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Fanti

WINERY

In the heart of Tuscany, south of Montalcino, lies the Castelnuovo del Abbate Valley, adorned with the magnificent Abbey of St. Antim. Here, from the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Fanti family continues its agricultural tradition, today represented by the tenacity and devotion of Philip and Eliza Fanti.

Manor Fanti covers about 300 hectares of land, of which 50 are specialized for vineyards, 100 hectares of olive plantations with more than 8500 olive trees, 100 hectares of arable land and 50 hectares of forest.

All land is located along the hills that extend from Montalcino down to Castelnuovo del Abbate, at an altitude of 150 to 430 meters above sea level. The soils are rich in texture, originating from weathered rocks of marl and limestone. From the beginning of the 70s, Filippo Fanti began to plant vines and currently the estate’s vineyards reach 50 hectares.

Sangiovese is the basis of all the wines of the Mansion Fanti and occupies about 80% of the entire area allocated for vineyards (40 hectares). The variety of grapes in the vineyards over the years has been expanded by other Tuscan varieties (Trebbiano, Malvasia, Vermentino), as well as some international varieties (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Viognier). In 2005, the construction of a new winery located in the center of the estate and partially completed in the basement was completed to reduce the visual impact on aesthetics. It studied new technologies for the selection of varieties and winemaking in order to comply with the primary characteristics of grapes, which are emphasized by careful selection of wood for ripening and a significant period of aging in a bottle.

Chateau L’Oasis

Chateau Monto belongs to the Ravel family. The family winery was founded in 1964 when the family decided to return from Algeria to France. Over time the Ravel family managed to create a promising and small farm of 300 hectares, and become one of the key players in the Provence region. Chateau L’Oasis is their small pink kosher wine project, which is produced in the amount of 3500 bottles per year.

Chateau La Freynelle

The vineyards of the Chateau La Fresnel are located in the heart of the Antres-des-Mer zone, the “interfluve” of the Bordeaux region. Since 1789, the traditions of this farm have been carefully kept in the Barthe family and handed down from father to son for six generations. However, recently, for the first time in the history of the Chateau, the management of the castle passed into the hands of women. Veronique Barthe, the first daughter in the Bart family, inherited the castle a few years ago.

L’Ormarine

The history of the Ormarine wine cellar begins in 1922, when wine growers from Pinet gathered in a spirit of solidarity and created an association of winegrowers. However, the originality of the Omarin terroir dates back to about 2000 years.

Chateau de la Mulonniere

Chateau de la Mulonniere is located 25 km from Angers in Beaulieu-sur-Lyon, a village famous for its sweet wines of Coto du Layon. Château de la Moulonier is a historic winery in the Loire Valley, where excellent wines have been produced since 1860. Acquired by the Saget family in 2002, the chateau boasts an exceptional terroir in the most prestigious Apellasion of the Anjou region.

Chateau De Melin

In 2000, Arno Derat, an engineer by training, decided to go into winemaking after a 10-year career in the construction business. To do this, he and his wife Helen acquired the Chateau de Melen, located in the city of Oxy Duresse. Currently, the Chateau de Melen manages 25 hectares of vineyards and produces 22 types of wines: 20 in the Côte de Beaune and 2 in the areas of Côte de Nui. The process of vinification, aging and bottling of wine is carried out in the cellars in the Chateau. Since 2009, the vineyards have been completely converted to organic.

Bodegas del Medievo

VINEYARD

The main objective of the Bodegas del Medievo winery is the production of high quality wines. For this reason the area of ​​its own vineyards is 150 hectares. Cultivated varieties are: 70% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha, 10% Graciano and 10% Matsuelo. Vineyards are located in the highest region of Aldeanueva de Ebro, at an altitude of 500 m above sea level. The soil in this zone is calcareous-clay, it is poor in organic matter and precipitation is quite rare. This climate and soil are optimal conditions for growing grapes.

WINERY

The production halls are equipped with the latest technology, so that the brilliance of stainless steel dominates the halls of grape processing. The Crianza halls, by contrast, are filled with new barrels (80% American oak and 20% French oak), which give the wine a special smoked and spicy aroma.

TEAM

The Bodegas del Medievo winery is located in Aldeanueva de Ebro in the Rioja region. The winery was founded by a group of farmers and marketers in order to optimize the quality and further sale of their wines. The municipality of Aldeanueva de Ebro is located 50 km from the city of Logrono, the capital of the wine-making Rioja.

Langenwalter

Langenwalter is a family-owned winery and is highly respected in the Palatinate region. It has a long tradition, leading its history from the XVII century. Langenwalter is very careful about nature and the environment. It does not use any kind of chemicals and pesticides to fertilize grapes. Thus, providing wine is not only of excellent quality in terms of taste, but also a product that does not harm your health.

Agricolle Gussalli Beretta

Castello di Radda was acquired by the Beretta family (the very famous«Beretta», which has been producing weapons for more than 500 years) in 2003 in order to increase their interest in the wine sector. The Beretta family restored 45 hectares of vineyards and completed the construction of a large cellar carved into the rock completely underground, according to the project of the architect Spartako Mori.

Stone facades, a stylish tasting room in a modern Italian style, elegant gardens, a Florentine gazebo and a large veranda receive visitors in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

Azienda Agricola Castello di Radda is located on the eastern hills facing the city of Radda in Chianti, in the Castello di Volpaya area. The vineyards are located from southwest to southeast with clay and limestone soils of medium texture, with a good structure, especially suitable for growing Sangiovese and Kanayolo.

 

Orlandi Contucci Ponno was acquired by the Beretta family in 2000 in order to increase their interest in the wine sector. The Beretta family acquired 55 hectares of vineyards and made quite a few renovations in production, while leaving the wine style unchanged, which initially conquered them.

Orlandi Contucci Ponno is located in the Abruzzo region, on the foothills of the Womano River Valley, about 2 km from the Adriatic Sea and less than 20 km from the Gran Sasso mountain range. This place has a privileged climate due to the action of the sea and the temperate climate of the mountains, which soften the heat of summer nights, thereby ensuring a regular and continuous vegetation cycle, necessary for the development of organoleptic properties of grapes.

Poggio Verrano

 

Poggio Verrano – the founder of which is the hereditary winemaker Francesco Boll. His great-grandfather founded the Boll winery in Abel, his grandfather – Alberto Boll – created the first ever Amarone wine, his father owned the Fratelli Boll winery. In 2000, Francesco Bolla decides to create his own project – the winery of Poggio Verrano in Tuscany, to create red wines that are a reflection of the beautiful terroir under the name Maremma Tuscany. For this, Francesco acquired 27 hectares of land in the Maremma region, built a winery and cellars. Vineyards are wisely integrated into the surrounding landscape; grape varieties planted here are a thoughtful mixture of indigenous and international varieties: Sangiovese and Alicante, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. A modern and functional winery built underground and covered in vines.

The wine labels from Poggio Verrano depict an old Etruscan symbol – a triangular pendant with wings and a bust of a bird, as a tribute to the ancient culture and admiration for Etruscan civilization, which was present in Tuscany and Marrem around 500 BC. and had a strong influence on the region. Near Poggio Verrano, archaeological sites of the Etruscans were even preserved.

 

Bellafonte

Despite his youth, Tenuta Bellafonte is called one of the most prospective and promising wineries in Montefalco.

Its history began in 2007, when Peter Heilbronn decided to escape from the frenzied rhythm of the north Italian metropolis into green Umbria and found a site of stunning beauty in the municipality of Bevagna, surrounded by a forest.

Picturesque vineyards lie on the hills at an altitude of 260 to 320 meters above sea level. Their area is 11 hectares, of which 7 hectares belongs to sagrantino – the main variety in Montefalco and 4 hectares are in the Trebbiano Spoletino.

Pirovano

CA’del Colle

The Euganean tribes, after whom the hills later got their name, lived here in the Veneto region, even before the arrival of the Romans. They left behind various objects related to the consumption of wine. The oldest of them date back to the 7th – 6th centuries BC.

The Evganey Hills has a rich winemaking heritage regarding varieties and styles of wines. Among all local and international varieties, only one occupies a privileged position, this is Moscato Jallo. In 2010, he received his own DOCG zone Colli Euganei Fior d’Arancio.

Fior d’Arancio translates as an orange tree flower – as local winemakers call Moscato Jallo. This grape has been growing in this area for centuries. It is generally accepted that Moscato Jallo was brought by the Venetian merchants from the Middle East in the 13th century. The Evganey hills proved to be a suitable terroir for fragrant Moscato. Grapes are cultivated on volcanic vapors, and a large temperature difference between day and night allows it to better accumulate aromatic substances.

Altavia

 

Vineyards of Altavia are located in the Liguria region, the Dolchakva subregion and cover an area of ​​about 5 hectares, located at an altitude of 400 meters above sea level near the Alps in the Maritime Region and protected from cold northern winds. The growing method uses the Alberello grapevine tying system, commonly used to grow Rossese, a local grape variety that is particularly suitable for calcareous and rocky soils. Annual production is about 40 000 bottles of wine. Federico Kurtaz is responsible for the agronomic and winemaking aspects. Vinification takes place in steel and oak barrels. Cultivated grape varieties: Rossese, Vermentino, Syrah, Carignano, Turiga, as well as white varieties Viognier and Vermentino.

Manuelina

Winery Manuelina is located in the city of Santa Maria della Versa in the heart of the wine region of Oltrepo Pavese, Lombardy. The history of the winery dates back to the first half of the 20th century, when Luigi Achilli and his brother Guido decided to produce wine not only for their family and friends, but also for commercial purposes. The success was not long in coming, and many people from the city came to the winery on weekends to buy Akhilli wines, mainly in bulk.

Recently, the winery changed its name from Achilli Luigi to Azienda Agricola Manuelina, so as not to confuse it with other Achilli wineries present in the Santa Maria della Versa area. The winery decided to choose a simple name associated with the family (Manuela is one of Paolo’s daughters). Currently, Manuelina Winery owns about 22 hectares of vineyards.

Manuelina winery is equipped with stainless steel tanks with temperature control, its own bottling line and pneumatic press. Hand-picked grapes immediately go to the winery, which is located next to the vineyard. There grapes pass both manual selection and mechanical, because of the vibrating table. Further, the grapes are pressed because of the pneumatic press in a gentle mode. In the vineyard, the use of chemical fertilizers is extremely small and insignificant. Mainly used organic fertilizer from last year’s foliage and waste cake.

Fattoria di Calappiano

ABOUT THE MANUFACTURER

Fattoria di Calappiano, in Vinci, the territory of Montalbano, represents the historical and architectural heritage of the de’Medici family in Florence. Built around 1500, commissioned by Grand Duke Francesco de’Medichi, it was one of the first examples of a Tuscan farmhouse that grew grapes. The farmhouse was later transferred to A.H. Savage Landor, the grandson of Walter Savage Landor, Shakespeare’s biographer. Inside the house, old paintings, antique finds and memorabilia about his many travels to the East are still preserved. Today the farm belongs to the Sensi family.

WINERY

Calappiano House is located in the Montalbano wine region, between the provinces of Florence, Prato and Pistoia, in a continental climate moderated by the influence of the Mediterranean Sea. It was in these places that Leonardo da Vinci was born.

Currently, the farm covers an area of ​​about 200 hectares, including vineyards, forests, olive groves and is a natural habitat for the local wildlife, as well as a smithy of excellence in the production of unique, both traditional and innovative wines.

Mijnaberd

ABOUT COMPANY

The name Mijnaberd is associated with a medieval fortress built in the 10th century under the Bagratuni dynasty and located in the village of Dashtadem, Talinsky district, Aragatsotn region of Armenia, at an altitude of 1450 meters above sea level. Translated from Armenian Mijnaberd – the middle castle or the citadel is a majestically preserved complex of semicircular towers and a church. The reason why they decided to name the company and their product “Citadel”, or “Mijnaberd” in Armenian, is the memory of the birthplace of the founders of the company where they were born and are familiar with children with the taste of local fruits, clean air and cold spring waters that flow down the mountain.

The initiator of the idea is co-owners of the company Gagik Avetisyan and Gevorg Khachatryan, financiers and economists by education who have worked in the banking sector since the beginning of the 90s. Now Gagik Avetisyan has completely devoted himself to business, and Gevorg Khachatryan to this day works by profession in one of the prestigious commercial banks of Armenia, holding the position of Deputy Executive Director. Blend master Karen Aghajanyan from 1994 to the present worked for leading manufacturers of cognac and vodka products in Armenia.

PRUDUCTION

The plant is located in Yerevan. Fruits are processed directly from the fields, bypassing any intermediate logistics links. All production cycles are carried out on the territory of the plant in the city of Yerevan. Fruits and berries are purchased in the regions of the Ararat valley – Armavir 800 – 1000 meters above sea level, and in the foothills of the Aragatsotn region 950-1500 meters above sea level, as well as in the Tavush region 800-1400 meters above sea level.

In the production of Mijnaberd distillates are used Charente type copper distillers.

MIJNABERD distillate production technology is based on multiple fractional distillation and represents the following stages:

The above process is a brief and generalized description of the technology, which does not describe all the features and nuances of production that make up its know-how.

Tushpa

VINEYARD

Vineyards occupy 10 hectares in the Ararat Valley. Altitude 800 meters. Nowadays in the vineyard, only white Kangun and red Haghtanak are fruitful. The age of the vines is about 15 years.

WINERY

The winery is located directly near the vineyard itself. There are two production buildings on the territory, one designed for the production of brandy, and the other for the production of wine. For the production of wine they are used Karasses (clay amphora), as well as oak barrels (Artsakh oak). But there you can also see steel temperature-controlled tanks and other new products of modern winemaking. A well dug right in the cellar copes with maintaining the optimal climate in the room.

TEAM

Tushpa is a traditional Armenian winery that has long been owned by the family. The winery is named after the historic city of Tushpa, now known as Van, where the ancestors of the winery come from. The winery is located in the heart of the Ararat Valley, 35 km west of the center of Yerevan, at the foot of the biblical Mount Ararat.

The head of the family Mihran Manaseryan has been engaged in winemaking since 1983. He served as the head of one of the wineries of the ARARAT Trust. The wines of the Tushpa brand were very popular and famous in Armenia, as well as abroad. At the beginning of the 21st century, the Manaseryan family decided to pay more attention to the production of brandy and eventually completely went into the production of Armenian Cognac. After 15 years, Tushpa returned to the wine market and was able to adequately remind herself of her amazing wines. Now Mihran Manaseryan is being helped by his sons Abraham, Karlen and daughter Ani. The eldest Son is engaged in the production of white wine, Karlen is promoting and selling, and Ani is responsible for tourism in the company.

Azimut

Klebniy Shtoff

Chkalovsk-Vancouver

Chkalovsk – Vancouver» vodka is a unique product in many ways.

The first is a tribute to the great feat of our famous pilots who created the great Russian and Soviet aviation, multiplied the glory of the country. «Chkalovsk – Vancouver» vodka released to the 80th anniversary of the great flight. The «Balsam» factory  is located in the town named after Chkalov – Chkalovsk, Nizhny Novgorod Region, a picturesque town on the great Russian river Volga. That is why the company considered important to salute our great compatriot with the release of such a product! The second is the approach to the production of such a special product.

To date «Chkalovsk-Vancouver» vodka  is produced from the best «Alfa» alcohol. It goes without saying that the production of such an exclusive product cannot be massive. This product is made only manually: from the most surprisingly soft and ultra-high-quality beverage inside, and unique manual design. The water for «Chkalovsk-Vancouver» vodka is used exclusively from its own artesian well. The main principle in the production of this vodka is thoroughness and unhurriedness. Slow water purification through multistage filters. Careful procedures of reusable quality control in the course of preparation.But there is one more peculiar moment in the production of vodka, to which few people pay attention even among well-known manufacturers – this is «vodka rest». According to state standards, after 2 hours of the last filtration of vodka, it can be poured. But if you do it this way, then vodka in the bottle after opening will really «beat on your nose» with some kind of pungent smell which, however, goes away in a few minutes.However, the taste may also seem intense. In an experiment, at the «Balsam» factory, the technology of  «vodka rest» was developed – after the last filtration stage, vodka was driven (by pumps) into pressure tanks that are on the floor above the bottling lines.And in these tanks vodka should stand quietly for 5-7 days. After that, it flows under gravity into the pour.The main point in all this is the absence of mechanically active influences (such as pumps) on vodka before closing it in bottles. The presence of such pressure compartments is not, in principle, regulated by state standards, but at «Balzam» factory a whole second floor is «dedicated» to them. Another important point that could adversely affect the taste of vodka is the so-called «mixing of spirits».With mass production of a vodka at any enterprise, such a factor is inevitable – alcohol comes from different suppliers all the time, the process of mass production does not tolerate interruptions, the alcohol residues from the previous delivery are mixed with a new one. According to state standards, this can be done, because alcohols from different deliveries, it would seem, are absolutely the same type. But in practice it often turns out that vodka made from such «intermediate» batches seems intense both in taste and smell. In the production of elite, and therefore low-circulation Vodka «Chkalovsk – Vancouver» is always strictly used only one delivery of alcohol from only one manufacturer. And it guarantees the highest quality!

Takri

 

New wine from Nagorno Karabakh «Takri», which is translated from Armenian as the roots of the vine. This is a new project of Vardan Sermakesh, founder of the famous watch brand «FRENK MULLER». Vineyards are at an altitude of 800-850 meters above sea level. The soil is mostly clay. Barrels are used exclusively from Artsakh oak. Takri 2014 Reserve and 2015 basic option, this is the first vintages. The project is new and is at the development stage.

Alluria

VINEYARD

The Alluria project has 5 hectares of land located at an altitude of about 900 meters above sea level in the Armavir region (Ararat plain) not far from the cathedral city of Etchmiadzin. The climate in this region, as well as throughout the Ararat plain, is quite tough, with a cold winter, during which there are prolonged frosts. Vineyards in the region, as a rule, are sheltered to protect them from cold weather. Another difference of the region is low humidity and irrigation viticulture. The soils in the vineyards are sandy-argillaceous. The vineyard of the project is laid on one hectare, 4 more are being prepared for planting. The first vintages of Alluria wines are made from purchased farmer grape varieties Haghtanak and Karmrahyut. For the production of wine, plots were selected with a total area of ​​about 8 hectares with vines older than 60 years, on which special agrotechnical techniques were used from the arsenal of organic viticulture. Yields are maintained at a level of no more than 50 centners per hectare. Completely to pass to biodynamics it is planned already on own vineyard.

WINERY

Alluria is a family winery. The first experiments with winemaking were started by the Machanyan family several years ago. In 2014, the first commercial batch of wine was laid. It operates in an experimental mode with a small amount of grapes processed manually on a basket press. The winery uses only wild yeast, fermentation and aging is carried out in barrels from the Karabakh oak. Wines are aged in barrels for more than a year and after bottling are additionally bottled. In the next 3-4 years, the project plans to produce 10,000 bottles of wine a year.

TEAM

The first experiments with winemaking were started by the Machanyan family several years ago. Directly managed by the project is Samvel Machanyan, a financier by education, a man keen on the ideas of organic winemaking. Aram and Grach Machanyan help him in different directions.

Jan

 

 

Own brand of Amelia. The production base of the project is the company Tierras de Armenia.

Vineyards are located on the Ararat plain (Armavir region). Plantations were laid in several stages, beginning in 2003. Height above sea level – about 1000-1100 meters. The climate is very dry in the hot summer and cold winter. The vineyard is irrigated with drip irrigation, covered with earth for winter. For protection against hail a special grid is used. Soils are poor, stony, with a predominance of loams and volcanic rocks.

Grapes are processed on modern Bucher Vaslin pneumatic presses, fermentation in stainless steel tanks with temperature control.

Qotot

VINEYARD

The project works with grapes, which is purchased in the Vayots Dzor region, on the farm of Hin Areni. Vineyards are located at an altitude of about 1,200 meters above sea level on two plateaus above the valley of the Arpa River. The soil in the vineyards is poor, stony, with a high proportion of limestone, with the presence of volcanic rocks.

The vineyard is laid by modern canons with a density of planting about 3 thousand bushes per hectare. Yields are maintained at a level of no more than 70 c / ha for red varieties and not more than 90 c / ha for white varieties. The average age of the vines is about 10 years. The project works with two main endemic grape varieties – Areni Nuar and Voskeat. The age of the vines is from 9 to 12 years.

WINERY

Didier Cornelion started his work in Armenia as a consultant enologist, Hin Areni. On this modern winery, located directly in the village of Areni near the vineyard, Didier makes his own author’s wines. Here there is all the necessary equipment for working with grapes in French stylistics – modern crushers and presses for soft pressing of pulp, temperature control systems, stainless steel tanks. For red red wines, French oak is used.

TEAM

The project team is Didier Cornelon himself, creating wines, and his partners from Armenia Vahag Ghazaryan and Rafi Bedrosyan, who oversee the direction of sales and marketing. Didier is an experienced oenologist who has worked for many years in the Chateau of the South Rhone. As a consultant he worked at the wineries of Tunisia and Uruguay. The winemaker arrived in Armenia, impressed by the ancient history of viticulture, which was confirmed by archaeological discoveries in the cave of Areni-1. Today Didier with his project is one of the «ambassadors» of wine Armenia in the world.

Voskevaz

                                                                     VINEYARD

Winery buys grapes in different regions of Armenia: Aragatsotn, Ararat plain and Vayots Dzor. About 30 hectares for the production of the best wine lines are in a permanent lease. The oenologist controls the suppliers of grapes at all stages, compensations for the green harvest are practiced. In the work with grape varieties, the main attention is paid to the autochthonous Areni and Voskehat, as well as to the selected variety Haghtanak. For the best wines, grapes are taken from old vines (up to 120 years). The winery is located in the historical region of origin of Voskehat (Kharji) variety, previously used for the production of Armenian sherry. In the future it is planned to restore one of the traditional terraced vineyards, located at the altitudes of about 1 600 meters, on the slopes of mountain Aragats.

                                                                     WINERY

In 2016 the main works on the reconstruction of the winery located in the village of Voskevaz were completed. Today, the project can produce 300-500 thousand bottles of wine per year. Grapes are crushed on modern pneumatic presses, for fermentation stainless steel tanks with temperature control are used. The most interesting part of the project is fermentation and aging of the wine in karases. Now Voskevaz Winery has 30 ancient amphoras of the last and the century before the last. Each year, new barrels are bought for the best wines (Armenian oak, 225 liters for red and 400 liters for white wines).

                                                                     TEAM

The project is managed by its owner David Hovhaanesyan. In the development of the tourist direction and style of the project, his brother, the famous artist Gagik Hovhannisyan, who lives permanently in the USA, helps him.

Oleg Repin

Oleg Repin, one of the best Russian winemakers, is the author of a wine project of his own devoted to uncovering the potential of Crimean terroirs. Although his wines are available in retail stores, it is not easy to find them: the demand exceeds the supply.

The project owns a two-hectare vineyard in the hot and arid terroir of Sevastopol. The soils are infertile and carbonate-saturated, with the prevalence of coarse pebbles and an abundance of clayey and limey rocks. Geographically, the vineyard sits on a plateau located between the valleys of the Belbek and the Kacha Rivers, at elevation of about 150 m above sea level.

The vineyard was planted in 2011 with grapevines imported from Guillaume Nursery, France. The density is 4,000 vines per hectare. The two varieties planted are Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Oleg himself controls the farming techniques and the harvesting process. The first commercial harvest from this plot took place in 2014. Before that, Oleg Repin was already buying Riesling and Pinot Noir grapes from viticultural farms of the Belbek Valley, and Kokur Bely (White) from East Crimea.

Currently, Oleg Repin ™ wines are made at Satera Winery in the village of Dolinnoye. According to the philosophy of the project, wine must be born in the vineyard. All grapes are sorted twice before fermentation: in the field and then after the destemming process. White wines are fermented in stainless steel tanks at low temperatures. For red wines, fermentation using wild yeast and post-fermentation maceration of the must are used. Initially the wines were aged in Carpathian oak barrels, but lately they have been gradually replaced by French casks. The design for the construction of its own winery on the bank of the Belbek River has begun.

The team of the project is Oleg Repin himself. Oleg is one of the first new-wave oenologists in Crimean winemaking. A graduate of the Ukrainian State University of Food Technologies, he worked for several Crimean winemaking projects, including Sofia Perovskaya. Now he holds the position of Head Winemaker at Satera Winery. In his personal project, he does everything – from viticulture and winemaking to marketing and promotion.

Phantom

The Phantom is the unique author’s project. Creators of this wine are the head of the Union of Sommelier and Experts of Russia Arthur Sarkisyan and the head of oenologists team of “Vedernikov Winery” Valery Troychuk. The place of an origin of  Phantom is the oldest region of Russian winemaking, the Right bank of the Don Valley. The blend united Krasnostop Zolotovsky Russian indigenous grape variety that has no analogues in the world (dated in 1814, Vedernikov village) and Cabernet Sauvignon from vines on own roots – live classic of winemaking.

“Phantom” is the image of the past, embodied by two great red varieties of grapes. The wine that outstripped the time and inviting to glance in the future of the Russian winemaking.

It is impossible to imagine … Not easy to find…. Necessary to taste …

Phantom terroir

The Don valley is the most northern of large wine-making regions of Russia. The climate is temperate continental. Throughout the year along the watercourse of the Don strong southwesterly and westerly winds blows. Winters are cold and, as a rule, snowy. In some years the average temperature of January falls to – 12ºС. Sometimes frost below – 30 ° C happens. Summers are hot and sunny. The sum of active temperatures in the range 3700-3900ºС. In some years Don advances the southern zones of Kuban on this indicator. At the same time influence of the river provides a difference of daytime and night time temperatures during a season of maturing of grapes to 20ºС.

Vineyards of “Vedernikov Winery” are located on the high Right Bank of Don where the basis of a poor soil layer is made by a shell rock plate.

The Phantom on winery:

On “Vedernikov Winery” selection of clusters was carried out on a sorting table. Varieties Krasnostop Zolotovsky and Cabernet Sauvignon was fermented and aged separately. For Krasnostop Zolotovsky delestage was applied, for Cabernet Sauvignon low-temperature fermentation, delestage was applied. 8 month aging in a new French barik ,extent of charring – medium.

Style of the Phantom:

The idea of combining two such different grape varieties -classic Cabernet Sauvignon and rare autochthonous Krasnostop Zolotovsky was prompted by the character of the wines, which constituted the blend.

Krasnostop Zolotovsky – exuberant bright aroma of sweet black berries, cream texture.

Cabernet Sauvignon – a tannins, various spices in taste, long aftertaste with a dominant of fresh ground black pepper.

Each of  three variants of blends can be compared to a work of a skilled pastry chef, in which Cabernet Sauvignon is the basis, tender biscuit and Krasnostop Zolotovsky is berry cream. Different proportions of these varieties gives three absolutely different wines showing character of two great varieties.

Gevorkian Winery

 

Established in 2006, Gevorkian Winery is today one of the leaders of the Armenian winemaking market. Our company offers a wide range of high-quality wines made from Armenian grapes, fruits and berries. Gevorkian Winery for the first time in Armenia applied sophisticated technologies for the production of unique wines from Armenian grapes. The quality of the Gevorkian Winery is certified by ISO 22000: 2005 – the first international food safety standard.

The company also produces kosher wine, which exports to the Israel market.

Maran Winery

VINEYARD

The vineyard was planted about 18 years ago. One of the best terroirs of Vayots Dzor was chosen on Aghavnadzor plateau. Vines were planted at an altitude of 1375 m above the sea level with a density of planting 2,6 thousand vines per hectare. The quality of the grapes was provided by a green harvest and a yield limitation of no more than 75 centners per hectare, and for individual plots up to 20-25 centners. The main volume of wine from Maran Winery originated from this vineyard, founder bet on Areni Noir, rare red varieties Tozot and Avagi, and also the white Khatun Kharji. For certain part of the portfolio grapes of European varieties were purchased at a vineyard in Armavir region of Ararat plain.

WINERY

The winery is located in Yerevan, in the building of an old winery, built in the 40-es of the last century. Grapes from other regions are transferred to the winery in wooden boxes of 12-15 kg. Processing is carried out on modern Italian equipment with temperature control. The cellars with stone arches go on the depth of about 10 m, built once by German prisoners of war. The dry wines of project are aged only in barrels from Karabakh oak.

TEAM

The head of the Union of Armenian winemakers and the author of several books on viticulture Avag Harutyunyan heads the Winery Maran. The members of his family help him as well. Recently the son of Avag Frunz Harutyunyan, a young winemaker, a Heisenheim graduate, a teacher of the Yerevan Wine Academy (EVN), a deputy head of the Wine of Armenia Fund, have actively joined the development of the family wine project.

Trinity

VINEYARD

Trinity Canyon has 4,5 ha of own vineyard in Vayots Dzor region. The main areas are located on the plateau Aghavnadzor at the altitude of 1 300 m above the sea level. The density of plantation is 3 000 vines per hectare. The vines are from 4 to 14 years old. Some more plots are taken for long-term lease. The most interesting of them are situated on a slope directly opposite the historical Areni-1 cave. Only 0,8 hectares, but with a good perspective. The exposition allows the grapes to ripen even during cool autumn. Trinity is the only project in Vayots Dzor with international grape varieties. In this farm they experiment with Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay, Merlot (saplings are imported from phylloxera free Cyprus). Traditional for this region Areni Noir and Voskehat are neighboring to the international varieties. Rare varieties are purchased from individual vineyard owners for experiments, such as Nazeli, Qrdy and Khatun Kharji.

WINERY

In 2016 the construction of a small own winery in Aghavnadzor near the vineyards was over. Today Trinity is one of three wineries in Armenia, experimenting with wines fermented and aged in amphoras-karases. For experiments, some amphoras are dug into the ground at the very neck, and the two largest ones are left in the winery walls in open form on special stands. Red wines are aged in barrels of French and Armenian oak. Part of the project’s wines are produced at Semina Consulting winery in Yerevan.

TEAM

One of the Trinity co-owners Hovakim Saghatelyan directly leads the project. His friends, businessman Vahe Balulian and restaurateur Andranik Grigoryan, help with the marketing and strategy of the project. The agronomist Levon Hakobyan is engaged in the vineyard. Winemaking is supervised by Artem Parseghyan, a graduate of the University of Enology in Geisenheim (Germany).The individual experiments of the project are assisted by the specialist in organic winemaking Jean Luc Isnard. Mariam Saghatelyan is promoting wines.

Hin Areni

                                                            VINEYARD

The name of the winery is translated as «Old Areni». The vineyards of the project are located in this historical terroir of the village of Areni. Now the farm has about 32 ha of vineyards, located at altitudes of 1215-1250 m above the sea level. 17 ha of them are 10-years-old vines. Vineyards are located on a plateau around the village (terroirs Tap and Ishkatap). The soil is poor, stony, well drained, with high content of of limestone. During summer time it is quite hot here and drip irrigation systems are installed on young plantings. The main varieties on the vineyards are Areni Noir and Voskehat. The vines are planted with a density of 2200 vines per ha, on young planting densities are not higher than 3600 vines per ha. The vineyard uses modern methods of agricultural technology, limited use of pesticides, manual harvest in small plastic boxes.

                                                            WINERY

Winery in Areni, founded in 1994, was completely reequipped in 2014 with French and Italian systems: processing of grapes — Bucher Vaslin, a modern line of cold bottling — GAI. The winery has modern cold systems, grapes are delivered for processing immediately after harvesting and sorted out on a vibrating table. Red wines are aged in barriques from Karabakh and French oak. The winery is able to process about 300 tons of grapes per season. Currently it produces about 150000 bottles of wine per year.

                                                           TEAM

Contemporary changes of the project were carried out by Genik Karapetyan in 2013, who actively participates in its further development. The project director is Vardan Mkrtchyan. At the project update stage, the consultant was the Argentine architect and wine expert, Mario Japaz. Levon Sarkisyan is responsible for the vineyards. The winery is supervised by the young oenologist Anri Davtyan, the chief supervising oenologist is from Southern France — Didier Cornelion. Economic issues related to the development of the project and sales of wines are managed by Karen Sahakyan.

Koor

                                                              VINEYARD

In 2017 the project will work with its own grapes for the first time. Highland Cellars purchased a plot of 21 hectares on the Aghavnadzor plateau. This is one of the best vineyards in the region, planted on poor stony soils with an abundance of limestone. The age of the oldest vines approaches 20 years, the youngest plantings are about 15 years old. The height elevations deference in the vineyard is 125 meters. The lower mark is at an altitude of about 1250 m above the sea level, the upper one is 1375 m. The basis of the vineyards is Areni Noir (Sev Areni). Rare endemic varieties are planted on 3 ha: red Tozot and white Khatun Kharji. Yields are maintained at a level of no more than 75 centners per ha. Grapes are collected in boxes of 12-15 kg. The harvest of grapes on this site usually begins no earlier than mid-October. For red blends the project buys grapes of the variety Khndoghni (also known as Sireni) in Nagorno-Karabakh.

                                                            WINERY

The first wine in the volume of 15 000 bottles of the project was produced in 2014. In 2015, this number increased to 40,000 bottles, and in 2016 Highland Cellars produced 100,000 bottles of wine. At the stage of the experiments Semina Consulting winery in Yerevan was the production base of the project. For the basic Koor range, only stainless steel tanks were used. Grapes for the red blend passed pre-fermentation maceration. For backup wine, an extract in barrels from Karabakh and French oak is used.

                                                            TEAM

The project was founded by an international team of 10 friends and like-minded people from Armenia, Russia, Germany and the USA, gathered together by an interest in the ancient traditions of winemaking. As the corporate legend says, the decision to create the winery was taken during the climbing to the top of Ararat. Among the «founding fathers» — Ruben Vardanyan and Karl Johansen. The project’s oenologist is Arman Manukyan (Semina Consulting). Director of Highlands Cellars is Zori Mkrtchyan.

 

Old Bridge

VINEYARD

The vineyard occupies about 4 ha in the valley of Arpa River. The vineyard is planted on several slopes with different characteristics of the terroir. The soil composition is diverse: clay and volcanic rocks, sand, pebble inclusions. In winter, frosts below -20 °C are possible, so the vineyard is buried. The main variety in the vineyard is Areni Noir (2,5 ha), 0,5 ha is occupied by the red autochthon grape variety Kakhet. In 2016, two sections of Voskehat with a total area of about 1 ha were planted. The density of planting on all the sites is about 3000 vines/ha. The first vines in the vineyard were planted in 2009 (before that the project had bought grapes from farmers in Vayots Dzor region). The practice of limiting the yield — no more than 25-30 centners per hectare — is usual. Harvest is done manually in stages from different sites, as it ripens during October-November.

WINERY

The winery is located next to the vineyard and equipped with the necessary equipment for the personally designed wines: a small press, crushers, stainless steel tanks. Some of the red wines are aged in a new Armenian oak, so the winery regularly buys a few barrels. The winery produces no more than 10  thousand bottles of wine per year. All of them after bottling pass an additional bottle aging — not less than 6 months in the temperature controlled cellar.

TEAM

The project is completely supervised by its founder and owner Armen Khalatyan. His wife Ashken, a practicing doctor by the profession, helps him. In addition to working in the winery and vineyard, Armen manages agrarian projects in the Farmers Support Fund of Armenia. The consultant of the project is the oenologist of Semina Consulting company Arman Manukyan.

Keush

VINEYARD

The project is working with the vineyards of the highest mountainous terroir of Europe. Khachik village in Vayots Dzor is situated on the altitude of 1900 m above the sea level. The vineyards are located a little bit lower, 1750-1850 m on the natural south and south-east facing slope. The total area of vineyards in Khachik village is about 70 ha. The climate is continental, with frosty winters and cold autumns. The soil structure is variable — limestone predominates, including loam and volcanic pots. The main variety in these vineyards is Areni Noir. The average age of the vines is more than 40 years old. The yields are very low. During a good year the total yield from Khachik is less than 200 tons of grapes. The region stands out for its high level of acidity of grapes, due to cold climate and dramatic differences between daytime and nighttime temperatures.

WINERY

Now the project occupies a part of Semina Consulting winery in Yerevan, where the required equipments are situated. The next step is going to be the transfer of the equipments to Vayots Dzor, Khachik village. The plan of the modern winery with the ability to process 100 tons of grapes per season and the cellar for wine aging in the set is ready. The prospects of the project is to produce up to 100 000 bottles of classic method sparkling wine per year.

TEAM

The project is developing due to the efforts of two Armenian winemaking enthusiasts. Vahe Keushgerian is an expert in wine business who has a wide experience in other projects in Italy, in 1997 returned to Armenia for national winemaking development. The oenology of the project is supervised by Armen Manukian — a talented winemaker andampelograph, who practiced in one of the Bordeaux regions. The project consultant is an oenologist from Champagne Jerome Barrier. The main goal of the project is to save and develop the indigenous grape varieties.

 

Van Ardi

                                                                              VINEYARD

Van Ardi has 9 hectares of fructifying vineyards, located in the foothills of the extinct volcano Aragats at the altitude of about 1 000 meters above the sea level. In 2016, they added a young vineyard with an area of 2,3 hectares, planted with vines of the Syrah on their own roots. The climate in the region is strictly continental. In winter, temperatures can drop down to -20 °C. Summer is hot and arid, the period without rains can last up to two months. Soils are poor, stony with predominance of volcanic rocks, loam. In vineyards selected grape varieties Haghtanak and Kangun, autochthons Kakhet and Areni are represented. Van Ardi vineyard is one of the few places outside the historical homeland of Areni, Vayots Dzor, where the variety gives interesting results. The vineyard of Syrah on its own roots is almost unique. The density of planting is 2400 vines per hectare. Age of vines 5-8 years.

                                                                              WINERY

The winery is designed for the production of 40-50 thousand bottles of wine per year. Equipped with the necessary equipment for a small artist project: basket press, stainless tanks with temperature control, own bottling line. The winery is located on a vineyard, the harvest is manual, the harvested grapes are immediately transferred to the winery in 15 kg boxes for further wine production. The wines are kept in Karabakh oak barrels by the cooperage ≪Varanda≫ and in French barrels. In 2016, construction of new spaces of the winery was started.

                                                                             TEAM

Ideologist, agronomist and winemaker of the project is Varuzhan Mouradyan. An economist by profession, he graduated from the school of oenologists at Davis School, and studied many winemaking techniques from books and personal experience, visiting wineries in California. The head of the project is supported in everything by his wife Anahit and daughter Ani, and two other daughters help as well. For individual projects of white wines, the winery attracted Josef Watzl, an oenologist from Germany, as a consultant.

On each bottle of wine «Van Ardi» is depicted the Sun God – Shivini from the pantheon of the gods of Urartu, and the name of the wine is translated from the ancient Armenian as «Sun over Van». Van is the capital of ancient Armenia and Urartu.

Kataro

VINEYARD

The vineyard Domen Avetissyan (Kataro) is located in Hadrut region near the village of Togh, at an altitude of 740-800 m above the sea level. Vines are planted on the slopes with a southern exposition. Soils are mainly clayey. Winters are mild (very rarely temperatures reach -15 °С), and the vineyards are not buried. The phylloxera exists in Nagorno-Karabakh, so the vineyard is planted with grafted vines, which are produced by a local nursery. The project started from 3 ha, now the total area is about 10 ha. The density of planting is 1 650 vines/ha. It is planned to start another section with a high density up to 5 000 vines/ha. The project does a great job of Khndoghni selection. 80 best vines were selected in the vineyard, 3 clones were sorted. The French nursery Mercier picked up the optimal rootstock for this variety. Now Kataro together with Semina Consulting launches a grafting station for 15-20 thousand of sapling of indigenous varieties.

WINERY

Kataro red wines are produced at own winery in Nagorno-Karabakh. Grapes are pressed in the traditional basket presses, fermentation is carried out in stainless steel tanks with temperature control. Barrels from Karabakh oak are used for aging. The clapboard for the barrels is prepared under the control of the winemaker and it is kept on the open air on the territory of winery. Kataro produces about 60 thousand bottles of wine per year. White and rose wines together with Kataro are produced at the winery of Semina Consulting.

TEAM

Avetisyan family has been engaged in viticulture since the 1920-es, the vineyard was renewed in memory of the founder of the dynasty of winegrowers, the great-grandfather of the current owners. The development of the project, vineyard and winery are managed by Grigory Avetisyan and members of his family. The chief oenologist of Semina Consulting Arman Manukyan is the consultant of Kataro. French wine expert Julien Lalou also participates in vinicultural issues.

Zorah

                                                                         VINEYARD

Planted on the plateau of Rind on 1400 m above the sea level. Soils are poor, stony (sandstone), calcareous rocks. The climate is severe, sharply continental. The vineyard is buried for winter. Drip irrigation is used to protect against stress during summer heats. The planting of 40 hectares of vineyard Zorik began more than 10 years ago with the Areni Noir planted with seedlings. Density of planting on the vineyard is 3500 vines per hectare. Cuttings for planting were taken from an old vineyard near the monastery of XII century. It can be said that it was Zorik who opened this grape variety to the world, and he registered it in Europe under the name Areni Noir. For reserved red wine, grapes are harvested from old vines on a rented plot at the altitude of about 1600 m above the sea level. White grape varieties are also purchased from farmers in Vayots Dzor region.

                                                                         WINERY

The winery is an example of style and utility. A special zone for amphoras is distinguished inside a small room. Red wines of the brand are kept here. Some amphoras are more than 100 years old. The average size of the carp is about 1 thousand liters, some of the amphoras are set on tripods, others are dug in small pebbles at the very neck. For fermentation they use only large concrete tanks (cost about 20 thousand Euros for each).

                                                                         TEAM

Zorah Winery is a family project inspired by Zorik Gharibyan and his wife Yeraz. In all the nuances of Zorah you can feel the first profession of the founder — a man from the Milan fashion world. The project is consulted by Stefano Bartolomei, a viticulture specialist. The oenologist is Alberto Antonini, who previously led oenology in the famous Italian brands of Antinori, Frescobaldi, Poggio al Tessoro.

                                               Articles in N1 world magazines

Financial Times (UK)                 Decanter (UK)

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Corriere della sera (Italy)           Gourmet Traveler Wine (Australia)

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                                                                      Blogging

The Purple Pages (Jancis Robinson)

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The Wine Anorak (Jamie Goode)

Vinography (Alder Yarrow)

Paula Bosch (Germany)

The Wine Report -Akihiko Yamamoto (Japan)

                                                                    In Michelin restaurants

Yamt’cha- Paris, La Scenè Paris, Hiramitsu Paris, Cracco Milan, Enrico Bartolina ar Mudec – Milano, Felix Lo Basso – Milano, Sketch- London, Savoy Grill – London, Bar Boulud – London, Bettoney – New York, Spago- LA

 

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