The Government of Georgia reviewed and approved this week a draft law on amendments to the Law of Georgia on Vine and Wine, aimed at supporting the production of high-quality, competitive alcoholic beverages of grape origin and ensuring compliance with the requirements of local and international markets for their sale. The information was released by the National Wine Agency of Georgia.
Under the new regulation, starting next year, the establishment of commercial vineyards will require prior approval, which will be issued by the National Wine Agency of Georgia.
“It is encouraging that vineyard planting has been actively expanding in recent years; however, this process should not be spontaneous. Greater attention must be paid to quality, exposure, soil conditions, and grape varieties. If entrepreneurs take these factors into account, they will face no obstacles in obtaining planting permits. Globally, wine consumption has been declining, and recent harvest seasons show that the state has had to intervene in grape purchasing. In order to ensure the sustainable development of the sector, it is necessary to introduce regulations for vineyard establishment,” said Levan Mekhuzla, Chairman of the National Wine Agency.
According to the Agency Chair, the requirement to obtain a vineyard planting permit will apply only to those planning commercial activities and will not affect individuals planting vineyards for personal use.
In recent years, interest in the viticulture and winemaking sector has increased significantly, reflected in the intensive establishment of new vineyards. It is noteworthy that in some cases vineyards have been planted with grape varieties not permitted for the relevant viticulture zones or sub-zones, or with seedlings grown in non-certified nurseries. This later causes problems both in grape production and marketing, as well as in wine production.
The draft law will be submitted to the Parliament of Georgia for adoption. The draft was prepared by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia.
