Georgian wine exports surges in April

More Georgian wine is continuing to be exported to foreign countries and enjoyed by people all over the world.

Monthly export figures released today revealed more than half a million more bottles of wine was exported in April 2015 compared to March, while this figure was double what was exported in January and February.

In April 2015, Georgia exported 2,878,565 bottles of wine, while 2,198,535 bottles were exported in March, 1,558,631 in February and 1,343,018 in January, said Georgia's National Wine Agency.

In total, from January to April, Georgia exported 7,978,749 bottles of wine (0.75 litre), valued at $23 million USD to 26 countries across the world.

In the first four months of 2015 Georgian wine exports had dropped 58 percent less than in the same period of 2014. The Agency believed this was due to a reduction in imports from Georgia's two largest wine importers – Russia (-76 percent) and Ukraine (-57 percent).

In recent times Georgia has worked hard to diversify its wine import markets, and this was evident in the Agency's latest data.

Export of Georgian wine had increased to "strategically important markets" like China, Eastern European countries and Canada, said the Agency.

Canada recorded the largest percentage increase in terms of the volume of Georgian wine the country imported. The latest data showed exports of Georgian wine to Canada increased by 250 percent in the first part of this year.

From January to April 2015, China also experienced an 87 percent increase in its import of Georgian wine, claimed the Agency. In recent times Georgia has made an effort to penetrate the Asian wine market, and results were now becoming evident, said the Agency. This could further be backed up as exports of Georgian wine increased by 9 percent to Japan so far this year.

Similarly, more wine was also being imported in Europe. Data showed the UK was the top European importer of Georgian wine, and had experienced a 79 percent increaae in import figures. Wine exports to Germany also increased by 6 percent, said the Agency.

Furthermore, data showed Georgian wine exports had increased in Belarus (by 27 percent), Estonia (by 16 percent), Poland (by 7 percent), the United States (by 6 percent) and other countries this year.

Meanwhile, Russia was traditionally the largest importer of Georgian wine. Despite its reduction in importing Georgian wine, it still topped the list of countries where the biggest portion of Georgian wine was exported.

About three million bottles of wine was exported in Russia in the first four months of 2015. Kazakhstan imported 1,529, 688 bottles of Georgian wine, 873,516 bottles were exported to Ukraine, 519,576 to Poland and 494,478 bottles to China.

Meanwhile, Georgia exported 1,495,500 bottles of brand (0.5 litres) valued at $4,468,997 USD in January-April 2015.

Russia (882,032 bottles) and Ukraine (400,560 bottles) topped the list of Georgian brand importer countries, said Georgia's National Wine Agency.