Georgian Wine in Russia

Georgian officials as well as some wine making enterprises expressed their curiosity at the statement of Russia’s chief sanitary officer Gennady Onishchenko who stated that he had met with several Georgian winemakers. The newspaper 24 Hours writes that winemakers claim they did not know any Georgia winemaker who met Onishchenko. However it is likely that he met some Georgian businessmen who operate in Russia. Georgian officials are skeptical over the return of Georgian wine to the Russian market. Minister of Agriculture Bakur Kvezereli said that before 2010 he officially asked Moscow to submit official documents over the ban of Georgian products on the Russian market. The Georgian position is that until it is officially known why the Russian market blocked Georgian wines there will be no way to resolve the issue. The minister says that the Russian market is in any case not the priority for Georgian wine exports any more. According to Kvezereli, any fake Georgian wine is made in Russia and not in Georgia.