New regulations on Georgian wine

A new law on local viticulture – the finest in the former Soviet states – is about to come into force in Tbilisi. A step towards meeting European quality standards and preventing the spread of viruses among crops. But small farmers fear that the introduction of a licensing system will encourage the formation of a closed circle amongst the major producers.

Tbilisi (AsiaNews) - Georgian wine, the finest of all the former Soviet states, will be subject to new regulations, and producers will require a state licence, without which neither wine nor grapes may be sold. The authorities speak of “raising quality and European standards”, whilst smaller wineries fear they will be unable to comply with the new provisions.

The most traditional region for Georgian wine is the inland plain of Kakheti, where wine production is not merely a culture but a true “way of life”, as Georgij Gvardzelašvili, owner of the winery of the same name, told Ekho.Kavkaza, recalling how he planted his first vines without intermediaries and without any permits. Today, his estate covers around 5,000 hectares of land, where he cultivates rare grape varieties and exports his products to nine countries where Georgian bars and restaurants are found.

The new law “On Viticulture and Wine Production”, which comes into force on 1 May, raises many concerns for Georgij, though he acknowledges that the sector has long faced various problems: uncertified seedlings are used, errors occur in the selection of varieties (for example, one buys Saperavi wine from a private seller, which then turns out to be the inferior Kisi) and the vineyards are affected by diseases. In his view, if Georgia wishes to meet the standards of countries such as Italy, France and Spain, changes are inevitable.

It is essential to screen crops for viruses; often, businesses face crises due to this lack of attention, and in this sense, control measures are very beneficial for everyone. However, the entrepreneur fears that insurmountable bureaucratic hurdles may arise for small businesses, and the state must be able to support the farmers. The National Wine Agency will issue the permits, taking on new powers in addition to quality control, and deciding the survival of individual farms.

Representatives of the Agency assure that the new system “will help everyone to comply with agrotechnical standards, certify wine varieties and choose the right geographical locations for all producers”, so as to uphold the quality of each variety. Deputy Minister for Agriculture Zurab Ezugbaja notes that “in France, much stricter measures are adopted, which are laid down by law”, providing for the removal of excess vines with percentage limits that producers must adhere to, which set cultivation quotas for each territory.

Another winegrower, Aleko Sardanašvili, works in the village of Khvančkara, which lends its name to one of the finest wines, and manages to produce several varieties of high-quality wine from just one hectare of land. He explains that effective production cannot be launched without agreements with the state, which also allow for subsidies and exemptions to be received by following a clearly defined procedure; but he too observes that “a closed circle is forming among the major producers, whilst small-scale farmers face many difficulties”.

Aleko expresses his opposition to the imposition of a state permit, because “every agricultural entrepreneur has the right to sell the produce of their land according to their needs, without too many restrictions, provided that production is organised according to reasonable criteria”. There is particular debate over the conditions for obtaining the permit, and by May the Minister for the Environment must clarify the criteria for completing the formalities. The NGO “Transparency International-Georgia” has published its assessment on the matter, also highlighting risks of corruption and threats of pressure on small winegrowers; a criticism that does not concern the general concept of the reform, but the details of its implementation, with the granting of arbitrary and absolute powers to the ministry, without any possibility of appeal or complaint. If individual farmers are deprived of their freedom to cultivate, Georgian wine will “lose its soul”, and with it any standard of quality.