From Grape to wine

Tamar Abashmadze

Georgia is ready to start a dialogue with Russian government in order to take Georgian production back to the Russian Market.

‘It was a political decision and if technical issues are settled, the rest will depend on political willingness’ – Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Gela Bejuashvili Stated. How is Georgia going to solve technical problems? Is Georgian wine fit for being exported and which are the wine falsification avoiding mechanisms?
In this regard, Law amendments on vine and wine are quite important, that aim to take serious measures against falsification. The law protects both a customer and an honest producer. Certification bears certain importance in this case. Authority acknowledges voluntary certification, but there are unique types of vine, being under a special control. Accordingly state imposed obligatory certification of wines. According to ‘Samtrest’, this is the only way of controlling micro zones.
In August 2007, on the basis of Law amendments on vine and wine, tasting committee was created. It works on normative acts – On rules of alcoholic beverage Certification’, therefore there are certain amendments in the mentioned normative act.
Wine-tasting procedure consists of the following major stages:
1. An applicant should take 5 bottles of wines with the label of place of origin in order to make analytical expertise to the accredited laboratory.
2. Laboratories maintain analytic expertise of alcoholic drinks and for the period of three days issue analytic report;
3. Tasting committees are given 2 bottles of the above mentioned wine with the corresponding examination report for Organoleptic Testing
4. Organoleptic Testing of alcoholic drinks is maintained according to defined rule by certified tasters of accredited body;
5. Wine-tasting committee is headed by the chairman, being appointed or dismissed by the Minister of Agriculture of Georgia;
6. the committee activities are organized by committee chairman, who guarantees the anonymity of the whole wine-tasting process;
7. wine tasting committee is provided with especially equipped wine-tasting ball room for the period of its activity;
8. Each wine-taster after Organoleptic Testing of the sample makes notes in special tasting paper with date and his signature;
9. Committee makes decision on each sample by a majority of wine-tasters.
10. on the basis of laboratory examination and Organoleptic Test, ‘Samtrest’ officials make decision on issuing or denying the issuing of certificate;
Wine-tasting committee consists of 30 wine-tasters and their diversification takes place. It is worth noting that none of them knows which producer’s wine he tastes;
After the above mentioned procedures are completed ‘Samtrest” issues Certificate according to countries.
In CIS countries Certificate of correspondence and a free form is issued, as for EU countries – VIP form is issued;
After ‘Samtrest” issues Certificate, hologram with the serial number is issued; A person, who buys Georgian wine, may find a number on the hologram, and check it on ‘Samtrest’ web page, that is under construction now. A customer may get full information on wine. State finances the issuing of hologram; it will be one of means of avoiding falsification. There is a legal basis on registering wine labels with place of origin. In Switzerland at World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Georgian side registered 18 wine labels with place of origin; international registration will become the basis of protecting these names in Lisbon treaty member states – Bulgaria, Israel, Moldova, Hungary, where the illegal usage of Georgian labels is widely spread.
Treaty of Lisbon obliges the international protection of geographic designations and names to its member states.
WIPO informs its member states about the origin of the Georgian registered wine.
WIPO informs it’s member states if Georgia has registered a wine label with place of origin. If the registered wine appears in the above mentioned market with a different trademark, Georgia has a legitimate right to make an appeal to court to against the company that has taken a wine label into the market. The processes of this type has started in Bulgaria and Israel.
It is worth noting, that all the above mentioned wines were introduced a passport system in ‘Saqekspertiza’.
State is actively involved in popularization of wine. Several events are planned on Georgian wine traditional market – to return to Georgia. ‘There are all means in Georgia to avoid falsification. Internationally certified laboratories are created to increase the quality of Georgian wine’ – Deputy Head of ‘Samtrest’, David Tkeshelashvili stated.
It’s worth northing that the EU takes everything, all details into consideration. According to the wine company ‘Shumi’ a state finds it difficult to control the chain – ‘from grape to wine’. The control is done by wine companies themselves (part of the producers) quite successfully. Wine development should be assisted by everyone, avoiding wine falsification and issuing wine certificates should start from the very beginning, young plant. All the related issues to winemaking are not shown while wine certification: what did the wine-grower use while growing grape, what did he add to soil. All that is done, is done only party. For instance, in a country of wine, France certification begins from soil and grape.
Certification is one of the ways of proving correspondence done through accredited laboratories or bodies. This is always done by third party and his arguments should be fundamental in this sphere. He makes the arguments in quality system, where a state doesn’t participate. As for a market control, this is really state’s prerogative.