Georgian wine exports rise in January 2024

Tbilisi, February 12, 2024: Georgia’s wine industry started the year with a strong performance, as the country exported 6.5 million litres of wine to 34 countries in January 2024, an increase of 22% compared to the same month last year. The value of the exported wine also rose by 15%, reaching 18.217 million US dollars.

According to the National Wine Agency of Georgia, the top five export markets for Georgian wine in January 2024 were Russia, China, Ukraine, Poland, and Kazakhstan. The agency also reported that the exports of Georgian wine to the European Union increased by 28%, while the exports to China increased by 35%.

In addition to wine, Georgia also exported 2.445 million litres of other alcoholic beverages, such as brandy, chacha, and sparkling wine, in January 2024. This was a 24% increase in volume and a 2% increase in value compared to January 2023. The total value of the exported alcoholic beverages was 13 million US dollars.

The National Wine Agency of Georgia attributed the growth of Georgian wine exports to the high quality and diversity of Georgian wine and the effective marketing and promotion activities carried out by the agency and the wine producers. The agency also expressed its optimism for the future of the Georgian wine industry, as it expects to enter new markets and increase its share in the existing ones. 

Georgian wine

Georgia is one of the oldest wine-producing countries in the world. The fertile valleys and protective slopes of the South Caucasus were home to grapevine cultivation and neolithic wine production for at least 8000 years. Due to the millennia of winemaking and its prominent economic role in Georgia today, wine and viticulture are entwined with Georgia’s national identity.

In 2013, UNESCO added the ancient traditional Georgian winemaking method using the Kvevri clay jars to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. 

The best-known Georgian wine regions are in the country’s east, such as Kakheti and Kartli, but also in Imereti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, and coastal areas like Adjara and Abkhazia.