On August 31, 2024, winemakers from the villages of Samtatskaro, Pirosmani, and Sabatlo in the Dedoplistskaro municipality held a protest on the Bakurtsikhe–Gurjaani highway. Around 100 vintners joined the rally, protesting what they called unfairly low prices for grapes. The purchasing companies were offering 1.3 GEL per kilogram of the Saperavi variety.

On September 4, residents from about ten villages in Kvareli municipality also protested against the low price of Saperavi grapes. Near the village of Chikaani, the road connecting Kvareli and Lagodekhi was blocked for almost 20 minutes before the police arrived.

The winemakers said that only one wine factory was operating in their area, paying just 1.2 GEL per kilogram of Saperavi—an amount that, according to them, did not even cover their production costs. They demanded a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture and called for state subsidies to raise the purchase price.

On September 13, during a government session, Georgia’s Prime Minister announced that the state would begin subsidizing the purchase of Saperavi grapes, increasing the price to 1.5 GEL per kilogram. The Prime Minister also stated that those who had already sold their grapes at a lower price would be compensated for the difference.