Rada greenlights wine industry reform with small vineyards set to benefit the most

The Verkhovna Rada has approved in the second reading the draft law No. 9030, which corresponds to international practices and modern trends of wine production by small wineries, reported one of the authors of the bill, Danil Getmantsev.

The purpose of the draft law is to create favorable conditions for the development of small wine production in Ukraine.

Although Ukrainian small wine producers at the international level demonstrate the high quality of their product, receive recognition and awards, small wine production in Ukraine is declining, according to the explanatory note to the draft law.

In Ukraine, at the time of preparation of the draft law, there were only 26 small wineries. In 2013, the number of such producers stood at about 100, and in 2018 – 52.

For example, there are 48,000 small wineries in Italy, about 27,000 in France, almost 14,000 in Spain, and over 1,000 in Georgia. Even in countries with a less favorable climate for viticulture, their number is greater than in Ukraine: there are more than 28,000 small wine producers in Slovakia, about 10,000 in Germany, almost 1,200 in the Czech Republic, 900 in Canada, 400 in Poland, and more than 180 in the Netherlands.

The adopted document, first of all, cancels the need for small farms to obtain a license for the production of alcoholic beverages. Instead, the Register of small wine producers is being created.

Secondly, businesses are allowed to make wine not only from their own raw materials but also to purchase raw materials for production, albeit with a mandatory requirement that purchased raw materials must be Ukrainian.

Thirdly, the reporting procedure is simplified: it must be submitted not once a month, but once a year. At the same time, fines are introduced for the manipulation of reporting.

Fourthly, the regulation on bottling wine only in glass containers is abolished. Now wine can be bottled in aluminum cans and kegs.

The parliament announced a reform for winemakers on March 14, 2023.

Read also: From Poland to Japan. How vintners are putting Ukraine back on world wine map