Georgia has already made a name for itself as a wine producer and the origin of winemaking. It is perhaps lesser known that its neighbour, Azerbaijan, also has a rich winemaking history and tradition and, after a tumultuous Soviet period, is increasing again its producing capacity, with some wineries adhering to the highest EU standards of organic manufacturing.
As one of the oldest cities in Azerbaijan, dating back to the 1st-2nd century AD, Shamakhi was an economic and administrative capital of Shirvan and one of the key towns on the Silk Road. Besides its outstanding cultural heritage, it is now one of the leading agricultural regions of Azerbaijan and the city has grown to be known as the capital of the country’s winemaking and grape production industry.
1. First EU-certified organic winery in Azerbaijan
Here, just 10 minutes outside the city, is Shirvan Wines, producing the first EU-certified organic wines in Azerbaijan under the brand name Meysari. A nod to the region’s rich winemaking history, the name comes from Arabic, mey meaning “tipsy” and ari “place”, fittingly making Meysari “the tipsy place”.
Shirvan Wines only planted their first vines in 2014, with the first harvest the following year. The maiden 40 hectares of vineyard have grown into 200 hectares today, nestled within a 360-hectare complex, complete with a restaurant and soon to open 5-star hotel. In the best harvest year of 2020, they produced almost 2 million bottles, but that fell to only 600.000 last year.
As an organic producer, nothing is added to the grapes. There are no pesticides, no artificial fertilisers and not even an irrigation system, the crops relying solely on natural rainfall, which is thankfully sufficient. Even the manure used as fertiliser is certified organic, to ensure truly no additives touch the vines. Regular verifications sample the soil, fruits and plant stems to ensure their pristineness.
Thanks to advanced French equipment, only 9 people work in the factory year-round, but, during harvest season, between 150 and 200 day workers are hired to manually pick up the grapes. The fruits are not washed during production, to preserve the naturally occurring white yeast that grows on them that facilitates fermentation.
2. Developing wine tourism
Meysari has grown into more than just a factory, expanding into the hospitality industry to develop and promote wine tourism. A short stroll away from the production facility is the Abgora restaurant, offering a great selection of traditional and local food in a quaint setting, with little snug booths along a lake, as well as a bigger setting watching over the picturesque landscape.
A rustic style basement in the restaurant is where the winery tour comes to an end with the long-awaited tasting. Multiple packages are available, with a varying number of wines for try, all accompanied by snacks and platters to complement the aromas of the local produce. Throughout the tasting, a company representative explains how each of the wines is made and from what grapes and what the best pairings are, for example, olives go very well with white wine, as they reduce the intensity of the alcohol and balance out any bitter flavours.
Prices for wine tastings vary from the standard 25 manat, (€13) which includes 3 bottles – a red, a white and a rose – to 80 manat (€42) for the Vintaj package, which offers 6 wines for tasting. However, if you would prefer to try the wines at your own pace by the lake, they are, of course, available on Abgora’s menu, and you can opt for just the 15 manat (€8) vineyard and winery tour instead, without the tasting.
