Georgian Wine - National Wine Agency

Quality

The Chairman of the National Wine Agency, Levan Mekhuzla, spoke about the amendments to the Law of Georgia on Vine and Wine. According to him, one of the amendments provides that all wines intended for commercial production, with the exception of those classified under the “home-made wine” category, are now subject to mandatory tasting.

“Georgia is the cradle of wine, which is not only a source of pride but also a great responsibility. That is why it is essential for Georgian wine to stand out for its authenticity and high quality. The existing quality control mechanisms, including the mandatory tasting system, are designed to achieve this goal. No fundamental changes have been made to the tasting procedure. Since 2007, all wines with a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) have been subject to mandatory tasting, and since 2017, the requirement has applied to all export wines, regardless of category. Therefore, the recent legislative amendments, in practice, affect only those companies that neither exported wine nor produced PDO wines. Even under the most optimistic estimates, this represents only about 5% of total wine production. All other products had already been undergoing organoleptic evaluation,” said Levan Mekhuzla.

Regarding the exception provided for under the law, the Chairman of the National Wine Agency explained that it is related to the production technology of home-made wine.

“Home-made wine” is a distinct category whose producers deliberately refrain from using modern additives. This production method is the closest to the winemaking tradition that existed in Georgia 8,000 years ago. This niche is of particular importance to us. Home-made (natural) wines may exhibit certain characteristics and acceptable deviations from standard specifications. That is why, as is the practice in a number of countries, including France, natural wine carries a specific designation. This ensures both full traceability of the product by the regulatory authority and enables consumers to make informed purchasing decisions,” said Levan Mekhuzla.