Georgian Wine - National Wine Agency

The Georgian Qvevri, as a wine monument, was placed in the center of Merano, one of the oldest cities in Italy. The opening of the monument took place within the framework of one of the most authoritative wine festivals in the world - the Merano Wine Festival. The event was attended by the Mayor of Merano Dario Dal Medico, the founder of the festival Helmud Kiokheri, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to the Republic of Italy Konstantine Surguladze, the Deputy Chairman of the National Wine Agency Davit Tkemaladze and the Executive Director of the Association "Georgian Wine" Tina Kezeli. 
"Qvevri was placed in the city of Merano as a monument, on which it is written that the ancient Georgian traditional method of making Qvevri wine is included in the list of the intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO, and also that Georgia is the oldest wine-producing country for 8000 years. Such an emphasis on Georgian wine at a festival of this importance is highly appreciated since the Merano Wine Festival has been held for 30 years and is one of the most authoritative in Europe and the world," said Tina Kezeli, executive director of the association "Georgian Wine”.
"The positioning of Georgian wine as the birthplace of wine became the beginning of a new life for our wine. What we have always been proud of is now supported by scientific research that our country is the birthplace of wine, where wine has been produced continuously for 8000 years. At the same time, it is very important that we still occupy a significant place in the world markets and are constantly developing. Our recognition at the Merano festival is another confirmation of this. We need constant and interesting positioning of this fact. The unique synthesis of our history and our present should be properly presented on the world wine markets", said the Deputy Chairman of the National Wine Agency, Davit Tkemaladze.
 The 30-year-old Merano Wine Festival is one of the outstanding festivals in the world, which is attended by representatives of leading European scientific institutions, wine producers, experts, and journalists; Thousands of guests have the opportunity to participate in master classes and tastings.
At this year's festival, special attention was paid to Georgian wine and Georgian producers. At this year's exhibition, Georgian wine from forty companies was presented in the exhibition space and at tastings. Leading Italian channels prepared special reports about Georgia as the homeland of wine. It was noted that in South Tyrol, the Italian manufacturer started the production of the Georgian Saperavi.
According to Tina Kezeli, the executive director of the association "Georgian Wine", the Georgian side plans to expand cooperation with the organizers of the Merano festival in the scientific and educational direction, which should become the basis for implementing new joint projects together with Georgian producers and students interested in viticulture and winemaking.