A journey of gastronomy and art at the Çal Grape Harvest Festival

News: Sercan Meriç

The 28th Çal Grape Harvest Culture and Art Festival, held for the first time on an international scale in the Çal district of Denizli, has concluded. In addition to Jurgis Vilcinska, Deputy Head of the European Union Delegation to Turkey, numerous guests from the worlds of journalism, acting, fashion, and television attended the program.

The program began in the morning with the “Grape Harvest: Respect for Nature’s Cycle” event, where participants joined the harvest by cutting grapes with baskets and received information about grape production and winemaking.

The “Shared Cultural Heritage” photography exhibition, organized by the European Union Delegation to Turkey, was one of the festival's special events. Following the exhibition, participants had the opportunity to visit the Kuzubağ Winery and examine the production processes on-site. At noon, visitors were shown pottery making during the “Craft Route – Meeting with Earth” workshops held at the Küp Workshop.

ÇAL'S LOCAL FLAVORS

The cultural stands opened within the scope of the festival attracted great interest. Guests had the chance to get to know the region's cultural diversity up close at the stands, where many products ranging from handmade jewelry to paintings were exhibited. In the areas where food specific to the Çal region was served, guests experienced the richness of the local cuisine.

MUSIC AND NATURE TOGETHER

In the afternoon, a presentation on the Çal Vineyard Route and a wine tasting were held at Lermonos. While the exhibition area opened at the historic Selcen Winery hosted art lovers, a dinner invitation accompanied by wine held at the Erdel Winery increased the festival's enthusiasm. Denizli Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Bülent Nuri Çavuşoğlu and Denizli Chamber of Industry President Selim Kasapoğlu also attended the dinner, and the day's finale took place at Kuzubağ. The Uğur Güneş Quartet and Sibel Köse took the stage at the concert held under the title “Cultural Heritage Meeting.”

Denizli Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Bülent Nuri Çavuşoğlu touched upon the importance of the Çal district, stating, "We were very happy to host our guests in our city. We achieved a beautiful union together. I would like to thank all our businesses that put in the effort during the 'Vineyard Route' process. We believe that Çal can become a world-class brand. Both as our Çal Municipality and the Denizli Metropolitan Municipality, we will further develop this journey."