Georgian President: National Wine Day celebrates Georgia’s identity and centuries-old heritage

Georgian president Mikheil Kavelashvili on Friday said National Wine Day was a celebration of Georgia’s identity, cultural heritage, and centuries-old history that established the country as the birthplace of wine.

Speaking at a conference dedicated to National Wine Day, the Georgian president stated that Georgia is one of the world’s oldest cradles of civilization and that Georgians are proud of their uninterrupted 8 000-year-old winemaking tradition, which reflects the nation’s deep connection to its land.

“Our statehood dates back three thousand years, and the declaration of Christianity as the state religion 17 centuries ago ultimately defined our value system. National Wine Day is a celebration of our identity, cultural heritage, and the centuries-old history that marked Georgia on the world map as the homeland of wine. Starting from the cultivation of the grape, through the sacred birth of wine, to its crowning glory in the Georgian feast - this seamless and singular process forms the eternal cycle of our identity. Every interaction with the vine and every hour in the vineyard is, at its heart, a testament to the Georgian soul's unwavering devotion to the soil and the motherland”, he said.

Kavelashvili also thanked everyone who continues the ancient winemaking tradition and promotes Georgia internationally as the birthplace of wine and a country of hospitality.

“It is symbolic that Georgians compare the qvevri to the human heart: just as the heart supplies blood to the entire body, the qvevri nourishes our culture with the sacred liquid that has kept the traditions of the Georgian table and human relationships alive for centuries. The vine and wine are the primary arteries of Georgian existence, a truth attested by the clusters of grapes and intricate carvings etched into the walls of our cathedrals. To the Georgian architect, the vine was as sacred as the temple itself. Our chants, folklore, and literature are saturated with this love. Everywhere the vine stands as an expression of sanctity, life, and survival. The ultimate symbol of Georgia’s Christianisation is Saint Nino’s grapevine cross, a perennial reminder of the unbreakable bond between our faith and our native soil. I wish to thank every winemaker and every farmer who continues this ancient tradition today, introducing Georgia to the world as the cradle of wine and a land of hospitality”, he concluded.