Discovering the wines of Armenia: unforgettable experience for Ukrainian winemakers and vine growers.

Wine people all over the world speak the same language, the universal language of winemaking. The Wine Travel Awards team is extremely glad to witness how our winners and participants communicate, cooperate, and exchange experience. 

Vine and Wine Foundation of Armenia, the WTA 2021-2022 winner in the “Ambassador of the year” category, in collaboration with the International Trade Center (ITC) and the Ukrainian Association of Horticulturalists, Winegrowers and Winemakers organized a study visit to Armenia for the Ukrainian team, which included Ukrainian winemakers and representatives of the wine industry. The guests visited the Gevorgyan winery, Voskevaz, Tushpa, Trinity, Karas, Armenia Wine wineries, as well as the EVN wine academy. An unforgettable experience for the Ukrainian guests was also a visit to the oldest winery in the world – the Areni-1 karst cave. The Ukrainian team visited the Gevorgyan winer factory, Voskevaz, Tushpa, Trinity, Karas, Armenia Wine wineries, as well as the EVN Wine Academy. A visit to the oldest winery in the world – the Areni-1 karst cave, was also an unforgettable experience for the Ukrainian guests.

Irina Bystritskaya, the WTA Jury Member, International wine consultant, Deputy Director of the National Vine and Wine Office of Moldova in 2017-2021, shared her impressions of this trip on Facebook: 

“One can get a full impression of Armenian winemaking only when visiting the country, the opportunity which I had thanks to the Vine and Wine Foundation of Armenia and the International Trade Center project. “We do not have much land to grow international varieties, we cultivate our own indigenous ones, which we will sell dearly” is the philosophy of Armenian winemakers today. 15 thousand hectares of vineyards, more than 100 active producers, more than 350 indigenous varieties of which about 25 are actively grown: Sev Areni, Voskehat, Kangoun, Lalvari … international varieties make less than 10% of total wine production. The program included tasting wines from 140-year-old vines, aged in karas (Armenian earthenware jars), and Kakhani wines from raisined grapes… We also visited the main wine-growing regions of the country: Armavir, Ararat, Aragatsotn, Tavoush, Vayots Dzor.”

The trip was a huge success! And we do hope that, soon after the Victory of Ukraine, Ukrainian winemakers will welcome their colleagues from Armenia and other countries.