Cheese Festival in Tbilisi
Gloomy Sunday afternoons may be just the right time to taste some Georgian cheese, wine and honey in the fresh air, in the center of Tbilisi.
Rose Revolution Square was pleasantly crowded this Sunday, transformed into a festive bustle enabling passing guests to enjoy a bite of churchkhela and honey, and also a wide sampling of the many cheeses Georgia is well-known for. Numerous Georgian wine brands were also present.
It seemed each and every visitor was engaged in lively conversation with the merchants, trying to grab the fast-selling products, and although 5 o’clock was officially time to wrap up, no one seemed in a hurry- none wanting to leave without at least one type of cheese and a bottle of wine in hand.
Anna Mikadze-Chikvaidze, Head of Cheese Producer’s Association of Georgia, told GEORGIA TODAY that almost 101 types of Georgian cheese were presented at the 2016 Cheese Festival.
“Nadugi, for example, a type of Georgian snack made of Sulguni cheese and blended with mint, has wonderful nutritional components, is as yet unknown beyond Georgia’s borders. The potential that milk production had in the country was under-utilized for many years,” she said. “However, the fact that Tenili cheese made in Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo Kartli regions of Georgia from sheep or cow’s milk and Dambal Khacho, usually made in Pshavi, are both acknowledged as being an intangible heritage. This hopefully signifies that Georgians, too, will care for their agricultural products. In an attempt to promote a variety of locally produced Georgian cheese, the Ministry of Agriculture announced 2017 to be the Year of Cheese Popularization, be it artisan-made or produced in the monasteries of Georgia.”
Mikadze-Chikvaidze went on to note that despite the fact that many entrepreneurs were present at the 2016 Cheese Festival, a greater number might have been reached, and more local producers encouraged to participate.
“Many local producers think they don’t have problems selling cheese and don’t see the need to take part in events like these” she lamented.
She recalled the period when she herself re-discovered the rich variety of Georgian cheese and how she persuaded local farmers to show their homemade products for the first time in Signagi, Kakheti.
“That moment,” she says with a grin, “was a turning point for Georgians and a culture shock for foreigners who were used to just the familiar Sulguni and Imeruli cheese.”
Two of probably the youngest entrepreneurs at the cheese festival, Nodar Trapaidze and his friend Giorgi Toidze, 14, who had an assortment of cheese from Tsnisi village near Akhaltsikhe, eagerly shared their joy at seeing so many people attending and, despite their youth, worked diligently and professionally while offering their products to customers.
Givi Kavtaradze from Shiraki Cheese a Dedoplistskharo-based enterprise, also attending the cheese festival, told GEORGIA TODAY they produce smoked Sulguni and Imeruli cheese as well as cottage cheese and natural butter, from cows brought from Spain and the Netherlands. “Saperavi wine is also a part of our production,” he said. “The turnout was fantastic this year. The Festival is an excellent possibility both for the producers and potential customers to get to know each other, promote the brand, and get noticed.”
“It’s an ideal place for winemaking companies to introduce and offer their wines,” said Gigi Aronishidze, Marketing Manager at Dugladze Wines Company. “I was pleasantly surprised to see so many different kinds of Georgian cheese today, of very good quality, and alongside the actual tasting and degustation experience, it’s important to get feedback from our customers, even if it’s critical, it helps to make our products better,” he said.
Nino Gugunishvili