Wines of Armenia #33
A virtual “Ambassador” of Armenian Wines in EU
As part of the activities aimed at visibility and promotion of Armenian wines in the European market, GIZ in cooperation with Vine and Wine Foundation of Armenia and ACBA Federation initiated “Wines of Armenia: EU Logistics Hub” project, comprised of 3 components:
- an online e-commerce platform for direct sales of Armenian wines in Europe – www.winesofarmenia.store
- a single warehouse where all the wines presented in the platform will be stored – based in Berlin.
- a service centre for providing information and guidance on Armenian wines, how to get them, at what prices etc.
Quality – a key value presented on the platform
The creativity and innovativeness of the platform is that being a public-private cooperation result, it does not showcase random wines; the selection of wines doesn’t depend on the will of any importer, either. The key principle underlying the selection process is the quality assured through a blind-tasting contest organized by the state and supported by GIZ. Thus, all the producers meeting the quality standards, irrespective of their volumes of production and sizes can be represented on the platform and thus be sold throughout Europe.
How www.winesofarmenia.store helps tackle the pandemic consequences for winemaking and wine travel?
The online platform and single warehouse address several issues for especially small and medium-sized Armenian wine producing companies:
- www.winesofarmenia.store enables small and medium-sized producers to sell their products online in new markets which is almost vital in times of the pandemic, given the limited market opportunities and decreased tourist flow in Armenia.
- The platform gives an excellent opportunity for those wine companies having no representation in Europe to sell their wines to the market. Because of small volumes of production, it is often difficult for Armenian companies to find partners willing to import their wines into the given market.
- It encourages tourists visiting Armenia and trying Armenian wines to buy them in their home countries in Europe through the platform. This will indeed enhance visibility of Wines of Armenia brand outside of Armenia’s borders making the platform a unique Ambassador of Armenian wines in EU.
- The platform gives comprehensive information about Armenian winemaking and wine industry attracting potential tourists and wine lovers to the country, rich in tradition and currently seeing a revival of winemaking.
- Through the single warehouse the small companies optimise their transportation/logistics costs in Europe (e.g., while taking part in international competitions, expos). Based in Berlin, Germany, the warehouse gives Armenian wine producers a chance to transport their wines throughout Europe in a more accessible and affordable way, thus saving their time and resources.
