“The grapes have serious problems,” Oto Tabatadze, co-founder of Nekresi Winery, told BM.GE, attributing this year’s challenges to deteriorating natural and climatic conditions. He said grapes have lower sugar content, have not ripened properly, and have been affected by damaged and dried leaves, which could affect wine quality.
Nekresi is a small winery that purchases around 30–40 tonnes of grapes annually in addition to grapes from its own vineyards. It exports to several markets, including South Korea, Lithuania and Latvia, where sales remain limited due to its wine’s relatively high price of €6–8 per bottle.
Commenting on grape growers’ protests over purchase prices, Tabatadze said the dissatisfaction reflects problems accumulated in the sector over the years. “It is the state’s fault that it accustomed farmers to being paid GEL1.5 for spoiled grapes,” he said, arguing that subsidies for low-quality grapes have distorted wine pricing and created a financial burden for private wineries. “There should be a free market,” he said.
Tabatadze said climate-related challenges also affect European wine producers, but more attention is given there to vineyard management and disease prevention. He called for better responses to emerging diseases and criticized the subsidy model for making farmers dependent on state support. He also said greater export diversification is needed, arguing that the sector should focus more on European and Asian markets.
