Chinese Agriculture Minister enjoys Georgian wine tour
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The Agriculture Minister of the People’s Republic of China, Han Changfu, spent an enjoyable day delighting his taste buds in Georgia’s famous wine region Kakheti during his official visit to Georgia.
Changfu arrived in Georgia yesterday to meet Georgia’s Agriculture Minister Otar Danelia and discuss a joint agricultural project.
Today Changfu and a Chinese delegation visited the Alaverdi Monastery complex where they visited a wine cellar and saw beekeeping activities.
Monastery Wine is a millennium brand of the Alaverdi Monastery Cellar made by the Alaverdi Monastery congregate in an 11th century cellar. The wine is produced by an endemic variety of Kakhetian vine in unique clay vessel – qvevri – that is traditional to Georgia. The Alaverdi Royal Monastery is historically known for its qvevris and cellar.
The guests also visited the facility that produced Badagoni wine and the Gvirabi tourist complex.
Additionally, the Chinese guests visited a local farming family in Tsinandali village. There, Changfu saw a 135-year-old grape vine that has been growing in this family.
The local family offered the Chinese Agriculture Minister a taste of their homemade Georgian wine, which he sampled from a traditional Georgian drinking horn vessel.
Acording to the latest data revealed by the Georgia's National Wine Agency, from January to April 2015, China also experienced an 87 percent increase in its import of Georgian wine.
In recent times Georgia has made an effort to penetrate the Asian wine market, and results were now becoming evident, said the Agency. This could further be backed up as exports of Georgian wine increased by 9 percent to Japan so far this year.
More Georgian wine is continuing to be exported to foreign countries and enjoyed by people all over the world.
Georgia and China stand at the beginning of a new stage of relations where agriculture is the focus.
One of the biggest importers in China’s Xinjiang province is planning to import half a million bottles of Georgian wine – a threefold increase on its current quota, announced Georgia’s National Wine Agency.
After successfully delighting taste buds all over Europe, Georgian wine is continuing to make an impression around the world. Next destination – Asia.
China has donated modern irrigation equipment worth more than $10 million USD to Georgia. A total of 245 pieces of equipment, including excavators, trucks, bulldozers, concrete mixers, off-road vehicles, tractors and more, were named on a list that was granted to Georgia’s Agriculture Ministry yesterday.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing significant financial support to new agricultural projects in Georgia with the aim of stimulating the country’s agricultural sector.
Georgia and China are intensifying their trade and economic relations. With this goal in mind, a Chinese delegation has come to Georgia. Leading the group is Chen Changzhi, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China’s top legislative body.