Number of vineyards decreases in Georgia

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and the Department of Statistics, the number of vineyards in Georgia has decreased in recent years. Under the former government some farmers began replacing grapevines with watermelons and other fruits because the wine market was so unprofitable. This eventually damaged the production of grapes and consequently of wine and spirits. Now that Russia has rescinded its ban on Georgian wine there is the prospect that Georgian wine exports will significantly increase. Increasing wine production to meet this growing demand will be a challenge for the Ministry of Agriculture and local governments in the wine-growing regions of Georgia.