Georgia’s grape harvest 2017: “unprecedented success”
Tweet 
Share
"Since independence we have not sold so many wines in terms of quantity as well as in terms of amount of money,” said Georgia’s Agriculture Minister Levan Davitashvili who today summarised the grape harvest of 2017.
Davitashvili expects that 70 million bottles of Georgian wine will be exported this year as the grape harvest has ended with "unprecedented success”.
The minister stated that this year demand on grape from the private sector was high: 123,000 tonnes of grape have been processed and the income of winegrowers reached 150 million GEL.
In fact the state did not have to buy surplus grape as there was no need for it. The private sector handled grape storing without any delay,” said Davitashvili.
Georgia's Agriculture Minister expects that 70 million bottles of Georgian wine will be exported this year. Photo by Wines of Georgia.
The minister believes that the private sector is stronger and healthier thanks to state co-financing programs.
As a result we see re-equipped enterprises, new enterprises, modernised companies, which are successful on international markets; also various marketing campaigns which help to raise awareness of Georgian wine abroad,” Davitashvili said.
The grape harvest is almost over in Georgia's main wine growing region Kakheti but the action continues in the northwestern Racha-Lechkhumi region, where a small amount of very unique grapes are grown.
The grape harvest is continuing actively in Georgia’s eastern wine region of Kakheti, where as of today, 85,000 tonnes of grape has already been processed.
Farmers from Georgia’s eastern Kakheti region, famous for its ancient tradition of winemaking, have received 76.6 million GEL (31 mln USD) through selling their grapes to wineries, official figures read.
Grape growers in Georgia’s eastern Kakheti region are continuing to reap the benefits of a bumper harvest.
Locals and tourists visiting Georgia’s wine region of Kakheti teamed up to harvest the grapes of over 400 varieties at a unique vineyard of Georgian wine company Shumi.
The government of Georgia has decided not to subsidise the grape harvest this year, announces the Minister of Environment Protection and Agriculture Levan Davitashvili.
The 2018 grape harvest is in full swing in Georgia’s wine region of Kakheti. This will be the first grape harvest in the last 10 years that has not been subsidised by the state.
The grape harvest continues actively in Georgia’s eastern wine region of Kakheti, where as of today, about 142,000 tonnes of grape have already been processed.
About 155 tonnes of grapes have been picked in Georgia’s western Racha region as of September 30.