Gurjaani Wine Festival 2023: A Celebration of Kakheti's Wine Heritage

Scheduled for October 14, Gurjaani, the epicenter of winemaking, will proudly host its wine festival for the fifth consecutive year.

In 2022, under the auspices of the National Wine Agency, the Gurjaani Wine Festival garnered the honor of becoming an official partner of the International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC). As part of this collaboration, an esteemed panel comprising both Georgian and international wine experts evaluated 500 Georgian wines. This rigorous assessment culminated in a record number of gold medals for Georgian wines. Notably, this collaboration marked only the second instance in the IWSC's storied history—and the first in Europe—where such a distinction was granted.

Established in 2017, the Gurjaani Wine Festival celebrates its 7-year journey. Championed by Davit Songhulashvili, a member of the Georgian Parliament, the festival's mission is multifold: to highlight Kvevari wine, recognized as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage monument, to endorse bottled wine as a premium market commodity, to amplify wines with designated origins, and to promote wine tourism by acquainting attendees with Georgian culture and traditions.

Coinciding with the Wine Days, this year's festival boasts esteemed partnerships with IWSC and Jepra, with the Gurjaani Municipality City Hall playing its customary role as the gracious host.

Sponsoring this year's festival are notable entities: Bank of Georgia Business, Teliani Valley, Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, National Wine Agency, Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, and the National Tourism Administration of Georgia.

Furthermore, the festival is backed by a diverse group of supporters: m², Sakpatenti, GITA, USAID, LEPERT, Red Bull, ZINC NETWORK, Bakuriani, and the delectable Gurjaani ice cream.