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David Songulashvili: “Not a Single Batch of Substandard Grapes Has Been Delivered So Far''
The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Mr David Songulashvili, spoke about the ongoing grape harvest, the importance of a new quality-oriented approach, winegrowers’ decision to wait until their grapes reach the required level of ripeness and quality, and the reasons behind this year’s relatively late start.
According to the Minister, unlike in previous years, virtually no substandard grapes have been delivered for processing during this year’s harvest. Winegrowers are waiting for their grapes to reach the required level of ripeness and quality before bringing them to collection points.
“In past years, winegrowers were primarily focused on ensuring that their grapes were accepted at the state-guaranteed price. Naturally, the larger the harvest, the greater the potential income. However, with these changes, the emphasis has shifted from quantity to quality.
Higher-quality grapes are the foundation for producing better wine, which, in turn, enhances the competitiveness of Georgian wine in international markets.
As for this year's harvest, I would like to emphasise that, in practice, no substandard grapes have yet been delivered. This indicates that winegrowers are waiting for the grapes to reach the appropriate level of ripeness and quality before delivering them. This approach represents a significant departure from the way the harvest was managed in previous years,” Mr David Songulashvili stated.
The Minister also noted that this year’s grape harvest began relatively late. This was attributable, on the one hand, to the time required for the grapes to reach the appropriate level of ripeness and, on the other, to prevailing climatic and environmental conditions.
According to the Minister, different crops also reached the ripening stage later than usual this year, including berry crops, blueberries, and wheat.