Grapes, Song, and Poetry

Besides all of the learning I have been doing inside the classroom at the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs, a fair amount of learning has also been accomplished outside of the classroom in Georgia. This past weekend we traveled to the Kakheti region of Georgia, near the border with Azerbaijan which is a large wine-making region within Georgia.

Wine is a part of Georgian culture. Recently they have found out that wine has been made within Georgia for over 8000 years, older than even Greek and Egyptian cultures. In battle during ancient times, Georgian soldiers would strap grapevines under their clothes so if they were killed in battle, grapes would grow where they had fallen. They also have a traditional, and unique, way of making wine here within huge clay pots. These pots are dug into the soil where the temperatures remain more stable and then sealed with the grapes inside so all of the fermentation takes place naturally. Georgia used to export a large portion of its wine through Russia, but after Russia stopped buying Georgian wine in 2008-2009 after the war the industry suffered a setback. If anyone wants to try some Georgian wine I highly recommend the Mukuzani and Saparavi!

I believe there is one important part of the culture I have neglected to share with you all as well, and that is of the Tamada. The Tamada is the autocratic ruler of the table. He gives the toasts, can appoint other toasters, and is also able to tell you when you may dance or sing. We have so far only had democratic Tamada's, but as we have had more Georgian supra's we learn more and more about the Tamada's powers. Within Georgian supra's there are many, many toasts. Toasts to love, friendship, memories, those we have lost, Georgia, the food...etc., etc., etc. As tradition dictates, after a toast is made, others can add to the toast but only within that topic and you must not drink until everyone at the table has had their say, those that do drink must put their glass down and not participate in that toast anymore. Even after the toast is finished, the topic of conversation is supposed to only be on what the toast's topic was.

We capped our first weekend out into broader Georgia off with a visit to the great walled city of Signaghi. The government is looking to make this small village a top tourist attraction, and it is certainly one of the most beautiful villages we have seen on this trip. The main city is built on top of a hill with villages spread out underneath it. In ancient times when invaders would come all of the villagers would come behind the wall. To this day it remains the one village in Georgia that has never been captured by an invading force.

Georgia has also been famous for its many poets and authors. We learned of one this past weekend, Shota Rustaveli, who wrote the Knight in Panther's Skin. I will end this blog with a quote from him: 


"“That which we give makes us richer, that which is hoarded is lost” 
― Shota Rustaveli, The Knight in the Panther's Skin, 12th Century Georgian Poet