Happy Armenian National Wine Day

With everything else that's going on in the world, it's easy to forget that today is National Wine Day in Armenia. Armenia, of course, is home to a 6,000-year-old archeological site that has been described as the world's oldest wine-making facility, so the country is no stranger to the joys of wine drinking. 

The increased demand for wine prompted major brandy companies to start developing wine production and obtain new and modern equipment; as a result grape prices rose from about 32 cents per kilo, to about 35-45 cents.

Harutyunyan says, however, that the price increase led some villagers to take grapes to processing before the grape was ready.

“Cognac production has always harmed the development of wine-making in Armenia. Cognac requires vine grapes with 17-19 percent of sugar [of its total nutritious value], which ripen up in Ararat Valley from September 10. Meanwhile, wine needs 22-23-percent sugar containing grape and that level of sweetness cannot be reached unless grapes are left to ripen till October 5-10, however, villagers don’t wait until the due time,” Harutyunyan says, hoping that the problem will gradually be solved as brandy companies start producing high-quality wine.

In another article, though, Harutyunyan is found lamenting the lack of local demand for Armenian wine:

“Winemakers can produce high-quality wines, but don’t do it because local consumers don’t demand,” he said adding that they instead send a good wine outside and sell it in other countries.
Armenians are increasingly shifting their preference from wine to vodka.

“We have lost our wine production tradition and transformed from a wine-consuming country into a vodka-consuming country,” Harutyunyan said.

That said, there are efforts underway to keep the Armenian wine industry from being pushed aside in favor of vodka. As Armenia News reported in late October:

Along the lines of his working visit to Aragatsotn Region, Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan on Friday paid a visit to the Armenia Wine Factory, in Sasunik community.

He toured the Factory and also participated in the groundbreaking ceremony of its aging cellar, Presidential Press Office informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The President was informed that construction of the Factory, which occupies a 5-hectare area, began in 2008. According to the business plan, construction will continue for seven more years, and, aside from production facilities, the area will also include a tourism center, national workshops, and a museum of winemaking.

It was noted that Armenia Wine Company aims to restore the winemaking traditions in Armenia.

Now that's something all Armenians can drink to.