Georgia diversifies its wine export markets, reveal experts

Georgia has resumed wine exports to Russia in 2013 for the first time since 2006 embargo. Photo by N.Alavidze
Agenda.ge, 08 Oct 2015 - 16:54, Tbilisi,Georgia

Georgia is diversifying its export markets and exporting more wine to strategically important markets such as China, France and the United States (US).

Latest data from the Georgian National Wine Agency noted more than 24 million bottles of wine worth $66.8 million USD was exported to 41 countries in the first nine months of the year. This was a decrease year-on-year however several strategic markets had increased their imports of Georgian wine by 90 percent or more.

The Agency said China was one of the most strategically important markets for Georgia, where wine exports had increased by 90 percent. Between January-September 2015 Georgia exported more than 1.5 million bottles of wine to China.

The taste of Georgian wine was also being enjoyed all over the European Union (EU). The Netherlands imported 146 percent more wine this year than in 2014, while Poland imported more than one million bottles.

Specifically, in the first nine months of 2015 Georgia’s wine exports increased to several EU countries, including:

  • Poland – 1,112,118 bottles (one percent increase);
  • Latvia – 831,906 bottles (eight percent increase);
  • Lithuania – 437,850 bottles (six percent increase);
  • Estonia – 339,912 bottles (32 percent increase);
  • Germany – 189,054 bottles (14 percent increase);
  • Netherlands – 38,844 bottles (146 percent increase);
  • France – 28,638 bottles (119 percent increase).

Other strategically important markets were:

  • United States - 181,937 bottles (39 percent increase);
  • Canada – 135,012 bottles (69 percent increase);
  • Kyrgyzstan – 117,840 bottles (83 percent increase);
  • Japan – 112,226 bottles (33 percent increase);
  • Israel – 28,440 bottles (163 percent);
  • Hong-Kong – 26,834 bottles (eight percent increase);
  • Korea – 24,054 bottles (221 percent).

Georgia’s top export markets

The five countries that imported the most Georgian wine were Russia with 12,508,086 bottles, Kazakhstan with 3,442,296 bottles, Ukraine with 2,149,471 bottles, China with 1,517,843 bottles and Poland, who imported 1,112,118 bottles of Georgian wine.

Georgian wine export decreased

In general Georgia exported 44 percent less wine between January-September 2015 than the previous year, which the Agency said was due to the ongoing political-economic events in the region.

Wine exports decreased in Georgia’s two main export countries – Russia, where we see a 55 percent decrease and Ukraine, where wine exports dropped by 62 percent,” said the Agency.

In the first nine months of 2015 24,071,200 bottles of wine worth $66.8 million USD had been exported to 41 countries. Most wine was exported in September; data showed 4,235,132 bottles of Georgian wine was exported abroad last month.

Month-on-month figures showed the volume of wine exported increased over the summer months.

  • January – 1,343,018 bottles;
  • February – 1,558,631 bottles;
  • March – 2,198,535 bottles;
  • April – 2,878,656 bottles;
  • May – 2,476,567 bottles;
  • June – 3,251,246 bottles;
  • July – 3,094,894 bottles;
  • August – 3,050,265 bottles; and
  • September – 4,235,132 bottles.

Other alcoholic beverages

Between January-September 2015 Georgia exported 4,483,702 bottles of brandy to 17 countries and 97,000 bottles of Chacha to 20 countries.

So far this year Georgia earned about $100 million USD from exported alcoholic beverages abroad.