Abkhazian Wine Makes a Comeback
Said Aghba holds a bottle of wine produced at his winery in Abkhazia.
Count Said Aghba knows the power of an open border. During the 1950s, his great grandfather sold millions of bottles of his family's Abkhazian-made alcohol across the former Soviet Union. At that time, Abkhazia was part of the Socialist Republic of Georgia. However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and Georgia's declaration of independence, those sales ground to a halt.
After the Abkhazian people began rebelling against Georgia's oppressive leadership, officials in Tbilisi launched a devastating attack on its former territory. Many lives were lost, and much of the country's industrial facilities, were destroyed during the 1992-93 war. In the difficult years that followed, Aghba's family business, called "Wines & Beverages of Abkhazia," almost went broke. But a warming in relations between Russia and Abkhazia led to the opening of the border and Abkhazian products began appearing again on Russian shelves.
That trickle of wine turned into a flood after August 2008, when Russia officially recognized Abkhazia as an independent nation. In a recent interview, Aghba said his winery's production has more than doubled in the past year and he is planning a major expansion of his production line in 2009. His company, which employs 200 people, is one of Abkhazia's largest private firms.
Though Aghba, 29, grew up in the family business, he has also gotten formal winemaking training in Grasnodar and the Bordeaux region of France, where he spent a year working with the French winemakers. He knows that he will have to earn back the support of Russian wine drinkers, who have been introduced to a more sophisticated wine culture since perestroika led to the opening of Russia's borders.
Aghba still produces the Psow wine that was famous in the Soviet days. But he has also started developing several premium wines from grapes grown at his family's three vineyards in Abkhazia. Abkhazia's climate, which is similar to France, is suitable for growing a variety of grapes, including Isabella, Tramina and Catsetely. Several of his wines have won top awards at competitions in Russia. The most acclaimed label, Apsny, is a red, semi-sweet wine.
Aghba would like to expand his sales beyond Russia, but faces a serious obstacle in Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. After launching a failed military excursion in South Ossetia last fall, the Georgian leader has continued a campaign of hostility against Abkhazia and South Ossetia, in spite of their official recognition by Russia and Nicaragua.
That has included an unofficial embargo of the two breakaway republics, which is supported by the U.S. and NATO countries. Under pressure from Georgia, officials have denied visas to Abkhazian government officials and businesspeople and refused to allow Abkhazian products, such as wine, to get the quality certification required for export.
Still, Abkhazian winemakers are reaching out to importers in Turkey and other countries. Aghba remains convinced that once the world's wine connoisseurs experience Abkhazian wines, they will come back for more. "At the end of the day, I believe we will get into different countries," Aghba said. "And we are open to everyone."
If you are interested in learning more about Abkhazian Wine or the "Wines & Beverages of Abkhazia" please contact: query@therepublicofabkhazia.org.
