Armenia has the taste of the sweetest grapes and the aroma of aged wine. The winds of mountains, spreading the aroma around the world, have taken us to a very special place, the Voskevaz Winery that has both the smell of vineyards and the taste of the best wine selection. When you just step onto the territory of the winery, for a moment, you forget where you have come. The castle-like building looks like a movie set, and we are walking about the boulevard with our hats and fans. Soon you return to reality seeing the counters of wine bottles. “In vino veritas” or not, we decided to find it out with Meri Oganesyan, head of the marketing department of Voskevaz winery.
“Any great story starts with prehistory. Our story started back in 1997 when my father came back to Armenia from Moscow. For years, he was working in alcohol production. In the beginning, he owned three wineries but he decided to sacrifice the two others and concentrate all his efforts on the construction of the Voskevaz Winery in Voskevaz, the Aragatsotn region. At that time, he had the idea to produce quality Armenian wine instead of Jerez. Leaving behind the life in Russia, my father devoted himself to the mission, create the new brand of wine, settle winemaking, and make his mark on Armenian wine production”.
Armenia is known for its wine production and the selection of local wines. Every year we have new names and new brands. Yet, there is something special about Voskevaz winery and wines that brought us here today.
“The key distinctive feature of Voskevaz Winery is Armenian style in each sphere. For wincole production, we use endemic Armenian grapes varieties grown in several Armenian regions. We don’t use any imported products. We keep the authenticity of Armenian winemaking and, at the same time, having our contribution to the state economy. For wine aging, we use Armenian oak barrels brought from Artsakh Republic and Tavush region.
Breaking into a highly competitive market is usually difficult for any new business. We are looking for ways to build an effective business plan, get a devoted team, and establish a connection with the customers. But the most, the brand needs to have value and competitive advantage on the market. The significant advantage of the Voskevaz brand is the use of karas in wine production. Today, we use modern technologies and traditional old karases made in the 19th century. Karas is a traditional vessel for wine fermentation and aging that was used on the territory of Armenia from ancient times. We use this technology for our ‘’Voskevaz Karasi” premium wine collection production that makes them unique.
Voskevaz Winery is a family business where love and dedication are the main components of the work. Creating a close relationship with our customers and tourists is crucial for us.
We imagine winemaking merged with art. Everything you’ll see at the winery was designed so that our guests could feel this concept.
The brand’s collection includes different wines; young and aged wines, red and white, dry and semi-sweet. In other words, our winery is the perfect place where everyone will find here a corner and a glass of wine to chill”.
Indeed, we could find a place in Voskevaz, taste great wines, and enjoy the unique architecture of the winery.
“The story of the actual building is also the part of Voskevaz history. My father and my uncles decided to create an ethnic-tourist complex in the area of the winery. Jim Abrahamyan, my grandfather, started building the winery, then my uncles started to visualize the winery’s architecture and design. The eldest, Gagik Oganesyan, is an artist, designer, and the author of all the sculptures of the buildings. Every single detail on the walls is handmade. He works with cement without using any forms and spends about 6 hours per sculpture. The winery has plenty of metal details and woodcarvings made by my uncle Armen Oganesyan, a Moscow-based jeweler. When I say family business, I mean every person in a family is deeply involved and has its contribution and love injected in these walls”.
In vino veritas, and wine is the future, at least for Voskevaz Winery.
What about the plans? Should we wait for new beginnings?
“Voskevaz Winery is a young company and still grows and develops. Like every young brand, we have a lot of plans for the future. We will keep the quality of our production, continue promoting the venue as a great place for different events, art master-classes, music festivals, etc.
The part of our buildings is still under construction. We consider creating a larger space to host events for about 400 people and guest rooms for the visitors. Moreover, we are about to finish our school for the village’s children, and we’ll welcome them very soon. They’ll have the opportunity to learn arts and craftsmanship.
Voskevas Winery is likely to remain a famous touristic complex and a successful wine brand within the country and abroad”.
Our short yet exciting winey trip has come to an end. We hope to see the Voskevaz brand’s name on other venues as a valuable asset in the touristic life and culture of the country.
Contact Information
Tel. +374 10 202 006
