On November 25, the opening of the Second Grape and Wine Festival took place in Meysari village of Shamakhi city, organized by the State Tourism Agency and Shamakhi District Executive Authority.

The festival aims to promote local grape and wine production, enhance the export potential of wine products, and communicate the history of viticulture and wine production in Azerbaijan, along with the progress made in this field, to the public.

At the festival, grape processing and wine production factories from different regions of our country showcased various types of wines. Various events related to winemaking, including wine tastings, fairs, and sommelier courses featuring local and international experts, were organized. Informative presentations on the "History of Winemaking and Wine Production in Azerbaijan" were also presented to the guests.

As part of the festival, a round table on the "Prospects of Wine Tourism in Azerbaijan" took place. The discussion involved local wine production enterprises, the Viticulture Institute, the Viticulture and Winemaking Association, as well as representatives from the tourism industry.

Discussions were held at the round table on the topics of "Enotourism in the Mechanism of Forming the Country's Image" and "Strategies for Developing Winemaking as a Tourism Product."

A musical program and various entertainments were also arranged as part of the festival. At the festival, for the first time in many years, a presentation of high-quality red table wines from the "Khindogni" grape variety was featured. These grapes are grown in Karabakh - Tugh, considered the oldest local technical grape variety in Azerbaijan.

Visitors have the opportunity to taste wine products from both local and foreign producers and purchase their preferred products in the festival area, which includes zones such as exhibition, entertainment, picnic, souvenir, and culinary.

The festival anticipates a daily attendance of over a thousand people, encompassing wine producers, industry professionals associated with wine tourism, as well as official and media representatives.

It should be noted that individuals registered through the iticket.az website will be transported to the festival site in Meysari village on November 25-26 at 11:00 in front of the Heydar Aliyev Center. The Festival covers the time interval 13:00-19:00 on the mentioned dates.

The State Tourism Agency promotes wine tourism at the international level, considering the presence of internationally recognized local grape varieties and wine types in Azerbaijan. In our country, the preservation of ancient winemaking traditions and their utilization for tourism purposes is a primary focus on the western, northern, and northwestern tourist routes, including in the Tugh settlement of the Khojavand region.

Azerbaijan is a member of the tangible and intangible winemaking cultural route "Iter Vitis," which encompasses winemaking routes across 20 countries. This initiative was established by the Council of Europe and the Institute of European Cultural Routes with the goal of promoting wine heritage, fostering winemaking tourism, and supporting sustainable forms of tourism.