Simple Group plans to produce wine in Georgia, considering wineries in Russia

MOSCOW. June 29 (Interfax) - Simple Group, one of Russia's largest distributors of alcoholic beverages, plans to produce wine in Georgia, Maxim Kashirin, founder and president of Simple Group, said in an interview with Interfax.

"We have about 100 hectares in Georgia. The project is being implemented there from the ground up. We have bought vacant land, where no one has ever planted a thing. The land is good. We are currently finishing the establishment of vineyards, and we will gradually 'enter' wine production," Kashirin said.

The company plans to rent wine-growing sites for the time being "in order to figure out the quality of grapes that our land provides, so as to understand how to develop production later. The complication in Georgia is that there are not any subsidies, so we will move gradually," Kashirin said.

Kashirin noted that Georgia is not Simple Group's first foreign experience in winemaking. "We bought land in Italy in 2014. The first harvest was in 2015. We now have our own Bertinga winery," he said.

"We are also looking into the Russian market, at various wineries. We potentially have the desire to enter into a stake in an existing vineyard and make an excellent story from the vineyard in conjunction with its owners. Because many of our winemakers lack experience, knowledge, and a deep understanding of the industry all the same. They work, they try; however, in the end, they often run into some limit in their understanding and do not always know how to proceed. This is a long story," Kashirin said.

"Let's put it this way: If we do decide, then we will most likely enter into a stake with an existing producer. It would be quicker to implement what we have planned," Kashirin said.