Annual difficulties in Georgia’s viticulture and winemaking sector are largely caused by state involvement in business activities, and this practice should end, Gia Piradashvili, co-founder of Chateau Mere Wines, said on TV-program Analytics.
His comments came after grape growers in Kakheti blocked a road on September 22 to protest grape purchase conditions and prices based on sugar content. The government subsequently revised the differentiated purchase prices by lowering the sugar-content thresholds.
Piradashvili said he had also discussed the issue of state involvement in business with Economy Minister Davit Songulashvili. He argued that many Georgian winemakers are already focused on producing high-quality wine and that grape growers should take greater responsibility for the quality of their produce.
Piradashvili said his winery recently paid GEL 2 per kilogram for grapes with 19% sugar content for sparkling wine production and GEL 3 for Saperavi with 25% sugar content, which is used to make semi-sweet and naturally sweet wines. He added that Georgia could benefit from well-organized cooperatives and two or three properly managed wineries, while farmers should be encouraged to take responsibility for product quality rather than relying on state intervention.
