ARMENIAN WINES FOR TASTING AND SALE IN MILWAUKEE

By David Luhrssen

On Sunday, Oct. 27,  2024, Victoria Aslanian from ArmAs Estate gave a presentation and a wine tasting at St. John the Baptist Armenian Church in suburban Milwaukee. ArmAs Estate has become a leader in Armenia’s “wine renaissance,” earning some 50 awards worldwide including gold and silver medals at the Mundus Vini wine festival in Germany, silver and bronze at London’s Decanter World Wine Awards and silver and bronze at the Vyno Dienos International Wine Competition in Lithuania. ArmAs has been favorably mentioned in publications ranging from Wine Enthusiast to Forbes and Foreign Affairs.

When her father founded the winery in 2007, the land it now occupies was “400 hectares where nothing existed,” she said. There were no roads, no irrigation ditches, not even running water or electricity. However, she added, the land has excellent terroir, a splendid natural environment for growing wine-producing grapes. 

Although Armenia is located far from southern France and other familiar wine-producing regions, it lies along what Aslanian called “the magic line—the 45th parallel,” an ideal climate zone with cold winters and warm summers. The republic’s volcanic soil is also exceptional for growing grapes and the region has an abundance of sunny days.

During the Soviet period, Georgia was designated as the USSR’s wine producing republic and Armenia was given responsibility for brandy, which became one of the Soviet Union’s luxury exports. Armenia’s wine industry was largely ignored until after independence.

ArmAs grows native varieties of grapes, many of ancient origin. Adjacent to its vineyards are apricot, peach and plumb orchards, whose fruits contribute to the wine’s unique flavors. The ArmAs Estate is a walled complex complete with a tasting room and a boutique hotel for guests. “The goal was to become one of the region’s best wine destinations,” Aslanian said, with tours taking visitors “from grape to glass.”

When ArmAs began, “no market existed for Armenian wine. We created it,” Aslanian said. The winery’s line of a dozen varieties of red, white and rose, are available at Michelin five-star restaurants around the world and Total Wine outlets in California. She stressed her winery’s economic impact in agricultural development, job creation and tourism as part of the republic’s goal of transitioning from “aid to trade.”

Archeology as well as biblical narratives suggest that Armenia was the world’s original vineyard with wine production beginning as long ago as 6,100 years. The rise of Armenia’s wine industry is an example of “our nation’s resilience and capability in the face of many challenges,” Aslanian added.

The ArmAs wine tasting and sale was organized with the help of Armenia’s honorary consul in Chicago, Oscar Tatosian.