Georgia Shines as Guest of Honour at the 33rd Budapest Wine Festival
Georgia, renowned as the birthplace of winemaking, was honored as the Guest of Honour at the 33rd Budapest Wine Festival, held from September 12 to 15, 2024.
Attendees had the unique opportunity to explore Georgia’s ancient winemaking tradition, including the famed qvevri method, which dates back thousands of years and is still practiced today. Festivalgoers sampled an array of distinctive wines from leading Georgian wineries, including Ethno Wine, Chateau Mukhrani, Chelti Winery, Winery MelitonI, and Teleda Orgo. The experience was further enriched by a taste of Georgian cuisine, presented by Hachapuri Georgian Restaurant, offering visitors a genuine taste of the country’s gastronomic heritage.
The cultural program highlighted Georgia’s rich traditions, featuring captivating performances from the Ajara region. Notable ensembles, such as the Georgian State Choreographic Ensemble “Batumi,” the OCEAN DRIVE – OD band from the Batumi Maritime Academy, and Quartet Batumi, mesmerized audiences with their extraordinary shows over the four-day event.
A daily highlight was the masterclass led by Attila Petzold, a national expert on Georgia’s wine regions. His presentations provided in-depth insights into Georgian winemaking techniques and the unique characteristics of its wines.
The Embassy of Georgia in Hungary organized Georgia’s participation in the festival in collaboration with Budapest Borfesztivál, the Ajara Tourism Department, Georgia’s National Wine Agency, and the Batumi Culture Center.
This marked Georgia’s first-ever participation in the Budapest Wine Festival, an unprecedented occasion made even more significant by Hungary’s EU Presidency.
One of the nostagic memories of the socialist period was “Russian champagne” from Georgia that came in a bottle with Cyrillic lettering. It was an oddity for someone visiting from the West used to French champagne and German sparkling wine. The Georgians gained their independence from their Russian masters but Putin came back and invaded Georgia taking a large part of its’ territory. Russia has been working night and day to gain influence in Georgia facilitated in large part by former PM Ivanishvili who made billions in Russia. The population wants integration with the West.
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/dispatch-from-tbilisi-amid-georgias-battle-for-democracy-russian-influence/