, and sugar content not exceeding 17% - 30 tetri;

As for Saperavi: Sugar content exceeding 22% - 1.50 GEL, Sugar content from 17% to 22% - 90 tetri, and sugar content not exceeding 17% - 30 tetri.