Russia, the ban on Georgian wine could open the doors to growth of Italian exports

Following the summer 2008 crisis, relations between Russia and Georgia are once again tense, and one of the first measures DUMA, the Parliament in Moscow, could perhaps apply is the ban on imports of Georgian wine. Over the past few years Georgian wines had begun to grow so much as to become, as far as quantity is concerned, the absolute number three supplier of still wines, counting on a 16.26% market share, right behind Spain and Italy. And Italy, which already boasts the leading position in value, totaling almost 49 million euros of still wine exported in the first quarter of 2019, equal to a 25% share, could benefit from this measure. After all, wine is one of the few products not on the black list that, since 2014 has banned a large part of the European food industry, in response to the European embargo decided following Ukraine annexing Crimea. Today, as Italian wine producers told WineNews, at the fair, “Solo Italiano” , the Russian leg of Simply Italian Great Wines registered with IEM, recently held in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia has once again become a fundamental destination for Italian wine exports. And this is despite all its political and economic complications and instability, first of all the instability of the Ruble. Marina Nedic, at the head of IEM together with Giancarlo Voglino, reminded WineNews how “Italian wine in Russia is really starting from a privileged position, but the crisis between Moscow and Tblisi offers the great opportunity to increase our market share, especially in regarding still wines, as Georgia currently weighs in for 17% of all imports in this category”. Additionally, Italian wine, as the case histories of brands such as Masi, Argiolas, Michele Chiarlo, Consorzio dell’Asti, Jermann and many others, that have been in Russia with IEM for many years, enjoys great popularity, considering of course, that it is on a highly competitive and highly coveted market, especially by France and Spain.