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“Georgian wine meets with approval at international festival”

Akhali Taoba reports that Georgian wine was presented at an international wine and culinary festival held in the northern Italian city of Merano, meeting with great reception from critics and journalists.

Along with Georgian winemakers, government officials including governors and the deputy agriculture minister were in tow.

Italian official Luis Durnwalder hosted the Georgian delegation, and promised to help the country join the Assembly of European Wine-producing Regions.

Georgian wine will receive a major boost on the world market after the country joins the organization, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food says.



“Acting president meets with diplomatic corps”

Acting president Nino Burjanadze met with foreign diplomats on December 19, Rezonansi reports.

Burjanadze’s chief of staff told journalists that the acting president discussed the upcoming presidential election, and requested other countries to send as many election observers as possible.



“Ana Kalandadze owns a gold card”

Renowned Georgian poet Ana Kalandadze, Akhali Taoba writes, celebrated her 83rd birthday on December 19.

The Kalasi business center threw a bash for her, inviting local musicians and dancers.

Fans, friends and relatives watched as Georgian actors recited Kalandadze’s best poems, and the Bank of Georgia presented her with a personalized gold card.

“Ana Kalandadze’s poems are extremely interesting, warm and full of love. And we hope that she will carry on this way and give us more nice poems,” event attendees told the newspaper.



“Incumbent Saakashvili met with voters in Kobuleti”

Mikheil Saakashvili met wit the voters in the Adjaran town of Kobuleti region on December 19, Rezonansi reports.

Despite acclimate weather, the paper writes, many supporters gathered to meet with Saakashvili in the town center.

The candidate presented his campaign platform, and promised to renovate the entire Black Sea coastline.

Saakashvili, on a two-day visit to Adjara, visited mountainous regions including Khulo, Shuekhevi and Khelvachauri; his next stop is the province of Guria.



“Tennis player Ana Chakveradze robbed”

Sakartvelos Respublika reports that Ana Chakvetadze, a Russian tennis player with Georgian roots, was robbed on December 19 in the suburbs of Moscow.

According to Russian authorities, at four in the morning six masked robbers attacked her family in their home. They threatened Chakvetadze and her parents, tied them up, and stole jewelry and cash worth approximately USD 320 000.

Russian police say the robbers probably knew in advance there would be a lot of cash in the house.

This year, the 20-year-old Chakvertadze earned an estimated USD 1.5 million in tennis tournaments, the newspaper writes, making her the 50th richest tennis player in the world.

An investigation is underway.