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David Songulashvili: “It is essential to sort the harvest by quality, as the crop must not only be stored but also marketed’’
Georgia is expecting an unprecedented grape harvest in 2026. According to preliminary forecasts, the country’s grape harvest could exceed 320,000 tonnes, making it one of the largest grape harvests recorded in the history of independent Georgia.
According to Mr Songulashvili, Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, this year has been exceptional in agricultural yields not only in viticulture and winemaking but across other areas of agriculture as well.
“This year’s grape harvest will be unprecedented in terms of volume. Preliminary forecasts indicate that the grape harvest will exceed 320,000 tonnes, which would probably mark the first time in the history of independent Georgia that such a large harvest has been recorded. The climatic conditions have created certain challenges this year. Due to abundant rainfall, grapes in some vineyards have not yet reached the required sugar content, meaning that we all need to wait a little longer before harvesting the grapes. Nevertheless, the harvest is gradually entering its active phase, and I believe we will be able to overcome the challenges we are facing,” Mr Songulashvili stated.
The Minister emphasized that, given the exceptionally large volume of the harvest, it is crucial not only to ensure the entire crop is properly stored, but also to manage its quality while considering future market opportunities.
“When we have such an abundant harvest, and our main export products are wine and grape-based spirits, it is naturally important to ensure that such a volume of grapes is properly received and stored. At the same time, wherever possible, it is essential to grade the harvest by quality, because the crop needs not only to be stored but also marketed afterwards. Given the current situation in global markets, conditions in the wine and grape-spirit sectors are quite challenging. Therefore, it is crucial to manage the harvest according to quality so that we do not face storage and stock-management problems in the years ahead,” Mr Davit Songulashvili said.