President Kavelashvili praises Georgia’s winemaking heritage at National Wine Day conference

Georgia’s President Mikheil Kavelashvili has described National Wine Day as a celebration of the country’s identity, cultural heritage and centuries-old history that established Georgia as the birthplace of wine.

Speaking at a conference dedicated to National Wine Day on Friday, Kavelashvili said Georgia was one of the world’s oldest cradles of civilization and highlighted the country’s uninterrupted 8,000-year tradition of winemaking.

He said Georgia’s statehood dated back some 3,000 years and noted that the adoption of Christianity as the state religion 17 centuries ago had shaped the country’s values and identity.

Kavelashvili described wine as an inseparable part of Georgian culture, linking the cultivation of vines, the production of wine and the traditions of the Georgian supra, or ceremonial feast, as elements of a continuous cultural cycle.

He also said that every moment spent working in vineyards reflected Georgians’ deep attachment to their land and homeland.

The president thanked winemakers and farmers who continue to preserve the ancient tradition and promote Georgia internationally as a country of wine and hospitality.

Kavelashvili drew parallels between the traditional Georgian qvevri wine vessel and the human heart, saying the vessel sustained Georgian culture in the same way the heart sustains the body.

He also highlighted the symbolic role of the vine in Georgian architecture, church ornamentation, folklore, hymns and literature, calling it an enduring expression of sanctity, life and survival.

Referring to the vine cross of Saint Nino, Kavelashvili said it remained a lasting symbol of the unity between Georgia’s Christian faith and its native land.