“Just as Georgia created wine, wine, in turn, has shaped Georgia. One of the most distinctive and remarkable elements shaping the Georgia we know today is its 8,000-year-old history of winemaking,” stated Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Mr. David Songulashvili, in connection with the opening of the unique enoteca-wine shop.

According to preliminary data, the enoteca located on the premises of “Wine Factory No. 1” in Tbilisi houses up to 20,000 collectible bottles. The collection includes both Georgian and foreign premium-class wines aged for more than two centuries.

The wine enoteca was transferred by the National Agency of State Property to the National Wine Agency for use free of charge and for an indefinite period. Plans are underway to identify the alcoholic beverage bottles preserved in the enoteca and determine their origins.

“This is an extraordinary treasure — a remarkable wine collection. We must begin its identification and verification process. The enoteca was last formally assessed and catalogued in 2002. It is important to assess its current condition and use this heritage to further promote Georgian wine and once again remind the world that wine is intrinsically linked to Georgia and that we possess our own unique history. This collection preserved in Georgia represents a tangible part of that history,” Mr. David Songulashvili noted.

The Minister once again underscored the importance and necessity of further improving the quality of Georgian wine.
“One thing is our unique 8,000-year-old history, and another is the modern-day challenges we face. Today is the time for wine to move to an entirely new qualitative stage. Since 1961, global wine consumption has reached its lowest level. Therefore, it is especially important for Georgian wine to remain competitive, to further improve its quality, and attract even greater international attention,” Minister David Songulashvili stated.