GEORGIA/RUSSIA: Winemakers realistic as export ban set to be lifted - report

By James Wilmore | 11 March 2013

Georgia winemakers are gearing up to begin exports to Russia again

Georgian winemakers are aiming to export up to 10m bottles a year to Russia as a seven-year ban looks set to be lifted, according to reports.

Russia's sanitary agency Rospotrebnadzor last week gave the go-ahead for 36 Geogian wineries and four water producers to register their products in Russia, Hvino News reported. Georgia and Moldova wine imports to Russia have been banned since 2006 after Russian authorities claimed some of the former countries' wines contained pesticides.

Levan Davitashvili, head of the National Wine Agency of Georgia was quoted as saying that the country hoped to export an estimated 8-10m bottles a year to Russia, with the lifting of the embargo. “This is equivalent to about 25% of the overall amount of Georgia’s wine exports,” he said. Georgia currently exports its wines to 40 countries. Russia previously accounted for around 80% of all Georgian wine sales before the ban.

A total of 93 Georgian companies have applied to start selling their products in Russia and a second round of inspections by the Russian authorities are expected later this month.

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