The New York Times recently traveled to the country of Georgia to investigate the nation’s attempt to move closer to Western markets, particularly the extensive U.S. market and American wine drinkers. At the heart of this entrepreneurial push are Georgian winemakers themselves- a pillar of the Georgian developing economy. 

The article notes: ”for many Georgians the debate over the future of the wine industry is intensely personal.” Georgia’s stint under the Soviet Union meant that individual wine production was prohibited for decades, strangling an 8,000 year old tradition. Today, Georgia’s freedom of winemaking, particularly of much higher quality, is still being used as a political tool under sanctions and import regulations imposed by the current Russian government. 

The Times highlighted a winemaker in Kakheti who voiced a familiar sentiment of winemakers across the nation:

“Mr. Tchotiashvili, for one, sees a bright future for Georgian winemakers if they can break away from Russia and move up the value chain by selling carefully crafted wines in the West. While big winemakers are likely to remain dependent on the Russian market, he said there are benefits to staying small and earning more per bottle in Europe and the United States.”

The article continues: “While the industrial production of cheap wines surged, enthusiasts using traditional methods began making smaller quantities of higher quality wine mostly sold in the West.” 

As the December 2024 protests continue throughout Georgia, the importance of stabilizing and growing Georgian wines’ interest and sales within the U.S. market- and to American wine drinkers- takes center stage. As the Georgian economy moves to the West, both the freedom and quality of Georgian wine expands.  

A version of this article appears in print on Nov. 29, 2024, Section A, Page 6 of the New York edition with the headline: Georgia Winemakers, Long Tied to Russia, Drift Toward West. You can read the full article by Ivan Nechepurenko here: