Country eager to open wine houses in China
By Sara Israfilbayova
It is planned to open wine houses of Azerbaijan in Shanghai, Beijing and other cities of China with the purpose of development and encouragement of national winemaking.
Azerbaijani Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev made the remarks at a meeting with members of the Azerbaijan Wine Producers and Exporters Association, supported by the Ministry of Economy and organized by the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO) on July 9.
Within the framework of the export promotion mechanism, about 45 percent of budgetary payments fell to the share of producers of wine and other alcoholic beverages.
The minister noted that members of the Association to promote products under the “Made in Azerbaijan” brand, participated in seven international exhibitions as a single national stand. In addition, the products of Azerbaijani winemakers are opened in the Trade Houses of Azerbaijan in Belarus, Ukraine and Latvia.
In 2017, Azerbaijan produced more than one million decaliters of wine, 375,000 decaliters of which were exported. The main directions of sales of Azerbaijani wine are Russia and China, where 338,000 and 27,000 decalitres were delivered respectively.
Last year, the export of Azerbaijani wine products brought to the country $6 million (which is more than twice as high as in 2016) of them $1 million was delivered to China.
Following the results of five months of 2018, the export of Azerbaijani wine increased by 80 percent.
The implementation of the State Program on the development of winemaking provides for an increase in the export of Azerbaijani wine fivefold to 2025.
Viticulture in Azerbaijan has an ancient history. The proof of this is that during the archaeological excavations conducted in Aghstafa region of Azerbaijan in 1962, grape seeds were found. Archaeological finds in Uzerliktepe, Kultepe and Gazakh evidence to the ancient culture of winemaking, which is going back to the end of the III millennium BC.
In the 1980s the State Committee for Viticulture of Azerbaijan occupied the first place in the USSR, outstripping the oil industry.
Winemaking is one of the profitable and historical spheres of the agro-industry. About 210 wineries operated in Azerbaijan in the 1980s, while over 151,000 workers and specialists worked in the winemaking system.
On the territory of Azerbaijan, both white and red wines are produced. In particular, most wines are produced at the Khachmaz factory. Hence the best white, red and pink wines are exported to Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States, Poland, France, Spain, Turkey and China.
Among the most famous varieties used in wine production are Kishmish, Bendi, Gamashara, Gizili, Marandi, White Shani, Aligote, Sauvignon, Muscat, Pinot, Riesling and others. In total, the state grows more than 450 varieties of grapevine.
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Sara Israfilbayova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Sara_999Is
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