The export of wine from South Ossetia to Russia last year, compared to 2021, increased by 2.5 times, cognac - by 3.5 times. This was reported to TASS by the head of the State Customs Committee of South Ossetia Murat Tskhovrebov.
"According to the data we have, in 2022, more than 2.9 million liters of wine were exported from South Ossetia to the Russian Federation, which is 141.4% more than a year earlier - in 2021, more than 1.2 million liters were exported ", - said Tskhovrebov.
In addition, according to the head of the customs committee, last year, compared to 2021, supplies of cognac from the Republic to Russia increased by 253%. "If in 2021 more than 297 thousand liters of cognac were exported from South Ossetia to the Russian Federation, then in 2022 this figure increased to just over one million liters," he has specified.
The main exporter of wine and cognac from South Ossetia to Russia is the winery "Ironsan Winery" - the only enterprise in the Republic engaged in the production of various varieties of wines and cognacs on an industrial scale. The enterprise was opened on the basis of the South Ossetian cannery in 2018 thanks to financial injections from a group of Russian investors. The first batch of wine in 32 thousand bottles was produced at the enterprise in December 2018, and in early February 2019, South Ossetia exported the first batch of wine to the Russian Federation - 14 thousand bottles.
Earlier, the head of the Ironsan Winery enterprise, Alexei Tsapaev, reported that the export of wine from South Ossetia to Russia in 2021 had increased by an average of 30% compared to the previous year. He has noted that South Ossetian wine is presented in all major cities of Russia and is in great demand.
According to Tsapaev, the enterprise produces such lines of wine as "Alan Reserve", "Tsard", "Old Tskhinval", "Tskhinval Valley", "Arvy duar", "Bursamdzeli". He has clarified that in addition to the traditional varieties of wine Shiraz, Cabernet, Merlot, Sauvignon, the assortment also includes Saperavi, Lomiauri, Mtsvane, all of which differ in their taste, strength, "bouquet" and other parameters. In addition, the company produces cognacs of varying degrees of aging - from 3 to 12 years, which are also exported to the Russian Federation.
"Ironsan Winery" is the first enterprise in South Ossetia that produces wine on industrial scale. The project was implemented by the investment group, which includes Fotisal LLC, Russan LLC and TVK-Kuban LLC. Previously, the Tskhinval winery, which was put into operation in 1959, was working in the Republic. It was producing vintage wine, champagne, apple and plum juices, but in the early 1990s, production at the enterprise ceased.
