Georgian winery Pataridze’s Rachuli has increased its annual production capacity to 30,000 bottles following the opening of a new facility, built with support from a GEL 500,000 grant from the Rural Development Agency.
Founder Shorena Pataridze told BMGTV that rising export demand drove the expansion. The winery began producing around 100 bottles before increasing output to 3,000. It first exported to the United States in 2016, followed by markets including Italy, France and China.
The new facility was financed through the state grant and investments from Pataridze and her German partner, Stefan Bruno Schale. The winery produces wine from grapes grown in its own vineyards, focusing on local Racha varieties Aleksandrouli and Mujuretuli. Since 2018, it has produced dry wines from these grapes alongside the traditional semi-sweet Khvanchkara.
The company now sells in Georgia’s premium restaurant segment and maintains warehouses in Germany and Shanghai to support exports to Europe and Asia. However, Pataridze says raising international awareness of Georgian wine, particularly wines from Racha, remains a key challenge. The winery’s priorities are to increase sales and expand its presence in existing export markets.
