11,000 tonnes of grapes processed in Kakheti
The grapes have been processed by 40 wine companies and cellars so far, says the agency. Photo: National Wine Agency of Georgia.
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About 11,000 tonnes of grapes of various varieties have been processed in the Kakheti region, east Georgia, as of September 8.
About 2,000 tonnes of grapes are processed every day in Kakheti, says the National Wine Agency of Georgia, noting that the grape harvest is now entering the active phase.
Of the 11,000 tonnes already processed, around 6,000 tonnes of grapes were of the Rkatsiteli variety, 2,000 tonnes were Saperavi, while 1,000 tonnes were Kakhuri Mtsvane.
The grapes have been processed by 40 wine companies and cellars so far, says the agency.
This year, to support the viticulture and winemaking sector affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Georgia will subsidize Rkatsiteli and Kakhuri Mtsvane,” says the National Wine Agency of Georgia.
The subsidy will be given to wine companies that buy and process at least 1,000 tonnes of Rkatsiteli or Kakhuri Mtsvane grapes grown in the Kakheti region.
Also, the company is obliged to pay not less than 0.8 GEL to farmers.
When purchasing 1 kg of grapes, the amount of subsidy a company will receive is 0.3 GEL per 1 kilogram.
A special grape harvest coordination centre is located in Telavi in the heart of Kakheti, that offers support to wine growers and producers around the clock.
The grape harvest season is picking up steam in the Georgian winemaking region of Kakheti, where 200 tonnes of grapes have already been processed as of August 26, announces the Georgian National Wine Agency.
The government of Georgia will subsidise the 2020 grape harvest, especially grape varieties of Rkatsiteli and Kakhuri Mtsvane in order to support farmers completely sell their produce, announces Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia.
The Ministry of Agriculture has extended support programmes for business and agriculture, and offers grapes, hazelnuts and tea producers an effective support package, said Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia earlier today.
Georgia is getting ready for the major grape harvest season during which more than a hundred thousand tonnes of grapes will be picked, packed and sold locally or exported. Traditionally, the wine harvest begins in September in Georgia’s winemaking regions – Kakheti, Imereti and Racha.
About 40,000 tonnes of grapes of various varieties have been processed in Georgia’s eastern winemaking region of Kakheti as of September 14, which is 33 per cent more year-on-year.
The grape harvest is continuing actively in Georgia’s eastern wine region of Kakheti, where as of today, 133,000 tonnes of grape have already been processed.
232,000 tonnes of grapes have been processed in the Kakheti region as of October 2, but the process still continues until mid-October.
Heavy hail and wind hit the Kvareli, Telavi and Gurjaani municipalities in Georgia’s wine region of Kakheti yesterday damaging 4600 ha of vineyards. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili stated earlier today that the damage is being calculated, noting that ‘none of the victims will be left without the state’s care.’
The grape harvest has started early in the Georgian wine region of Kakheti after heavy hail and wind destroyed 4,600 ha of vineyards in about 30 villages this week. Farmers are picking hail-damaged grapes in the towns of Kvareli, Gurjaani, Lagodekhi and Telavi in Kakheti.