Buffeted by the winds of change for centuries, Armenia is embracing the past to build a brighter future
Today, however, Mount Ararat lies not in Armenia, but in Turkey. The double-peaked mountain (with Little Ararat alongside, at 3,925 metres) was part of Armenia for 3,000 years but then came under the control of various empires, including the Persian and Ottoman. Several treaties signed after World War I granted the mountain to Turkey.
The Ararat Valley, with its volcanic soils and microclimates, is an extraordinary terroir also for vineyards, including Voskeni Wines, at Sardarapat, close to the border with Turkey. The story of the brother-and-sister winemaking duo behind Voskeni echoes those of many young Armenians who are rolling up their sleeves and building a future.
After successful jobs abroad, in 2008, Alina and Ararat Mkrtchyan bought back the family vineyard, which had been confiscated by the Bolsheviks in the early 1900s, soon after Armenia became part of the Soviet Union. Now they are bringing to life a forefather’s dream that was put on pause for 100 years: making excellent wines with indigenous grape varieties such as areni, khndogni and voskehat.
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