Wine vintage being processed successfully

In Kakheti, the main winemaking district of Georgia, there has been a very good wine crop. The farmers themselves acknowledge that this year’s vintage is being well organised. The farmers have formed a queue to supply the wineries with the grape harvest, which has made it unnecessary to keep the picked grapes for several days, during which their quality deteriorates.

Red Saperavi grapes are being purchased for 65 tetri per kilo and white Rkatsiteli for 45 tetri. Around 50 wineries are accepting grapes in Kakheti alone. It is estimated that up to 120,000 tones of grapes will eventually be harvested and sold.

Head of the Vintage 2009 headquarters Tariel Gabunia says that existing wineries in the Kakheti region have enough processing capacity to take the whole harvest. Presumably the grapes will be gathered until the end of October.

There are some problems however. Some analysts suggest that certain wineries are being obliged to take more grapes than they really need. This creates a feeling among the farmers that the State should take care of them, which is essentially true, but on the same basis the State should take care of the wine factory owners as well. There are also shortcomings in grape quality control, which will have an ongoing negative impact. If a farmer manages to sell low quality grapes he will not bother to maintain the quality of grapes in his vineyards next year. However these problems can be addressed for the benefit of all sides, farmers, wineries and the State.