You may recall that back in 2006, the Kremlin was not dealing too well with color revolutions. And after Georgian's Rose Revolution, the Kremlin felt Georgia was abandoning its Soviet overlords for the glitz and glamour of the West. Abandoment issues are very real. So as a way of acting out, the Kremlin banned the selling of Georgian wine in all of Russia. This initially was very upsetting. But it's now 2009, and we've learned two things:
1. There are much worse things Russia can do than ban vino. Russia has a bigger army than yours, Saakashvili.
2. Banning Georgian wine in Russia ended up boosting sales and quality of Georgian wine in the West.
According to the Washington Times, Georgia has seen its international wine sales go up 13-17% annually. And because non-Russians have expectations for wine besides it containing alcohol, Georgians have been pushed to improve the quality of the wine (Thank God!). And there it is, folks. Your move, Russia.
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