Georgia exports 44% percent more wine to 40 countries, earning $46.6m

Millions of dollars are flowing into the Georgian economy from increasing wine and brandy sales to markets all over the world, latest figures show.

So far this year Georgia earned about $78.8 million USD from exporting alcoholic beverages, while in the same period of 2015 Georgia generated only $58.3 million.

Today the National Wine Agency of Georgia released information about the export of Georgian alcoholic beverages between January-June 2016.

Wine exports surge in January-June 2016

Georgia exported 44 percent more Georgian wine between January-June 2016 than in the same period of 2015.

The Agency said in the first six months of 2016, Georgia exported 19.8 million bottles of wine to 40 countries, which generated $46.6 million for Georgia.

The five countries that imported the most Georgian wine in January-June 2016 were:

• Russia – 10,198,085 bottles;
• Ukraine – 2,286,977 bottles;
• China – 1,884,665 bottles;
• Kazakhstan – 1,764,286 bottles;
• Poland – 1,070,454 bottles.

Exports of Georgian wine increased to:

• China – 148 percent (1,884,665 bottles);
• Belarus – 96 percent (462,547 bottles);
• Kirgizstan – 89 percent (149,666 bottles);
• Ukraine – 82 percent (2,286,977 bottles);
• Estonia – 64 percent (331,884 bottles);
• Russia – 56 percent (10,198,085 bottles);
• Germany – 55 percent (166,636 bottles);
• United Kingdom – 43 percent (58, 366 bottles);
• Poland – 34 percent (1,070,454 bottles);
• Lithuania – 31 percent (260,064 bottles);
• Canada – 16 percent (96,300 bottles).

The Agency noted China had moved from fourth to the third largest importer of Georgian wine, following Russia and Ukraine.

The most popular Georgian wines exported in the first six months of 2016 were:

• Kindzmarauli – 2,626,364 bottles;
• Mukuzani – 1,006,732 bottles;
• Tsinandali – 830,149 bottles;
• Akhasheni – 426,899 bottles;
• Khvanchkara – 132,033 bottles.

Brandy exports increase

In January-June 2016 Georgia saw a 47 percent increase in brandy exports.

The Agency said Georgia exported 3,710,997 bottles of brandy, 47 percent more year-on-year, worth $8.5 million.