Shalva Kurdadze, founder of Papris Valley Winery, disagrees with claims that global wine consumption is declining across the board. Speaking on BMGTV’s Business Morning, he said global trends should be assessed by looking at individual markets, rather than treating the overall figures as representative of every country.
According to Kurdadze, the sharp decline in China and Russia has significantly affected global wine statistics, while Western European countries and the UK have not experienced a comparable drop. He said Papris Valley is recording record export sales this year, with no decline in demand for its wines.
“China’s market has seen a catastrophic decline, which has naturally affected global sales and volumes. But there has been no such decline in Western European countries or the UK. We are having one of our best years in terms of exports,” Kurdadze said.
He added that interest in Georgian wine has recently expanded to markets that previously seemed unlikely, including Paraguay and Mexico. According to Kurdadze, buyers from both countries approached the winery themselves and placed substantial orders, highlighting the growing opportunities for Georgian wine exporters in new international markets.
