Morals have always united people, as morals are more superior than the other basics.
Heydar Aliyev
Opening of the 1st Azerbaijan Grape and Wine Festival gets underway
On August 30, opening of the 1st Azerbaijan Grape and Wine Festival took place in Meysari village of Shamakhy district.
The festival is held with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, enjoying joint organizational support from the Agriculture Ministry, the Shamakhy District Executive Authority, the Regional Development Public Association, and the National Carpet Museum of Azerbaijan. The project aims at promoting local grape and wine production, boosting wine producers’ export potential, and delivering the history of wine production in Azerbaijan to the general public.
Guests were welcomed by various characters in colourful garments associated with wine making.
Performances of well-known singers and dance groups at the concert arranged after the inauguration of the festival were welcomed by the audience.
Then, the wine exhibition was inaugurated. Wine producers spoke with presentation about their enterprises, offering to taste their products. Then a parade of wine producers followed. A fair of agricultural products of Azerbaijan also took place on the territory.
Degustation pavilions of local wine producers, as well as gastronomic and ethno zones are 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 are presented here. Shamakhy, the host of the Festival, will be represented by a special corner.
Giant bottles on the territory embody products of each of the local wine producers participating in the festival. Moreover, additional wine bottles are used at the event as an object of creativity, and participants paint the bottles in the colour and style they wish, and realize their creative fantasies.
Games and quizzes are held for participants and wine producers. Winners are presented gifts.
Children of participants who have joined the festival together with their family members spend their time in the entertainment zone. Here, they 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 could experience this during the festival.
Light show is demonstrated on the lake in the complex, and music pieces are performed on a sailing-boat.
A photo zone too was created on the territory in order to immortalise the festival days.
The festival will continue on the 31st of August too.
