Georgian Wine - National Wine Agency

This week, the Government of Georgia reviewed and approved the draft law “On Amendments to the Law of Georgia on Vine and Wine,” the purpose of which is to promote the production of high-quality, competitive alcoholic beverages of grape origin, as well as to support the consideration of the requirements of local and international markets necessary for their sale.
The new regulation, among other provisions, stipulates that starting next year, the establishment of an entrepreneurial vineyard will require consent issued by the LEPL National Wine Agency.
“It is encouraging that in recent years vineyards have been actively planted, however, this process must not be spontaneous. More attention must be paid to quality, exposition, soil, and varieties. If an entrepreneur takes all of this into account, they will not encounter obstacles in obtaining a permit for vineyard establishment.
It should generally be noted that on a global scale, wine consumption has decreased; the experience of recent harvests shows that the state has had to intervene in grape purchasing, and in order to avoid hindering the development of the sector, vineyard establishment regulations must be introduced,” stated the Chairman of the National Wine Agency, Levan Mekhuzla.
According to the Chairman of the Agency, the requirement to obtain a vineyard establishment permit will apply to individuals who plan to engage in commercial activity and will not apply to those who intend to plant vineyards for personal use.
In recent years, interest in the viticulture and winemaking sector has significantly increased, which is reflected in the intensive establishment of new vineyards.
It is noteworthy that in some cases, vineyards have been planted using varieties not permitted for the relevant viticulture zones and sub-zones, or seedlings produced in uncertified nurseries, which subsequently leads to problems both in the production/sale of grapes and in wine production.
The draft law will be submitted to the Parliament of Georgia for adoption.
The draft law was prepared by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia.