Wine & Spirits - June 2019 - 37

property Gharibian proposed to plant, Antonini looked at
the piles of limestone and volcanic rock, considered the
extreme elevation and climate, the absence of phylloxera
(90 percent of Armenian vineyards are still own-rooted) and
the perfectly adapted local grapes, and flatly declared, "It
would be impossible not to make great wine from this site."
Gharibian called in University of Milan professor Attilio
Scienza to conduct detailed soil studies, and then planted
the first vines, mostly areni, in 2000. After a decade of
experimentation, Gharibian released his first wines under
the Zorah label, the 2012 vintage. "I've made several mistakes along the way," Gharibian says without embarrassment, pointing to one failed plot of high-density bushtrained areni.
But his efforts have paid off. Zorah's Yeraz, a pure areni
sourced from century-old vines is silky and perfumed, reminiscent of elegant nebbiolo; the floral and honeyed Voski,
a blend of voskehat and garan demak, could pass for one
of the Douro's finest high-elevation whites.
Gharibian has also been instrumental in reviving the
near-extinct use of karas. His areni noir Karasì (meaning
"from karas") is fermented in concrete vats before moving
off its skins and into old karas. The results are lovely, preserving areni's delicate red-fruited perfume. Sadly, there
are no artisans left with the know-how to make karas so
Gharibian had to scavenge nearby villages to assemble a
collection of pots from the early 20th century, or before, to
put to use. Meanwhile, Gharibian's wife, a potter, has plans
to open a school on the property to research and revive the
art of karas-making.
Gharibian plans to keep his wine production small,
at around 100,000 bottles, but another member of the
Armenian diaspora, the Argentina-born billionaire Edoardo Eurnekian, whose great-grandparents fled the Ottoman expansion in the early 20th century, has implemented
much grander plans. Eurnekian owns several Armenian
banks as well as the airport in Yerevan, in addition to the
wineries Fin del Mundo and NQN in Patagonia.
Eurnekian bought land in Armenia in 2004, selecting a
site between Mount Ararat to the south and Mount Aragats to the north in Armavir region, an hour's drive west
of the capital through the Ararat Valley, in the opposite
direction of Gharibian's project. His initial intention was to
produce only brandy, and though the region is less extreme
than Vayots Dzor, it still took two years of clearing basalt
boulders before vines could be planted. He now has some
1,000 acres of varieties such as ugni blanc, folle blanche,
rkatsiteli and kangun, a Soviet-era crossing of chardonnay
and rkatsiteli, among others.
Yet the potential to make quality wine soon became
apparent, and, coupled with the changing market, convinced him to shift his strategy. Eurnekian has slowly converted his vineyards to wine production, now more than
half his total acreage. And he brought in consultant Michel
Rolland to help his Argentine winegrowing team launch
Tierras de Armenia, trading under the brand name Karas.
The team found themselves surprisingly at home in this
rugged country. The almost desert-like conditions make
irrigation essential, as it is in Argentina, while poplar trees
line vineyards to block fierce winds, as they do in Patagonia. High elevations-most Armenian vineyards range

ZORIK GHARIBIAN
REVIVED THE USE OF
KARAS, ARMENIA'S
TRADITIONAL EARTHENWARE WINEMAKING
VESSELS, AT HIS WINERY IN VAYOTS DZOR

from 3,500 feet to over 5,000 feet-mean intense UV light
exposure during the day, followed by cold nights, which
help to retain acidity in the grapes. Hail, too, is a major
threat, as it is in Mendoza. Where conditions diverge is in
winter; it's so cold in most parts of Armenia that vines must
be buried to protect fruiting canes.
The Karas label focused initially on nonindigenous
grapes like syrah, malbec, cabernet franc, petit verdot and
tannat, along with obscure but sensible oddities like montepulciano and marzemino, making a contemporary range
of polished wines with wide appeal and friendly pricing.
Though here, too, indigenous varieties like sireni, along
with areni and voskehat, are slowly diverting attention.
Several other Armenian expats have joined the winemaking renaissance, including Armenian-American entrepreneur Armenak Aslanian at ArmAS Estate in Aragatsotn
Province, and Varuzhan Mouradian, in Ashtarak just outside of Yerevan. Locals have launched new brands as well,
including Voskeni, Old Bridge and the Armenian Wine Co.
There are now more than 40 commercial wineries. Wine
bars are also popping up across Yerevan and wine drinking
is on the rise as Armenians rediscover their country's deep
winemaking heritage. Stepping back in history again, into
the dark Areni-1 cave, one can't help but think that those
pioneering Copper Age vintners would be just as excited as
we are by this region's future. n
WINE & SPIRITS

JUNE 2019

Wine & Spirits - June 2019

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