Shamakhi to host Grape & Wine Festival

By Azernews

By Leman Mammadova

Winemaking is one of the ancient and profitable spheres of Azerbaijan’s agro-industry. The country is famous for its high quality grape varieties.

Five major wine-growing regions of the country are Shamakhi, Ismayilli, Gabala, Ganja and Tovuz. Local grape varieties in Azerbaijan include White Shani, Derbendi, Nail, Bayanshire, Gamashara, Ganja Pink, Bendi, Madrasa, Black Shani, Zeynabi, Misgali, Khindogni, Agdam, Kechiemjeyi, Tebrizi and Marandi.

Azerbaijan Grape and Wine Festival will be held in Meysari village of Shamakhi region on August 30-31.

The event will be organized on the territory of the Shirvan Sharablari LLC viticulture and winemaking complex, with the joint organization of Azerbaijani Ministry of Agriculture, Shamakhi Executive Power, the Regional Development Public Union, the State Tourism Agency and the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

The project targets to encourage local production of grapes and wine, to increase the export potential of wine products and awareness on the history of Azerbaijani winemaking.

As part of the festival, various educational and recreational events will be organized on the topics of grape growing, winemaking, and the tourism potential of Azerbaijan.

The opening ceremony will include a music program, a parade with the participation of dancers and nagara perfomers, as well as an orchestra of wind instruments, figures and dolls, which are the emblems of the festival.

There will also be tasting pavilions of local winemakers, as well as gastronomic and ethnic zones on the territory, which will be decorated with installations and various decorations. The samples of various types of folk art of certain regions of Azerbaijan will be presented there.

The presentations will be made on wine enterprises by winemakers, and then tasting of products will be held. Moreover, a lecture on the history of Azerbaijani winemaking will be held for participants. An agricultural fair will also be organized.

As part of the festival, a round table will be held on the problems existing in the wine sector, development directions and issues of local wine products entering foreign markets.

Local winemakers, representatives of relevant government agencies and foreign experts will attend the event. Sommelier courses will also be organized with the participation of international and local experts.

In addition, a screening of films devoted to wine and winemaking in the open air as well as unforgettable performances of national artists are expected.

The guests will also be able to take part in yoga, gymnastics and karate classes. As part of the festival, night tours to the Shamakhi Astrophysical Observatory, excursions to the village of Lahij of the Ismayilli region, wine tasting in Shamakhi, Ismayilli and Agsu regions will be organized.

Participation in the festival is free and requires pre-registration. Electronic registration is available on the official website of the festival.

Viticulture in Azerbaijan has an ancient history. The proof of this is that during the archaeological excavations conducted in Aghstafa region of Azerbaijan in 1962, grape seeds were found. Archaeological finds in Uzerliktepe, Kultepe and Gazakh evidence to the ancient culture of winemaking, which is going back to the end of the III millennium BC.

In the 1980s the State Committee for Viticulture of Azerbaijan occupied the first place in the USSR, outstripping the oil industry.

Presently, about 40 winemaking enterprises operate in Azerbaijan producing natural wine, sparkling wine, liqueur, brandy, vodka, ethyl alcohol, cognac, etc.

Azerbaijan plans to develop the first wine tourist route in the history of the country. A new highly specialized tourist route will pass through the wineries of the Absheron, Ismayilli, Shirvan, Gabala, Sheki and Goygol regions.

Tourism experts intend to pave the route in such a way that within a few days, foreigners would be taken from one region to another, giving them the opportunity to visit wineries where the legendary Azerbaijani alcoholic beverages are produced.

In addition, tourists will get the opportunity to personally taste wine drinks. Azerbaijan also intends to connect it with the famous Georgian wine route, paving the way for tourists from Sheki to Kakheti, a Georgian region.