Uzbekistan pulls out the stops for fine winemaking Uzbek farmers are on the front lines of an ambitious state-led winemaking drive in the majority-Muslim country. A decree published by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's office in February calls for an increase in wine exports of more than 60 percent by the end of 2021, aiming to cultivate varieties from France, Italy, Chile and the United States, along with the traditional varieties native to the former Soviet countries of the Caucasus.