The other day a blog reader asked me about purchasing a vineyard in the Republic of Georgia. I do feel flattered being honored as an expert in such topics, but in fact, I'm not.
Sure I have visited a couple of wineries in Georgia (Château Mukhrani Winery, Wine Tunnel Near Kvareli in Georgia (Winery Khareba)), have tasted most of the Georgian wine varieties, but I'm not an expert on buying a vineyard in Georgia (or any other country, heck I would try Italy or France. lol).
Anyhow I decided to wrap up a longer answer in a blog post, and answer in Questions & Answers topic series. I believe the question should focus on two answers -
- Searching and buying a vineyard
- Georgian govt ban to sell agricultural land to foreigners.
I believe finding an answer to the second question is as important as the first question.
Reader asks:
We are also interested in purchasing a small vineyard in the Republic of Georgia. We are looking for an established and working vineyard. There is no need for a "livable" structure, but the vineyard needs to have established vines and wine making equipment. The size of the property must be at minimum 4-5 hectares. We would be interested in vineyards throughout Georgia, not just in the established wine regions. Please include all possible details about the vineyards.
Established and working vineyard - my best bet would be to try and buy out a winery (heck, there are zillions of wineries across Georgia some smaller, some larger) - a quick Google search and I found 30 wineries, vineyards, wine cellars listed on TripAdvisor, see: Wineries & Vineyards in Georgia - could probably approach some of them, maybe some are ready to sell just a part of their business (just vineyard for example)
Another option - finding a company specializing in selling vineyards or at least agricultural land. Again, a quick Google search and I found interesting company Orbis Reality, company that specializes in selling agriculture land in Georgia, they even had one listing with a vineyard for sale in Kakheti.
- Well-cared vineyard available in the region of Kakheti, East of Georgia!
- The property falls in the village of Kardenakhi, at a distance of 108 kms from Tbilisi that is equal to 1.45 hour car drive. The vineyard is within 400 meters from the main road.
- Area of the property is 1031 sqm and it has got drip irrigation system.
- The vineyard is 5 years old. There 6 lines of viness, each - 120 meters.
- Yearly harvest consists of 1.5 tons and yearly expense ranges from 150 to 200 USD.
- The selling price of 1 kg grape in the region is 0.40 USD.
What I personally like about Orbis Reality, they have listings not only about vineyards in Georgia, but also apple orchards, animal farms, fish farms e.t.c.
Investment Opportunity in Georgia - Fish Farming & Agro Tourism
Now, what about foreigners buying agriculture land in Georgia
Georgia outlawed foreign ownership of its agricultural land, formally enshrining the ban in the constitution on September 26, 2017 (Georgia Keeping Its Land Off-Limits for Foreigners)
The new clause in the constitution contains a vaguely worded loophole for “special cases,” and foreign investors are negotiating with the government to try to avoid a total ban. Hoping for a compromise solution, they avoid open confrontation, but privately they warn that Georgia may pay a significant price for what they perceive as a populist exercise in economic nationalism.
The idea of the ban was born amid concerns that foreigners could, in effect, buy up the countryside if no restrictions were in place. Georgians can get protective of their land and culture, and many feel existentially threatened by the growing number of migrants now living in Georgia
Further reading: Georgian government to ban selling land to foreigners. Good or bad?
Now, I believe it's still possible to buy agriculture land in Georgia by setting up an LLC some other form of legal business