Raising a toast to the West

The Mildiani factory in Telavi in Georgia’s Kakheti region on Oct. 12, 2024. Some vintners in the former Soviet republic are seeking to break a politically risky dependence on Russia and focus more on high-value European and American markets. (Emile Ducke/The New York Times)

IT was another abundant and busy harvest in the vineyards of Kakheti, the Republic of Georgia’s famed wine-producing region.

With the green ridges of the Caucasus basking in the sun before him, Levan Eloshvili prepared to drive his rusty Soviet-designed truck with a load of grapes to a sprawling factory nearby. There it will be turned into wine, some of it to be sold to Russia.