Eastern Promotions & TBC Status Present “Jazz & Wine Kakheti” Festival

There is nothing better than spending an autumnal weekend in Kakheti, where the tiring process of harvesting grapes and dipping churchkhelas is accompanied by the unforgettable performances of prominent artists. On September 21-23, Kakheti region became the most attractive place for Jazz and Wine lovers with the second annual festival of Jazz and Wine Kakheti held at the Lopota Lake Resort & Spa within the Check in Georgia government project.

The whole month, Kakheti had been knee-deep in harvesting, but true autumn could not begin until the annual Jazz and Wine festival kicked off.

The festival offered guests the chance to meet and listen to world-renowned musicians while enjoying traditional dishes and wine throughout each performance.

It’s an old and true story that good wine always goes well with great music. This year, the main headliner was well-known LA vocalist Judith Hill, an author-performer of jazz-funk, soul and R&B.

Over the three days of the festival, guests saw headliners of various genres, like the new wave Zydeco blues, with its best-known artist Dwayne Dopsie, a legendary accordionist and one of the most famous representatives of modern Zydeco blues, gracing the Kakheti stage with his band Zydeco Hellraisers. Sugarpie & The Candymen headed the festival as one of the most uplifting bands, offering covers of well-loved hits. The group comes from Italy, where the band was founded in 2008, having since traveled around the world with their music. Bahama Soul Club, Aglio Olio & Swing and the New York Brass Band also kept the festival pumping, with jazz, blues, funk and almost every genre in between. And for the night stage, DJ Machaidze was invited to entertain.

Besides the concert, the days were spent in the bosom of wine-related activities, with nine Georgian wine companies arranging their own wine tastings and harvesting, allowing guests the chance to absorb the true harvest culture of the region. Participant companies were: Zakro, Chateau Nekresi, Shalo’s Cellar, Artana Wines, Tanini, Stori Marani, Kai Winery, Chotiashvili Marani and Sasmuri. Guests also got to try wine-making, dipping churchkhela and tasting mtsvadi (Georgian barbecue). Two top Italian Chefs were also present, surprising guests with cooking demonstrations of the tricks behind the perfect Italian style risotto and pasta dishes.

The sponsors of the Jazz and Wine Kakheti Festival are official representatives of Lexus in Georgia – Lexus Tbilisi and Chronograph Georgia. During the event at Lopota Lake Resort & Spa, guests got to give the new Hybrid Lexus 2018 a drive and to look through the latest collections of leading brand watches and jewelry as presented by Chronograph.

The Jazz and Wine Festival was not only about fun, music and wine, as a charity component was added as a result of the partnership between Eastern Promotion and the Solidarity Fund this year. At the event, a stand of the Solidarity Fund was arranged for guest to be able to find out more about the fund and make their contribution to the cause with the motto “Kindness is Contagious.”

Taking every component into consideration, the organizers excelled in making the 2018 edition of the Jazz and Wine Festival truly unforgettable.

By Mariam Merabishvili