Azerbaijan unveils plans for new wine route to attract Western tourists

Azerbaijan has announced plans to create the country’s first official wine route in an attempt to lure more Western visitors to the former Soviet state.  

Working in tandem with the Council for Europe, the country is working on the creation of an “Iter Vitis” wine route, which will celebrate Azerbaijan’s unique cultural heritage.   The route will highlight the Caucasus’ historic winegrowing culture, starting in the Krasnodar region of Russia, which is home of the sparkling winbe brand Abrau Durso, and then on to Azerbaijan and ending up in Georgia.  

“Currently, there are more than 15 wineries in the country. In Azerbaijan, this route starts in Baku and covers Shamakhi, Ismayilli, Gabala, Shaki, Ganja and Tovuz cities,” Sharifa Hasanova, head of sector at the State Tourism Agency, told Trend. “In connection with the implementation of the Iter Vitis Caucasus route, negotiations are underway with Georgia. We have prepared our proposals, and after Georgia prepares its proposals, a single version will be presented.

“This is an innovation for the Caucasus, since there are no unified routes in the region yet. Common cultural routes are proposed covering Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia, but such a thematic route hasn’t been developed before,” she added. Azerbaijan has been producing wine for centuries, and its vineyards are mainly centred at the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains and in the lowlands surrounding the Kura River.

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