Gurjaani Hosts Wine Festival 2018
Gurjaani, a town in Georgia’s main wine region Kakheti, hosted the International Wine Festival on October 13. The Festival was held in the beautiful park of Akhtala Resort, a famous mud resort in Gurjaani. The autumn colors and amazingly beautiful nature gave the festival an inimitable appearance. 100 Different varieties of wines were presented at the event, including Qvevri wine and Chacha for tasting, and the attendees had the chance to taste the best wines from Kakheti and other corners of Georgia and buy them at affordable prices.
Within the framework of Gurjaani Wine Festival, the delegations of several foreign countries visited the city of wine, among them the delegations of France, Spain, Lithuania, Belarus and Azerbaijan, and diplomatic corps of China, Slovakia and Bulgaria.
Foreign and local visitors participated in handmade, creative and thematic exhibitions and ethnographic sales expositions, saw the historic and culinary pavilions designed specifically for autumn, heard unusual Mravalzhamieri and other Georgian polyphonic songs, participated in competitions and won special prizes from the organizers of the Gurjaani Wine Festival 2018, experienced wine-making, grape-pressing and the "Tataraoba " – the making of traditional Georgian candy churchkhela.
Performances of traditional Georgian dances made the event even more charming and attractive.
The program of the festival also included fun activities for children, such as carrousels, sports competitions, magic show and animators.
Within the scope of the festival, Georgian folk-rock band 33a also performed its popular hits for the crowd.
At the end of the day, the film "Georgia - the Homeland of Wine" was screened for the guests of the festival.
Gurjaani Wine Festival 2018 was held for the second time within the framework of Georgian Wine Week and was supported by the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture, National Tourism Administration, National Wine Agency and implemented by the patrol of Gurjaani majoritarian MP Davit Songulashvili.
The Festival was aimed at promoting wine tourism development and introducting wine culture and Georgian traditions to foreign and Georgian society.
According to the organizer of the event, Gurjaani majoritarian MP Davit Songulashvili, this year was especially fruitful for the residents of Gurjaani.
“This year was special for the Gurjaani locals. Peach export reached 20 Million GEL and we harvested a record-breaking amount of grapes, which in total brought more than 200 million GEL income to the local families. That is the reason this year's Wine Festival was so distinctive. In the city of winemaking, more than 150 companies have gathered, including more than 100 large and small cellars and wine factories. I would like to express my gratitude to M2 for being a General Sponsor of the Festival, and to the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, National Tourism Administration and National Wine Agency for their support,” he said.
This year’s festival was also distinguished by the making of the world's largest (4-meter-long!) churchkhela, a project thought up by travel company Grand Travel Group. The attendees of the festival also participated in the process of dipping the nuts in the grape jelly, and when it was hard, they got to eat it.
“The Wine Festival was held for the second time in Gurjaani. This year, the Festival was different and innovative. In the city of wine, we made the world's largest churchkhela. It was a lot of fun and after we got to it eat- and it was very delicious,” the founders of Grand Travel Group noted. “Seeing so many kind and happy faces gave us the motivation to implement such projects again in future and bring people more joy and pleasure. Our company is oriented to boosting tourism in Georgia. We want to promote the places of Georgia which have not been seen before; to make them more appreciated, because right now there are many beautiful sights hidden in our country and only a few people know about them. Hopefully, we can improve this situation.”
Kakheti is considered a winemaking hub. It is a charming place that might make you recall an Italian province due to its vast vineyards full of history, beautiful sights and, of course, delicious wine. The wine is an important part of the culture and history there and sharing a glass with hospitable locals is the best opportunity to experience the real Georgian spirit.
By Ana Dumbadze