Long Tied to Russia, Georgia’s Winemakers Look to the West

It was another abundant and busy harvest in the vineyards of Kakheti, the Republic of Georgia’s famed wine-producing region.

With the green ridges of the Caucasus basking in the sun before him, Levan Eloshvili prepared to drive his rusty Soviet-designed truck with a load of grapes to a sprawling factory nearby. There it will be turned into wine, some of it to be sold to Russia.

At a small winery a few miles away, Kakha Tchotiashvili stirred a fermenting juice of crushed grapes and their skins in traditional clay pots to produce refined reds and oranges destined for trendy restaurants and wine bars in Europe and the United States.

The scenes reflected the two approaches to the future of Georgian winemaking that are being debated across Kakheti and other winemaking regions in the former Soviet republic. Should they be focusing on Russia or the West?

The situation in Kakheti and other wine-producing regions of Georgia reflects a country long torn between great power interests. Many people, particularly younger ones and those living in big cities, want to forge closer ties with Europe, where they see their political future. Others believe it is important to maintain economic stability and therefore stay close to Russia.

The fortunes of Georgia’s winemakers have long been tied to Russia, their biggest market, and one that has grown since sanctions linked to the war in Ukraine cut off a flow of Italian and French wines.