Independent international organisations to be involved in testing Georgian export wine
At this stage, the negotiations are completed with the Swiss SGS and a contract will be signed soon. Also, negotiations are coming to an end with the French Bureau Veritas. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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At the request of local wine companies, independent international organisations will be involved in the process of testing Georgian export wines from the end of May, announces head of the National Wine Agency of Georgia Levan Mekhuzla.
At this stage, we have completed negotiations with the Swiss SGS and a contract will be signed very soon. Also, negotiations are coming to an end with the French Bureau Veritas, which will join us later. These companies will be included in the audit", said Mekhuzla.
Mekhuzla said that no cases of wine counterfeiting have been reported in recent years. However, there are cases when wine does not match the protected appellation of origin for which it is made.
He said that 17 companies were inspected in the first quarter of 2021 and only one of them was denied a certificate.
Experts of the Russian government organisation Russian Quality System (Roskachestvo) have evaluated more than 120 wines from 13 countries in the price category up to 1,000 rubles on the shelves of Russian stores and the worst results in the study were shown by Georgia.
In order to raise awareness and increase the export of Georgian wine to Germany the Georgian wine advertising campaign will be strengthened in Germany this year using various media platforms.
Russia's Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing has announced a "strengthening of control" over alcoholic drinks imported from Georgia, in a move reminiscent of a 2006 embargo on wine from the country.
The Russian market supervisory body Rospotrebnadzor is tightening control of alcoholic drinks imported from Georgia claiming that some products ‘do not meet the criteria’.
Georgia exported 28.3 million bottles of wine to 55 countries in January-April 2021, which is an increase of 15% compared to the same period of 2020, says the Georgian National Wine Agency. By selling wine abroad Georgia generated $65 million. Revenues increased by 7% year-on-year.
Influential French winemaker Loic Pasquet, founder of the company Liber Pater and producer of the world’s most expensive wine is interested in launching his first project in Georgia together with the founder of local wine company Askaneli, Gocha Chkhaidze, which aims to bring Georgian wine to the most expensive segment of the EU market.
About 20 Georgian wine companies have won gold, silver and bronze at the International Wine Challenge, the world’s most influential wine competition, the International Wine Challenge 2021 held in London this April.