Georgian wine maker: For us, the notion of "Armenian wine” is strange

19.06.2013 (Hvino News) The return of Georgian wine to the Russian market concerned the Armenian winemakers. Avag Harutyunyan, president of Union of Armenian Wine Producers, stated that due to Georgian wine exports to Russia, the Armenian wine had problems on the Russian market. "There are several factors. We occupied a certain place in the Russian market in terms of prices. Now the Georgians came to this niche. Since  2005 they have got out of  the low-price niche and now want to occupy the high-price niche. This demonstrates that the Georgian wine quality has improved", - he said [more detail here (in English) and here (in Russian)].

"The notion of "Armenian wine" is strange to me" –  Zurab  Ramazashvili, head of Telavi Wine Cellar (Marani) responded to the president of Union of Armenian Wine Producers. According to Mr. Ramazashvili,  Georgian wines are of much higher quality than Armenian products and, hence, will be presented in the higher price segment in the Russian market than the Armenian wine now.

Ramazashvili says that Georgian wines are preparing for competition with high quality wines and not with Armenian products, which, in his words, occupy insignificant place in the Russian market. He adds, the Armenian and Georgian wine is of a very different quality and different price segment.

"I know Armenian brandy. It definitely has a certain niche in the market, but Armenian wine can be rarely found on the shelves, "- Ramazashvili noted.

© Hvino News

Wine and outhouses, Racha-Style

by Alice Feiring

19.06.2013. First, where is Racha? Northwest of Georgia (no, not Atlanta). Not far from Imeriti. Gorgeous. Rich in terroir; iron, carbon, granite, slate, marcasite, quartz,  limestone of all colors that is crawling with ancient crustaceans. The place is a raw nerve of terroir.

Yet the mountainous, pulse-stoppingly beautiful highland-like region is gravely under-utilized and way too poor. This, Georgia's smallest wine region with no bottle-ready wine maker currently on the market--is a  land in need of champion. No foreign star winemaker such as Raul Perez/Telmo Rodriguez is on the horizon. Given my prejudice about wine, this is a good thing.

But some of Georgia's best,  committed to making wine close to nature--like Imertian Ramaz Nikoladze, or Kartlians Niki Antadze and Iago Bitarishvili or Khaketian Gela Patalishvili--could help some of the home talent wanting to come to local and foreign tables.  But right now these local superstars are also struggling to make a dream happen-- as all were born in Soviet times when there no dreams were allowed.

Georgian wine to emerge on Russian market soon

18.06.2013 (Hvino News). Georgian wine will soon show up on the Russian market, head of Russia’s consumer rights watchdog Rospotrebnadzor Gennady Onishchenko said at press conference in Moscow. According to Onishchenko, the product is currently passing through the customs procedures.

Gennady Onishchenko also said his agency Rospotrebnadzor may send the third inspection group to Georgia by the end of July. Russian specialists will inspect more Georgian wine producers, which intend to sell their products in Russia.

Georgia's most popular mineral water Borjomi has been already allowed to enter Russia. During past one month, 145 thousand liters of Borjomi was exported from to Russia.

© Hvino News

"The Times" on Georgian wine

18.06.2013. (Hvino News) Britain's leading The Times has published an article on Georgian wine.

The article "Russia says pour me a Georgian white, as wine ban is lifted" is written by Ben Hoyle. Because of copyright restrictions, we re-post  only the beginning of the article:

To the great delight of Russia’s long-suffering oenophiles, Georgian wine is rolling back into the country legally for the first time in seven years. 

The unique, ancient wines of Russia’s small Caucasian neighbour have long been regarded as the finest in the region. 

However, since 2006 there has been an import ban on Georgian and Moldovan wine and mineral water, nominally caused by concern over health and safety standards grounds but widely blamed on politics.

The full article is available for subscribers at newspaper's website.

Winery Khareba will represent Georgia at Vinexpo 2013 in Bordeaux

16.15.2013 (Hvino News). Vinexpo 2013, the key event in the wine and spirits calendar, open its doors today to welcome industry professionals coming to Bordeaux, France. More than 2,400 exhibitors from 45 countries have announced they will attend and converge in Bordeaux.

Winery Khareba is the only  company from Georgia to take part in this major wine industry event. About 15 varieties of wine will be exhibited at company's booth TU359, Hall 3. Here is full list of wines which will be presented:

• Khareba 2011 (8.03.13), aged dry red wine
• Krakhuna 2012 (14.02.13), dry white wine
• Tsitska 2012 (27.02.13), dry white wine
• Mtsvane 2012 (5.03.13), dry white wine
• Rkatsiteli 2012 (16.02.13), dry white wine 
• Saperavi Fruity 2011 (11.01.13), dry red wine
• Saperavi Classic 2011 (1.08.13), dry red wine
• Saperavi Premium 2010 (18.02.13), dry red wine
• Khareba Rose 2012 (19.02.13), dry rose wine

IWINETC Georgia 2014: Early bird registration announced

16.06.2013. If you are in the tourism or wine industry, prepare yourself for the 6th Annual International Wine Tourism Conference to take place in Tbilisi, Georgia.

The conference is scheduled for March 28-29, 2014. The conference is geared toward travel agents, wineries, restaurants, bloggers, writers and more. Up to 300 wine, culinary and travel professionals and wine and travel social and traditional media professionals will gather from throughout the world to meet, learn, and share at this, the sixth annual conference for the wine and culinary tourism industry.

30 places will be allocated to active wine and travel bloggers with a massive 60% discount on the price of the two day event. The Conference will include around 30 talks and workshops with an exhibition area to include wine tourism destinations not only in and around Georgia but also in grape escape destinations around the world. The popular evening After Conference programme will include the Grand Wines of Georgia Tasting and there will be smaller tastings of wines from neigbouring countries as well as a wine tasting from the 2015 host country!

Bloggers will also have the opportunity to participate in pre and post conference tours to the nearby Kakheti wine region where they will discover the world’s oldest wine culture and the unique qvevri tradition of clay pots used to create delicious, unfiltered, organic wines.

Source

First Georgian wine shipment reaches Russia after 7-year ban

15.06.2013 (Hvino News). Dugladze Winery became the first Georgian winemaker to deliver wine  to Russia after a seven-year ban.

Dugladze Winery delivered the first shipment of 30,000 bottles on Friday and will send another 150,000 bottles to commercial distributors throughout Russia next week, according to company’s director.

Levan Davitashvili, head of Georgia’s National Wine Agency, said the day before that in addition to Dugladze, another two companies – Alaverdi and Teliani Valley – had received licenses to ship wine to Russia.

In March, Russia’s consumer rights watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, cleared 36 Georgian winemakers and four mineral water producers to resume deliveries to Russia. Georgian wines and mineral waters were very popular in the Soviet Union and retained much of that appeal after the union broke up. Before the ban, Russia was the largest market for Georgian wines. The head of the Georgian wine producers agency has said Georgia is able to supply Russia with up to 10 million bottles of wine annually.

© Hvino News

Watchdog rejects 9 wines by another Georgian producer

14.06.2013 (Hvino News). The Federal Consumer Protection Service, Rospotrebnadzor,  has barred the import of yet another Georgian winemaker's products.

Head of the consumer rights watchdog Gennady Onishchenko said the agency had issued nine more certificates of non-compliance with quality standards to wine produced by the Imedi-96 company, Russian news agency Interfax reported.

Earlier the agency rejected three brands of wine produced by Schuchmann Wines and five brands of brandy manufactured by Askaneli Brothers, one of the major producers of alcoholic drinks in the country.

The ban on Georgian alcohol and mineral water was officially lifted on March 15. Since then, 12 producers have received 152 registration certificates, while 81 alcohol brands from seven manufacturers are currently being evaluated, Onishchenko said. 17 brands of Georgian alcohol produced by three companies have been rejected.

© Hvino News

Foreign Minister: Georgia has progress in export of wine to Russia and expects progress in easing visa rules

14.06.2013 (Hvino News) The Georgian Foreign Ministry expects progress on the issue of simplifying the visa regime with Russia, Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze said at a press conference held on June 11. According to Panjikidze, the government already has credible information that such progress will be reached.

"We already have some progress in terms of exports to the Russian market. Information saying that 1 million bottles of wine have already been sent to Russia was released today. This will bring a considerable profit for those who produce wine," Panjikidze said.

Georgia and Russia have maintained no diplomatic relations since a brief war in 2008. Tbilisi broke off relations with Moscow in August 2008 when Moscow crushed a Georgian assault to reassert control over the two rebel regions - South Ossetia and Abkhazia - and later recognized the breakaway regions. Georgia announced the two unrecognized republics as occupied territories in September 2008. As for the restoration of diplomatic relations, Panjikidze says it will happen only after Russian troops withdraw from the country. "I would also like to note that during my multilateral meetings, our Western partners constantly express positive attitude in connection with the start of a dialogue," the minister said.

Kakhetian Traditional Winemaking: This year has started successfully

13.06.2013. The 6th International exhibition of wines and spirits was held on 7-9 June in Tbilisi. 77 different types of wine were presented for the international wine competition.

Wines presented by our company - Kakhetian Traditional Winemaking - have received two silver medals and one gold medal:

• Saperavi 2012 (red, dry) - gold medal
• Chinuri 2012 (dry white) - silver medal
• Muscat 2012 (red semi-sweet) - silver medal

It is very important competition and a great victory for the company, because it is not easy to be recognized in your home country. Many experts are very critical to the wines of the country, which is believed to be the homeland and the cradle of wine of the whole world.

Georgian brandy, wine to reappear in Russia this month

12.06.2013 (Hvino News) The first batch of Georgian brandy has been exported to Russia, chairman of the Georgian Agriculture Ministry’s National Wine Agency Levan Davitashvili said at a press conference on Tuesday.

“The first 20,000 bottles of brandy, produced by the Kakhetian Traditional Winemakers company have gone through all the customs procedures,” Davitashvili said, quoted by Russian news agency Interfax.

The Dugladze Wine Company has secured export certificates. Wines made by this company will be sent to Russia within days, he said.

“One can say that the embargo on Georgian wines and mineral water has been lifted and they will re-appear on the Russian market within a couple of weeks,” Davitashvili said, adding that some time will be spent on their transportation, customs clearance, logistics and display on the shelves.

Georgian wine and mineral water exports will be growing. Applications have been filed for excise stamps for 1 million bottles of wine and dozens of companies want to get them, too.

Oda House now open and serving a Georgian feast

by Laura Shunk

12.06.2013. A group of Georgian feasters passed a variety of old hats around their long table, doled out by a laughing man donning a white furry headdress. When they noticed our friend looking on, they invited her to join the fun, and she pulled on one of the cylindrical caps. "Pull it down your forehead!" One of them called. "It's good for migraines!" Such was the jovial, communal atmosphere at the newly opened Oda House, the Georgian restaurant that made its home in the former Caffe Buon Gusto space at 76 Avenue B.

Photo: The Village Voice

Most of the Georgians living in New York City reside in Brooklyn, so it follows naturally that most of this city's Georgian restaurants are located in that borough as well. But when this spot opened a couple of weeks ago, it offered a taste of the Eastern European country's dumplings, khachapuri (cheese breads), and other rich dishes to Manhattan.

Knowledgeable servers will walk you through the menu if you're unfamiliar with the cuisine, calling out favorites and explaining why certain dishes are important representations of this type of food. They'll also recommend that you order a bottle of Georgian wine, pointing out in particular the saperavi from Teliani Valley, a medium-bodied red with good acidity to take on the rich food.

Georgian wine will face serious competition in Russia - experts

11.06.2013. Georgian wine, after a seven-year absence from the Russian market, will not be as inexpensive as it was before, and faces stiff competition, head of the Union of Sommeliers and Experts of Russia Artur Sarkisian said.

"A bottle of Georgian wine will cost at least four hundred rubles, and in this pricing segment in Russia it faces serious competition from Italian, Chilean, and other wines," Sarkisian told the press in Tbilisi during international wine and alcoholic beverage exhibition WinExpo Georgia 2013.

"If Georgian wine can prove it is of better quality, I'm sure the Russian consumer will have to pay attention to it," Sarkisian said.

President of the Associations of Sommeliers of Russia Alexei Sidorov shared his view: "Georgian wine is very much missed on the Russian market".
Source

Russia receives first delivery of Georgian brandy

11.06.2013. After a 7-year ban on Georgian imports, trade between the two politically strained neighbors has resumed with an inaugural delivery was a 21,600 thousand bottles of brandy.

The cases passed through Kazbegi Verkhny Lars, the only official land checkpoint between Russia and Georgia, that has remained closed since 2006.

Tibisi-based Kakheti Traditional Winemaking sent the first batch of goods, with wine and other agricultural products to follow.

Georgia’s largest wine exporter, JSC Tbilvino and Borjomi, a mineral water distributor, are expected to re-launch their products in Russia by the end of the summer.

The Russian Sanitation Service has issued more than 100 licenses to Georgian wine and beverage suppliers, but the goods still must face scrupulous inspection before being granted entrance into the Russian market.

Schuchmann Wines denies accusation of defective wine

10.06.2013 (Hvino News) Schuchmann Wines representatives say they deny that wine samples sent to Russia were sour, and are waiting for a response to the re-sent samples.

On May 24 Russian consumer safety agency Rospotrebnadzor said that wine provided by Schuchmann Wines did no pass the agency's quality control tests. Schuchmann Wines re-sent wine samples to Russia. According to the company's CEO, the company has not received an answers the Russian side.

Schuchmann Wines' Nutsa Abramishvili said that if Russia’s consumer safety agency allows the company to enter the market, Schuchmann Wines will export half a million bottles through four distribution companies.

© Hvino News

Qvevris and other new and useful knowledge

by Max Johnson

10.06.2013. Qvevris are old, practical, magical and contemporary. They are the ancient vessels used for 10,000 years or more in the making of wine; pure, Natural Wine.

I am part of the Second International Qvevri Wine Symposium, and travelling through Georgia with a terrifically engineered group of wine makers, wine writers and one tourism-type, trying to figure out how to design some tourism programs that will incorporate the rather extraordinary Georgian industry.

Firstly, however, a few words about Georgia.

I am not talking about Atlanta; I refer to the Republic of Georgia, tucked away nicely at the eastern end of the Black Sea, due south of some of the more eccentric regions of the Russian Federation and due north of Turkey and Armenia. It is a peaceful and stunning beautiful country of some 4.5 million souls leading their land to a rather new and interesting prosperity. The country has had more than its share of problems with invaders; since the 4th century, and probably before.

The political issues of the Caucasus make the politics of teenage girls seem simple. From invasion to invasion, political and economic alliances, disputes of all manner of shapes and sizes, wine was being made, consumed and keeping the Georgians, an extremely convivial race, content.

WinExpo Georgia wine fair opens in Tbilisi

08.06.2013. The 6th International Wine and Spirits Fair - Win Expo Georgia 2013 has been launched in Tbilisi on Friday. The international exhibition has been opened by the Minister of Agriculture Shalva Pipia.

The event is organized by the National Wine Agency and the Exhibition Center "Expo Georgia" and it is supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, the Association "Georgian Wine" and the Ministry of Culture and Monuments Protection of Georgia.

"The international wine and spirits exhibition is held annually. We are pleased that many foreign guests arrived to learn the Georgian wine this year, in particular. Wine experts, specialists and reporters from various countries will be able to get acquainted with the diversity and the culture of the Georgian wine. It will significantly help to promote our products and search export markets, "- said Shalva Pipia.

The opening ceremony of the exhibition was also attended by the Deputy Minister of Culture and Monuments Protection, Manana Berikashvili.

Moscow and Tbilisi officials say Georgian wine will appear in Russia next week

06.06.2013 (Hvino News) Grigory Karasin, Russia's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Levan Davitashvili, head of Georgian National wine agency, hold press briefings today and mentioned time when Georgian wine would finally become available in Russia.

Georgian wine will appear in Russian stores starting from from June, according to Mr. Karasin. He spoke with Russian media after meeting in Prague with Zurab Abashidze, special envoy of Georgian Prime Minister Ivanishvili on relations with Russia. 

“We may talk a lot about permission for Georgian wine and mineral waters to Russian market, though the most important thing is that mineral water already enters Russia and it even appeared in our stores. As for the wine, we will probably see it in Russian stores in June, as the appropriate documentation has been issued to seven Georgia’s wine producers”, Mr. Karasin said. 

Also today the head of the national wine agency Levan Davitashvili said at a briefing that Georgian wine will be sent to Russia next week. He said that issuance of Russian excise stamps has been started this week and they were sent to Georgia.

Official: Georgia's wine export statistics for May 2013

06.06.2013.  (Hvino News)  According to the Georgian Wine Agency total of 1,838,132 liters of wine (0.75-liter bottled) was exported to 25 countries in May, 2013. The overall export as of May amounts to 5,071,158 liters, being 27% higher vs last year same period.

Five leading export destinations of Georgian wine are as follows: Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus, China and Latvia, where Ukraine holds 44% of total volume of exports.

Brazil has appeared as new export destination where 34,000 liters of wine (0.75-liter bottled) were shipped.

© Hvino News

WINEXPO GEORGIA 13

06.06.2013. We are proud to invite you to the fascinating wine show, to feel and taste Georgian wines and spirits. 6th International Wine & Spirits Fair "WINEXPO GEORGIA 13" will be held on June 7-9 in Tbilisi, at Expo Georgia (118 A.Tsereteli avenue). Organizer is Exhibition Centre ExpoGeorgia and National Wine agency of Georgia. Official Support: Ministry of Agriculture of Georgia and Georgian Wine Association

WinExpo will present Georgian wines, sparkling wines, spirits, accessories and souvenirs, wine routes, glassware, wine restaurants and spa. You will find information about ingredients and additives, processing equipment, packaging and labeling, viniculture machinery, nursery and services.

Producers of qvevri  wine will be presented offering variety of tastes and traditions of different regions of Georgia. It is the unique opportunity to observe whole assortment of Georgian wines in one place. Taste, compare, and chose.

Professional wine makers will give you insights of the heavenly drink. It is great opportunity to buy favorite product at discounted prices. Family cellars will present their unique bulk wines of different Georgian regions.

Company news

Russia-Georgia: Preparing for Food Fight II?

by Giorgi Lomsadze

03.06.2013. Anxious for peace with Russia, Georgian officials and businessmen recently have been taking turns bowing and refilling 62-year-old Russian food security tsar Gennadiy Onishchenko's glass with the finest beverages Georgia’s got to offer. But nothing seems to suit the delicate palate of Gennady Grigoryevich [Mr. Onishchenko - НN]

His complaints range from the quality-related to the political and downright philosophical. But the Onishchenkoisms, delivered with a stern face, always tend to hit whenever Tbilisi-Moscow ties are going south.

In 2006, with the Kremlin increasingly uneasy about Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili as a potential exporter of revolution, Onishchenko struck, slapping an embargo on Georgian wines, mineral waters and fruits and vegetables as unsafe.

But after Georgia’s new government began an active campaign of reconciliation with Russia, Onishchenko allowed long-banned Georgian wine and prized mineral water Borjomi back north of the Caucasus mountain range.

21 Georgian wine and mineral water brand names registered in Kazakhstan

31.05.2013 (Hvino News). 18 Georgian wine brand names and 3 mineral water brands have been officially registered in Kazakhstan, according Sakpatenti, the Georgia's patent office.

According to the information, the registration process began last year and was successfully completed after several months.

Kazakhstan's state enterprise «National Institute of Intellectual Property» has issued the document certifying the registration of names of 18 wines and three mineral waters. The registration provides opportunity for authorized companies and physical entities to use names of Georgian wines and waters in Kazakhstan. This measure will prevent the illegal use of the Georgian names of wines and mineral water in Kazakhstan.

© Hvino News

Georgia in good spirits as wine embargo eases

by Tree Elven

30.05.2013. Dugladze Wine Company is celebrating its imminent return to the lucrative Russian market after a seven-year lockout. Russia imposed an embargo on Georgian wines in 2006 on the grounds that they were  contaminated with heavy metal and pesticides.

Dugladze, which exports mainly Saperavi and Khvanchkara wine brands, will be the first Georgian company to return to the Russian market, the clearly elated head of the Georgian National Wine Agency, Levan Davitashvili, announced.

Gradual easing

“The Russian Federal Customs Service has accepted the application of that company” which means exports may begin this week or next.

Tbilvino: Russian consumers awaiting Georgian wine

29.05.2013. Products of the leading Georgian wine exporter Tbilvino should be available to Russian consumers by the end of summer 2013. “We have already signed several contracts and hope that by the end of the summer our wine will once again be available to our Northern neighbors,” Giorgi Margvelashvili, President at JSC Tbilvino, told The Financial.

Tbilvino became the leading Georgian exporter for the fourth time in 2012. The company had 10% sales increase in comparison with the previous year. Slightly more than 3 million bottles were produced last year. Until 2006 the Russian market was the dominant one for Georgian wine exporters, but will now become the next “new” market that Tbilvino will enter.

In his exclusive interview Margvelashvili talked about the effect the government changes have had on his business.

Q. Mr. Zura Margvelashvili was one of the first representatives of Georgian business to complain about the previous government to the newly-elected PM Ivanishvili. Have you felt a sense of relief under the new government administration?

Russian watchdog allows over 100 Georgian wines and mineral waters to Russia

28.05.2013 (Hvino News). Over 100 samples of Georgian wine products and mineral water have gone through state registration in Russia.

"The Moscow office of Rospotrebnadzor [Russian consumer rights watchdog] has issued 104 state registration certificates to seven Georgian alcohol producers and two mineral water producers on the results of laboratory tests," Rospotrebnadzor posted on its website on Tuesday in a document entitled "On Interaction With Transcaucasian States".

The watchdog said that Georgia's 19 alcohol and two water producers had filed 245 applications for state registration in Russia.

According to the information of Rospotrebnadzor, 65 Georgian wineries and four mineral water producers have been permitted to supply documents for state registration in Russia.

Earlier Hvino News reported that supplies of Georgian Borzhomi mineral water have already been resumed.

© Hvino News