The Wine Agency of Georgia has issued a simplified tender due to time constraints for the procurement of services for events in Tbilisi.
As Newsgeorgia writes with reference to the tender documents, the celebration will include:
– thematic festivals and exhibitions of Georgian wine companies;
– a scientific conference with the participation of international speakers;
– decoration of stages and thematic zones, audio and visual campaigns.
Earlier, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze signed a decree according to which May 8 was officially declared the National Wine Day. According to the Georgian government, this holiday was established “to popularize Georgian wine as an important element of national identity” and cultural heritage, emphasizing the centuries-old traditions of winemaking in the country.
Moreover, this date does not have the status of a day off – May 8 remains a regular working day.
Why it is important
Georgia is considered to be one of the oldest wine-producing countries in the world: archaeologists date the beginning of the local wine tradition approximately eight millennia ago.
The key feature of Georgian winemaking is the kvevri technology: wine is fermented and aged in large clay vessels buried in the ground. This method has been included in UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage.
More than 500 autochthonous grape varieties are cultivated in the country. Among the most famous are Saperavi and Rkatsiteli. Kakheti is considered the main wine-growing region, Imereti, Racha and Kartli also play an important role.
During Soviet times, the industry was oriented towards mass production. However, in recent decades Georgia has been actively promoting a return to traditional methods and the development of small wineries.
As Business Media earlier wrote with reference to the National Wine Agency of Georgia, in 2025 the country reached the maximum for the last 30 years on processing of grapes. 336 thousand tons were processed in all winemaking regions. About 22,000 grape growers across the country participated in harvesting and processing, which brought them about GEL 475 million (about EUR150 million). More than 500 wineries participated in processing.
