Table grape production still in its infancy

In Marneuli, a municipality located halfway between Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, and the Armenian border just 20 kilometers to the south, lies a vineyard planted with Muscat Hamburg, Italia, and Sugraone grape varieties. Planted five years ago, the vines are now gradually reaching full production. The vineyard is the brainchild of Ketevan Chkhitunidze, a psychologist who discovered a passion for horticulture during the COVID pandemic, following in the footsteps of her father Mirian Chkhitunidze, who has been growing vegetables and cultivating wheat for over three decades.

Despite Georgia's rock-solid reputation as a winemaking nation, the cultivation of grapes for fresh consumption has long remained under the radar in this Caucasus country. "All the attention goes to wine," Ketevan says with a laugh. "Interestingly enough, it was here in Marneuli, not in Kakheti, which is famed for its Saperavi wines, where a wine amphora thousands of years old was unearthed."

In 2024, grape production for winemaking was significant in Georgia, with an estimated 320,000 tons harvested, according to figures from the national statistics office Geostat. By contrast, the estimated area dedicated to table grapes covers no more than 250 hectares. With an average yield of 20 tons per hectare, that adds up to around 5,000 tons. Last year, 943 tons were exported, mostly to Russia. For comparison: Spain exports about 200,000 tons of table grapes annually—roughly 200 times more. Georgia also imported 2,600 tons of table grapes last year, with 1,800 tons coming from Armenia, and 400 tons each from Turkey and transit hub the Netherlands.

"In fact, there's been no real tradition of table grape farming here in Georgia for the past century", Ketevan says. "During Soviet times, other crops like wheat and tomatoes were prioritized. So even for my father, who's been farming for decades, table grape cultivation is something completely new," she explains. "We planted seven hectares in 2020. We chose three varieties: the seedless crispy Sugraone, which is harvested early in July and August, although its average yields have been disappointing so far; and full-flavored Muscat Hamburg and Italia, which are harvested in September. These are not varieties you commonly find in Georgia."

The fact that Georgia's table grape market is still developing is evident in one key detail, Ketevan notes: wine grapes can sometimes fetch higher prices than table grapes, especially in September when supply peaks. "Last year, we sold only our Sugraone grapes as table grapes through the local wholesale market. The Muscat Hamburg and Italia harvests ended up being turned into wine. We also produce wine—and even chacha, the traditional Georgian spirit—under our own brand, Alverdi."

Because table grape prices tend to improve during the winter months (a 250-gram punnet can go for as much as three euros in supermarkets), Ketevan is planning to invest in cold storage so she can tap into that more lucrative window of opportunity. "We've only just begun with grape growing, but we're all in. We're even planning to expand the vineyard. The goal is to reserve the top-grade grapes for the fresh market, and use the rest for making wine and chacha," Ketevan concludes.

For more information:
Ketevan Chkhitunidze
Alverdi
Tsereteli (Marneuli) – Georgia
Tel.: +995 558 48 19 19
alverdiwinery@gmail.com