Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 4
By Huseyn Veliyev – Trend:
Wine tourism is becoming a driving force in Azerbaijan’s tourism industry, Vugar Mikayilov, director of alcohol production company Az-Granata, told Trend.
According to him, many tourists coming to the country today are interested in the wines of Azerbaijani production.
“Foreign consumers are all too familiar with European wines, and we can hardly expect that Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlotte, Chardonnay or other varieties will in any way surprise them. Many guests are interested in local wines, rather than Spanish or Italian ones. Today, the wine market in Azerbaijan is developing – and qualitatively at that – increasing the area of grape plantations; and if the producers used to focus on growing French and Italian grape varieties in the past, emphasis is now being placed on the cultivation of local varieties," said Mikayilov.
According to him, Az-Granata planted 60 hectares of local grapes - Bayan Shire and Madrasa - this year.
"Besides these varieties, the country also cultivates the Shirvanshahi variety, which was on the verge of extinction. However, thanks to the Kurdamir winery, it was possible to preserve it. Thirty hectares of vineyards were allocated by the winery. We are also planning on growing this variety," said Mikayilov.
The company's long-term plans also include increasing the number of brand stores in the country.
"Currently, the number of the Az-Granata shops exceeds 70. Previously, their number reached 80, and then it dropped to 60. A store located in the territory of Icheri Sheher is in particular demand among tourists. We intend to open there another store with a larger area to organize degustation of alcoholic beverages for tourists," Mikayilov said.
---
Follow the author on Twitter: @h_veliyev