Wine certification is a paid service provided by the National Wine Agency to the private sector, agency chairman Levan Mekhuzla said. He noted that certification involves more than issuing a document and requires substantial work by agency staff.
Certification is mandatory for Georgian wine sold both domestically and abroad, although small wineries receive certain benefits for export certification. Mekhuzla said some certification services were previously free during a transitional period of development for the wine industry.
According to the agency, more than 3,000 wine producers are now registered in Georgia, while Georgian wine is sold in around 70 countries and annual exports average 100 million liters. From September 1, certification for selling alcoholic beverages on the domestic market became subject to a GEL 10 fee per application.
The introduction of certification fees has drawn criticism from small winemakers, who say the additional costs could make it harder to expand production. Mekhuzla, however, said the industry’s current level of development no longer justifies keeping certification services fully free.
