Georgian Wine Exports to the European Union: How the Market Is Growing, Why It Remains Narrow, and Where the Real Turning Point Lies

At first glance, Georgian wine in the European Union appears to be a natural success story. Ancient winemaking traditions, unique grape varieties, qvevri technology, and tariff-free access under the DCFTA all suggest that Europe should be the country’s primary export destination. Yet when the data are read not as isolated figures but as a connected system, a more nuanced picture emerges. Exports are growing, but the structure of that growth remains constrained, both geographically and in terms of value creation.

From an institutional perspective, the conditions are clearly favorable. Under the DCFTA, Georgian wine enters the EU without tariffs, enjoying market access comparable to that of EU producers. Despite this, ITC Trade Map data show that between 2020 and 2024 the share of the European Union in Georgia’s total wine exports remained almost unchanged, hovering at around 12–13 percent. This stability is revealing. It suggests that the main bottleneck is not access, but rather how Georgian wine is positioned, distributed, and priced within EU markets.

Globally, Georgia’s wine sector has been expanding at a healthy pace. Export value rose from roughly USD 209 million in 2020 to about USD 275 million in 2024, indicating resilience amid pandemic and post-pandemic disruptions. Exports to the EU also increased, but with a distinct profile. By 2024, EU-bound wine exports reached USD 35.2 million, while volumes climbed to 18.3 thousand tonnes. Compared with 2020, volumes expanded by roughly 45 percent, while value grew much more modestly. This divergence points to a clear pattern: EU growth has been driven primarily by quantity rather than price.

Breaking the EU market down by country makes this pattern even clearer. Poland has become the undisputed core of Georgian wine exports within the EU. In 2024, Poland accounted for about 47 percent of export value and nearly 60 percent of export volume to the EU. Between 2020 and 2024, export value to Poland increased from USD 11.3 million to USD 16.6 million, while volumes almost doubled. This reflects strong and stable demand, but it also reveals the nature of the market. Poland absorbs large quantities at relatively low prices, reinforcing a high-volume, low-value structure.

Germany tells a very different story. Although starting from a smaller base, it has become the fastest-growing major EU destination for Georgian wine. ITC data show that export value to Germany rose from USD 2.6 million in 2020 to nearly USD 5.9 million in 2024, while volumes increased from around 950 tonnes to approximately 2.3 thousand tonnes. Crucially, value growth has kept pace with volume growth. Germany is a market where consumers pay close attention to origin, style, and quality consistency. Progress there signals not just expansion, but a shift toward more value-oriented positioning.

The Baltic states occupy an increasingly transitional role. Latvia and Lithuania long functioned as important gateways for Georgian wine, especially through distribution and re-export channels. Recent data, however, suggest that this model is losing momentum. In Latvia, export value has stagnated and volumes have declined, indicating market saturation and a stronger re-export function. Lithuania shows modest growth, while Estonia displays a clear downward trend. Together, these markets remain part of the export network but no longer act as engines of growth.

Equally telling are the markets that barely appear in the data. France, Italy, and Spain—global centers of wine production and consumption—remain marginal destinations for Georgian wine. In France, for example, export value in 2024 stood at only about USD 0.5 million. Even when growth rates are high in percentage terms, they start from an extremely low base. This confirms that Georgian wine has so far avoided direct competition with established producers on their home markets, instead finding demand in import-oriented countries.

Prices connect all these observations into a single structural narrative. While Georgian wine generally achieves higher prices in the EU than in Russia, its average export price remains low by international standards. As a result, the current EU export model relies heavily on affordability rather than premium positioning. Volume growth has been relatively easy to achieve; price and value growth have proven far more challenging.

Taken together, the EU export structure appears transitional rather than settled. Poland provides scale, Germany indicates direction, the Baltic states play a logistical role, and much of the EU remains largely untapped. This configuration delivers stability, but it also limits transformation.

Diversification therefore emerges not as an abstract policy goal, but as a practical necessity. Despite growth in the EU, Russia still absorbs roughly two-thirds of Georgia’s wine exports, creating economic and geopolitical vulnerability. The EU offers the most credible pathway to reduce that dependence, but the data make one thing clear: this shift cannot be achieved through higher production alone. It requires deliberate movement toward value-driven strategies.

Ultimately, ITC statistics and sectoral evidence convey a clear message. The European Union is neither a finished success story nor a distant opportunity for Georgian wine. It is a market where a foothold already exists, but where the next stage will depend on choices about prioritization, positioning, and narrative. The real turning point will come when export growth is no longer measured primarily in litres shipped, but in sustainable value created.