Next Grape and Wine Festival begins in Shamakhi

On September 7, the State Tourism Agency and Shamakhi District Executive Authority organized the next Grape and Wine Festival in the Meysari village of Shamakhi city, Azernews reports.

This is the third time the festival has been held, aiming to promote local grape and wine production, and to raise awareness about the history and current activities in viticulture and winemaking in Azerbaijan.

The festival, hosted in the area of the “Shirvan Wines” LLC vineyard and winery complex, offers visitors a chance to learn more about grape production and winemaking, as well as Azerbaijan's tourism potential. Various entertainment and show programs will be presented.

The festival will feature tastings of wines from local and international producers, with opportunities to learn interesting stories about different wineries. Vineyards and wine production facilities from various regions of Azerbaijan will showcase their wines, allowing visitors to purchase their favorite products at favorable prices.

The Grape and Wine Festival also provides an excellent opportunity for winemakers to establish new business connections and promote their products to a broader audience. The festival attracts significant interest from both locals and tourists.

Azerbaijan's grape varieties, such as Ag Shani, Qara Shani, Madrasa, Meysari, and Tabrizi, have historically made the country renowned not only in the Soviet space but also globally in the fields of winemaking and viticulture. Although this sector faced a decline in the early years of independence, it is now experiencing a revival with significant decisions and state programs adopted for its development. The government supports viticulture through subsidies and preferential loans.

Shamakhi was chosen as the festival venue due to its historical association with poetry, music, and viticulture. Under the leadership of the Great Leader Heydar Aliyev, Shamakhi was known for its extensive vineyards in the 70s and 80s, though many were destroyed in the early years of independence. Today, under President Ilham Aliyev's leadership, viticulture is once again being supported at the state level, with new vineyards covering over 1,700 hectares in the district.

The festival, running from 2 PM to 9 PM over two days, will feature various interactive zones including tasting, entertainment, food, souvenir sales, master classes, and an outdoor film screening. It also presents a great opportunity for winemakers to build new business relationships and promote their products. The event is expected to attract over a thousand participants daily, including producers, industry representatives, officials, and media.

The festival will continue until September 8.

The State Tourism Agency promotes the international recognition of Azerbaijan's local grape varieties and wines, with a focus on wine tourism. Azerbaijan is a member of the "Iter Vitis" cultural route, which includes 20 countries and is designed to promote wine heritage, wine tourism, and sustainable tourism by the European Council and the European Institute of Cultural Routes.