Georgian Wine Exhibition in Bordeaux to Open Late July
Georgia’s Minister of Agriculture, Levan Davitashvili, has confirmed that from July 31 to November 5, the center of wine civilization- Cité des Civilisations Du Vin in Bordeaux, France, will open its doors for the Georgian wine exhibition.
“It is a very important exhibition- Georgia is the first invited country and it is the proof that Georgia is the motherland of wine, the cradle of viniculture,” Davitashvili stated at the special press-conference on Wednesday.
The Minister explained that participation in the exhibition is a unique platform for popularization of Georgian wine and culture.
“I would like to thank the National Museum of Georgia which has prepared a very interesting exposition which will present Georgian wine and culture at the international center for four months,” Davitashvili added.
The exhibition will showcase 125 archaeological and ethnographical exhibits and works of art, as well as heritage photographs from the Georgian National Museum collections, all of which illustrate the key role which wine and vine play in Georgian culture.
Numerous events attached to the exhibition will punctuate life at La Cité du Vin throughout the exhibition period: a concert, a film, a festive event, conferences, as well as Georgian wine-tasting and grape variety discovery workshops.
The exhibition is co-organized and financed by the Georgian Ministry of Agriculture through Minister Levan Davitashvili, and Ekaterine Siradze-Delaunay, the Georgian Ambassador to France.
Within the Georgian exhibition, a large Qvevri will be placed at the main entrance of the Wine Civilization Center. The Qvevri was specially designed for the exhibition at the modern Qvevri School of Alaverdi Eparchy.
Especially for the exhibition, the National Bank of Georgia (NBG) issued 5-Lari denomination silver collector coins on the theme of the Georgian vine in order to promote the country’s rich culture and the history of ancient winemaking traditions.
The new coin pictures the Georgian vine and the UNESCO heritage listed, large, ancient Georgian winemaking vessel—the Qvevri—with red wine within. In total, 1500 coins have been made in Japan Mint.
The official website of La Cite du Vin (Wine City), world’s largest wine museum, says that the exhibition focuses on four key themes: the roots of Georgian wine culture, wine and royalties, the importance of wine in religious beliefs and wine in everyday life.
“Set on the banks of the Black Sea and nestled at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains where Europe and Asia meet, Georgia has an age-old culture of winemaking dating back to the 6th millennium BC,” the webpage reads.
In recognition of the importance of the event, the Georgian government has set up a special commission, composed of representatives of various government agencies and headed by the Minister of Agriculture.
The project is supported by the Georgian National Wine Agency, the Georgian Wine Association and the National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia.
Thea Morrison