Details added (first version posted on 13:28)
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 27
Trend:
First -ever Azerbaijani Grape and Wine Festival will be held with the support of Heydar Aliyev Foundation in Meysari village of Azerbaijan’s Shamakhi district on August 30-31, Trend reports on Aug. 27.
The event will be organized on the territory of the viticulture and winemaking complex Shirvan Sharablari LLC.
The festival will be jointly held by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Agriculture, the executive branch of the Shamakhi district, the Regional Development Public Union, the State Tourism Agency and the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum.
The festival is aimed at promoting local production of grapes and wine, increasing the export potential of wine and bringing the history of winemaking in Azerbaijan to the guests’ attention.
Various enlightening and entertainment events dedicated to the viticulture and winemaking and the country’s tourism potential will be conducted during the festival.
The festival will open on August 30. The opening ceremony includes a music program, a parade with the participation of dancers and naghara (musical instrument) performers, an orchestra of wind instruments, and action figures and dolls, which are the emblems of the festival. The guests will be greeted by various mummers in colorful costumes related to winemaking.
On the decorated territory, there will be wine-tasting pavilions of local winemakers, as well as gastronomic and ethnic zones.
The guests will be able to see various types of folk art of certain Azerbaijani districts including copper craft, carpet weaving, shebeke (multicoloured glass mosaics), and pottery as well as the process of their production, and to learn about the national music and the culture of Azerbaijani cuisine. Shamakhi, the host district of the festival, will be represented by a special exhibition stand.
The local winemakers, representatives of the corresponding state agencies and foreign experts will attend the festival. The winemakers participating in the event will make presentations about their wineries and present their wine for tasting.
A lecture on the history of winemaking in Azerbaijan will be held for the guests, and an agricultural fair will be also organized. Round table discussions on the problems existing in the country's wine industry, development trends and the issues of local wine supply to the foreign markets will be held during the festival.
Sommelier courses with the participation of international and local experts will also be organized, and a workshop dedicated to the grapes and wine woven on Azerbaijani carpets will be held as part of the festival.
A literary composition consisting of oriental poetry and Azerbaijani poetry dedicated to wine will be also presented. The works by Omar Khayyam, Seyid Azim Shirvani and other poets will be read out.
The games and quizzes for winemakers will be held, and special gifts will be presented to the winners.