Georgia

Georgia Today reports that Georgia will raise its minimum grape sugar requirement to 17% for the 2026 harvest, with grapes below that threshold classified as low quality and bought by the state at a much lower price, according to National Wine Agency chair Levan Mekhuzla. The outlet says the previous acceptable range was around 14 to 15%, and it details a differentiated state pricing structure by sugar level, aimed at pushing growers toward higher quality and stronger international competitiveness.

The Guardian reports that Georgia’s 8,000 year winemaking heritage, including qvevri fermentation in buried clay vessels, is helping drive renewed international interest in its distinctive wines. The article links the boom to the country’s 525 plus indigenous grape varieties and to the wider rise of natural wine, noting that UK volume sales of Georgian wine increased by 72% in 2024, and it name checks producers and regions such as Kakheti and Imereti.