(RFERL) - Georgia has resumed wine exports to Russia for the first time since 2006, with a first batch of 30,000 bottles from the Dugladze winery crossing the Georgia-Russia border on June 15. 

Russia banned the import of Georgian and Moldovan wine after Russia’s chief health inspector, Gennady Onishchenko, claimed the potables were contaminated with heavy metals and pesticides.

The ban was seen by critics as an attempt by Moscow to punish Tbilisi and Chisinau for their pro-Western stance.

Moldova was allowed to resume wine exports to Russia in 2007.

Onishchenko announced in March this year that a number of Georgian wines and mineral waters had passed new health checks and were being allowed back into Russia.