Former head of Georgia’s National Wine Agency, Giorgi Samanishvili, says the government’s plan to introduce mandatory, paid labeling for certified alcoholic beverages - expected to cost around 10 tetri per bottle - is essentially a standard tax, despite being presented as a quality-control measure.
Speaking on BMGTV, Samanishvili criticized the proposed amendments to the Law on Vine and Wine, which define labeling as affixing a QR code containing certification and product information. The Agriculture Ministry estimates the measure could generate GEL 14–15 million annually for the Wine Agency, based on 140–150 million bottles sold yearly.
Samanishvili questioned the rationale behind linking the new requirement to quality enhancement. “Everything is very simple - this is a tax,” he said, adding that fiscal and parafiscal charges have long existed in the winemaking sector. While he sees potential benefits in greater private-sector involvement - such as giving producers more say in how their contributions are spent - he remains skeptical that the industry will have real influence, especially if the pricing mechanism is not clearly defined in law.
He also warned against repeating past mistakes. In 2006, producers were required to attach low-quality stickers featuring the Georgian flag - a system Samanishvili says increased costs and damaged product aesthetics until it was finally halted. “I hope they don’t bring back something that physically sticks onto the bottle and disrupts branding,” he said. “If this remains just a tax, fine - but it should not be disguised as a quality-control tool.”
