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.

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