GEORGIA: Saakashvili celebrates grape harvest as Georgia's winemakers try to shake off effects of a Russian ban on wine imports.

Winemaking in Georgia is a tradition dating back several thousand years. Each year the grape harvest, and the start of the new winemaking season is celebrated across the mountainous Caucasus country, with outdoor events, that spread over several days, and glorify the ancient tradition. But this year's harvest ceremonies are tinged with concern that Georgia's vineyards and the country's wine industry may be in grave danger. A Russian ban on imports of Georgian wine is threatening to cripple the industry, which once counted on Russia to buy about 80 percent of the 30 million bottles it exports annually. At a ceremony in Tbilisi on Sunday (September 25), Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, and some government ministers were on hand to press some of this year's grape harvest, and, more importantly, to offer support to grape farmers and winemakers alike, with grape farmers and the winemakers finding it harder and harder to sell their produce. With the industry struggling to cope with the Russian embargo, reports have been circulating in Georgia that Saakashvili had ordered the country's top businessmen to buy up much of the year's grape crop from farmers. Saakashvili said Russia was trying to punish his country, but added that other markets had already been found for Georgian wine. "They (the Russians) have basically banned Georgian wine because they thought it was a good punishment for Georgia, wanting freedom. And you know, some very smart wine importers in eastern Europe called Georgian wine "freedom wine", and freedom wine cannot be stopped. So, we have there almost automatic tripling of sales this year and it will go further. I think we are getting to new markets and things are moving well," said Saakashvili, before drinking grape juice freshly pressed in a giant vat in the centre of Tbilisi. Georgian officials say the Russian ban, imposed in March this year, will cost thousands of jobs in the eastern province of Kakheti, the heart of Georgian wine industry. Officials estimate that because of the ban, 15 millions US.dollars of revenue has been lost on the export of wines and wine products. Russian health officials say the ban was imposed on health grounds after pesticides and other impurities were discovered in Georgian wine. But Georgians believe the ban is punishment for the country's pro-Western course under Saakashvili, who came to power following the 2003 "Rose Revolution" that ousted former President Eduard Shevardnadze. Georgia's winemakers are now also looking westwards, hoping they can introduce the country's unique wine varieties to new markets in Europe and North America. But with tough competition from other wine producing countries, Georgian winemakers will face an uphill task in trying to break into new markets. Georgians take fierce pride in their ancient tradition of winemaking, which archaeological finds suggest was underway as long as 8,000 years ago. "This festival is wonderful. Georgian men cannot live without vineyards, without wine. I will take this to my friends waiting over there and we'll drink it together," said Tbilisi resident Amiran, taking part in grape harvest celebrations in the Georgian capital. Many linguists think the word for wine in many languages derives from the Georgian word gvino. To this day, most Georgian wineries continue to use the original grape varieties unique to their homeland, such as Saperavi, Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane.

ITN Source | September 26, 2006

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