“The withdrawal from the previous subsidy system in Kakheti has paid off” – Levan Mekhuzla
“During the 2025 harvest, the decision to withdraw from the existing subsidy system in the Kakheti region clearly proved successful.
Our prediction—that the private wine sector would still receive around 200 thousand tons of grapes, just as it did last year when the subsidy program was still operating—was fully confirmed. The removal of the subsidy did not significantly affect this outcome, because a 20-tetri subsidy does not motivate the private sector to accept more grapes, unlike the 4-GEL subsidy in the Racha region,” said Levan Mekhuzla, Chairman of the National Wine Agency, while assessing the 2025 harvest.
This year, private wine companies in the Kakheti region no longer receive state subsidies. Instead, according to the decision of the Government of Georgia, the state-owned enterprise Harvest Management Company LLC is purchasing surplus grapes at differentiated prices based on quality:
-
Saperavi grown in Kakheti – 1.50 GEL per kg
-
Other permitted wine grape varieties – 1.20 GEL per kg
-
Substandard, damaged, or diseased grapes – 1.00 GEL per kg
In the Racha region, a subsidy program was implemented to stimulate private sector participation and ensure organized grape collection. The subsidy is granted to all companies that purchase Alexandrouli and Mujuretuli grapes grown in the Khvanchkara microzone for at least 8 GEL per kg from winegrowers. The state subsidy for wine companies in the Racha-Lechkhumi region amounts to 4 GEL per kg for both varieties.
As of October 23, 330 thousand tons of grapes have been processed across Georgia’s winegrowing regions, confirming that 2025 marks the highest, record-breaking grape harvest in the last 30 years. A total of 21,200 winegrowers contributed to this year’s harvest nationwide.
