With the help of the National Wine Agency, the first Saturday of September 2024, or September 7, will be marked as the “Stvely” celebration of the grape harvest, which will become an annual event in Telavi’s King Erekle Square.
The event aims to elevate consumer culture and support Georgian wine production in the local market. in particular, promoting the natural product—Kakhuri wines—made from Georgian grapes and their regional origin designations from the past; Since the grapes ripen the earliest in Kakheti, Georgia, this is where the harvest begins. For this reason, the event is being held in Telavi, the center of Kakheti. The king’s throne is kept in Telavi concurrently. As a result, the event’s theatrical and cultural components will vividly depict the history of King Erekle, his winemaker, and other individuals connected to grapes and wine. The winemaker put the wine’s qualities to the test. According to Vakhtang VI’s Dasturlamal, “the winemaker should like, choose, and want.” With the help of visitors and sommeliers, King Erekle’s winemaker will brew the best blend, “King Erekle’s wine.”
on the day of the festival. Various wine-producing firms in Telavi will produce “King Erekle’s wine” on September 7. A winner will be selected from among them to receive the title of fresh blend”—”King”Erekle’s wine.” A tradition from Kakheti states that Rkatsiteli, Khikhvi, Kishi, and Kakhuri green—the four Kakhuri grape varieties—were King Erekle’s favorites. The initial phase of the event was scheduled to run from June 25 to September in the heart of Tbilisi. There is a tasting room that is freely accessible to anyone and is open every Tuesday and Thursday from 14:00 to 18:00. The wines from the businesses that will take part in Telavi’s celebration of the “Stvely” grape harvest will be offered in the tasting area. There will be no cap on the number of wine-producing businesses that can participate in the tasting area until September.
The tasting area will host a variety of forms for events. Specifically, the vertical wine tasting (tasting wines from the same producer in various years), the comparison of wines made from the same grape variety in different places, and the meetings with winemakers who will present and discuss the wines involved in the celebration alongside the sommelier. Wine enthusiasts will learn about wine and its creators.
Visitors to the tasting area will be able to sample and buy the wines involved in the event ahead of time; an exhibition sale will be planned. The visitors will receive a special invitation that will allow them to take advantage of the exceptional prices of Telavi’s fresh grape crop.
There are plans to air stories on television and to promote wine tastings on social media.
Theater shows are a part of the “Stvely” event, which honors the fresh grape harvest. The history of “Stvely” encompassed more than just labor—that is, more than just harvesting and pressing grapes—and involved a very unique ceremony. This custom is reflected in a theatrical performance using costumes.
The competition to make the best blend, in which the winner, patrons, and sommeliers of King Erekle participate, is the next segment of the theatrical and cultural performance. The finest wines from among the many varietals offered by the participating wineries will be chosen for the celebration. A unique blend known as “King Erekle Wine” will be made from carefully chosen wine varietals; it will come as a surprise to the participating and winning companies, the so-called “encouragement,” as it will be widely publicized which company’s wine was used to create “King Erekle’s wine.”
Wine-producing firms will showcase their products from 12:00 to 18:00 on the celebration day. There is no limit on the number of participants. Folk groups will add to the festivities with traditional Kakhuri polyphonic tunes and kafis throughout the day.
Attendees of the event will partake in each of the following:
They will sample the wine produced by farmers and businesses.
They will sample Kakhuri cuisine in appreciation of Kakhuri hospitality.
They will learn about the customs surrounding Georgian wine and the well-known relationship between the peasant and royal court representatives.
They will take part in the blend’s creation.
During the occasion, a special jury made up of experts in the industry and certified sommeliers will deliberate. The jury’s verdict and the award will be made public at the conclusion of the event.
The event’s theatrical costume performance will feature representatives of Georgian art and culture.
