The National Wine Agency of Georgia says 2025 delivered significant progress in the global promotion of Georgian wine, driven mostly by growth in China. Tamta Kvelaidze, Head of the Agency’s Marketing Department, stated that wine consumption in China rose for the first time since the post-pandemic downturn. After substantial declines following Covid-19, 2025 is the first year of recovery in that market.
To expand visibility beyond China, the Agency intensified international outreach in main regions. Throughout the year, Georgian wine was presented at 36 global trade exhibitions and roughly 300 tasting seminars across Europe, the United States and Asia. The domestic wine promotion program, backed by GEL 17.4 million in state funding, supported 37 public wine festivals inside Georgia and 18 industry-focused wine tours for foreign professionals.
While promotional activity expanded, the export landscape remained uneven. Between January and October 2025, total wine exports declined 7.9% year-on-year, reaching USD 218.3 million, with volumes dropping by nearly 8 million liters. The decrease was primarily attributed to a 13.6% contraction in exports to Russia which still accounts for 63.7% of Georgia’s total wine sales. Additional declines were reported in Kazakhstan and the United States. Against this broader downward trend, exports and consumption figures in China improved.
The Agency’s 2026 strategy shows a shift toward markets positioned for premium consumer growth. Poland has been identified as a priority for strengthening Georgia’s presence in the high-end wine segment. In Germany, one of Georgia’s most stable export destinations, the Wine Agency plans to scale up its Georgian wine shelf campaign across major retail chains. In the UK and the United States, the promotional model will further lean toward direct consumer interaction, prioritizing local festivals and large-scale public wine events instead of primarily trade-to-trade outreach.
