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August 27, 2019

Grape and Wine Festival to be held for the first time in Azerbaijan with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation

On August 30-31, the Azerbaijan Grape and Wine Festival will take place in Meysari village of Shamakhy district. The event will be arranged on the territory of the wine-growing and wine-making complex of “Shirvan Wines” LLC.

 

The Festival is held with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the Agriculture Ministry, the Shamakhy District Executive Authority, the Regional Development Public Association, the State Tourism Agency, and the National Carpet Museum of Azerbaijan.

 

The project aims at promoting local grape and wine production, increasing export potential of wine products, and informing the general public of the history of wine production in Azerbaijan.

 

Enlightening and entertaining events, associated with wine growing and production and the country’s tourism potential, will take place during the festival days.

 

On August 30, opening of the festival will take place, with presentation of  a music programme for the guests. A parade will be organized with participation of dancers and drummers, as well as a wind instruments orchestra, and figures and dolls being the emblem of the festival. Various characters in colourful garments associated with wine-growing will welcome the guests.

 

Degustation pavilions of local wine producers, as well as gastronomic and ethno zones will be functioning in an area with different types of decorations and installations symbolizing grape, wine-growing, and the festival. Examples of creativity related to individual districts of Azerbaijan – coppersmithery, carpet-making, ornament art and pottery, process of their making, the national cuisine and music pieces will be presented here. Shamakhy, the host of the Festival, will be represented by a special corner.

 

Wine producers participating in the event will deliver presentations on their enterprises, offering their products for tasting. A lecture will also be delivered about the history of wine-making in Azerbaijan.

 

A fair of agricultural products of Azerbaijan will also be arranged on the territory.

 

Round table discussions will take place on the issues existing in the field of wine-making in the country, directions of development, and access for local wine producers to the foreign market. Local wine makers, representatives of relevant state bodies and foreign experts will participate in the event.

 

Sommelier trainings will also be arranged here with participation of international and local experts.

 

A workshop will be held in the framework of the festival, dedicated to the grape and wine motifs in the carpet-making art of Azerbaijan. There will also take place a literary composition comprised of examples of the Oriental and Azerbaijani poetry praising wine. Works by Omar Khayyam, Seyid Azim Shirvani and other classics will be read.

 

Games and quizzes will be held for participants and wine producers. Winners will be rewarded.

 

Children of participants who are going to join the festival together with their family members will have a chance to spend their time in the entertainment zone. Here, they can become acquainted with animals in a mini zoo, and participate in various quizzes and master classes.

 

Many have remembered the dance scene by Adriano Chelentano in the movie “The Taming of the Scoundrel” with squeezing grape by feet; earlier, wine making used to be an interesting and entertaining business. Participants will be given a chance to experience this during the festival. They will be allowed to take with themselves the towels with their footprints on after they have squeezed out wine juice in barrels.

 

Giant bottles on the territory will embody products of each of the local wine producers participating in the festival. Moreover, additional wine bottle will be used at the event as an object of creativity, so the participants will be given a chance to paint the bottles in the colour and style they wish, and realize their creative fantasies.

 

Light show will be demonstrated on the lake in the complex, and music pieces will be performed on a sailing-boat. Participants will also be presented music pieces in wine goblets.

 

A concert programme will take place in the framework of the festival, with participation of People’s artists Aygun Kazimova, Faig Aghayev, Natig Shirinov, Honoured Artist Miri Yusif, and other well-known masters of art and groups. Discotheques will be arranged, and films related to wine growing will be shown.

 

On August 31, until the festival events start, participation in yoga, karate and gymnastics trainings will be possible. In the framework of the festival, night visits to Shamakhy Astrophysics Observatory, tours to Lahyj village of Ismailli, as well as degustation tours to wine enterprises in Shamakhy, Ismailli and Aghsu districts’ territories will be organized.

 

A photo zone will be on the territory to immortalise the festival days.

 

Participation in the festival is by registration, and no fee shall be paid. Registration is possible via the festival’s official website (www.winefest.az).