Tbilisi (GBC) – The amendments to the “Law on Vine and Wine”, which envisage the issuance of special permits for vineyard cultivation from May 1, are aimed at strengthening the Georgian wine industry and maintaining its qualitative advantage in the global market. This was stated by Zurab Vacharadze, Deputy Chairman of the National Wine Agency.

According to him, the reform is aimed at ensuring that quality products are produced only from quality raw materials, which makes it necessary to regulate the process of vineyard cultivation.

“The wine quality reform is aimed at strengthening the Georgian wine industry, which will support the development of wine companies and small wineries. In order to have quality wine, the country must have quality vineyards, which means that vineyard cultivation must be subject to regulations,” Vacharadze noted.

Who will the new rules apply to?

The agency emphasizes that the regulation applies only to entrepreneurial and commercial activities and does not limit individuals.

  • Entrepreneurial vineyard: Starting from May 1, the cultivation or restoration-renewal of a vineyard for commercial purposes will be possible only with the consent of the agency (the regulation does not apply to individuals who are building a vineyard for their own consumption).
  • Service fee: The National Wine Agency will issue a permit for vineyard cultivation free of charge.

According to Zurab Vacharadze, the tightening of regulations was also due to the current situation on the world market. According to the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV), wine consumption is at its lowest level in the world since 1961, which is fueling competition among producers.

“Against the backdrop of overproduction, emphasis should be placed on the quality of raw materials and the final product. Approval for the cultivation of vineyards will be issued in all wine-producing countries of the European Union,” he added.

According to the agency, according to statistics from recent years, approximately 500 hectares of new vineyards are being built in Georgia annually. Given the current pace, the new regulation will affect an average of about 100 people per year.

The rules for cultivating an entrepreneurial vineyard include such important stages as the selection of varieties and rootstocks, soil preparation, and agrotechnical measures, which ultimately ensure high productivity and quality of the vineyard.

On March 5, Transparency International Georgia (TI) assessed the new draft law “On Vine and Wine,” which had already been submitted to parliament at that time, as containing corruption risks and damaging to small entrepreneurs. The organization stated that the planned changes, which envisage the introduction of mandatory permits for vineyard cultivation and an increase in the bureaucratic burden for family wineries, give the National Wine Agency “opaque power” and create a threat of oppression of small players in the market.

“The draft law significantly increases the power of the National Wine Agency, which will no longer only have the function of a controller, but also become a regulator of access to the market,” TI wrote.