VOSKEVAZ WINERY
Voskevaz was once Soviet Armenia’s most prestigious winery and is family-owned nowadays, producing exquisite wines from indigenous varieties. This benchmark producer was among the first to revive the Armenian tradition of winemaking in karas, large clay amphorae. Explore our exclusive Voskevaz wine range in the UK.
About Voskevaz
The wine made by Voskevaz was famous as early as in 1930s. In fact, dating back to 1932, Voskevaz is the oldest operating winery in Armenia. In 1940s, Voskevaz earned a reputation for its fortified wines and gained the fame of the best winery of Armenia successfully producing some of the history making wines for several decades. However, the winery fell into disrepair in the 1990’s when Armenia was rebuilding its country after gaining independence.
The winery’s new life began in 2004, when David Hovhannisyan, an Armenian entrepreneur who returned to his homeland after years of living in Russia, invested heavily into Voskevaz with an ultimate goal of reviving and renewing its old glory. To help in this mission his brothers Gago and Armen also left their secure lives in the United States and Russia. Thus, the whole family returned to Armenia to support David in rebuilding the winery.
Voskevaz is located in the region of Aragotsotn, at the foothills of the picturesque Aragats, the highest mountain in Armenia (4,090m). “Voskevaz” translates as “golden bunch”. The winery actually shares the same name with its native village. Grapes have been grown on this site for centuries. In fact, parts of ancient karases – clay amphorae used in winemaking, were discovered nearby. These were found at the ruins of a 7th century church, just next to the winery.
From Vines To Wines
Inspired by this ancient site, David Hovhannisyan looked to revive the traditional Armenian winemaking techniques. So he embarked on a journey around the country in search of karases which he could use to make his wines.
Clay amphorae have been an essential part of wine tradition in Armenia throughout the millennia of its history. However, the karas method was almost forgotten in the 20th century. Voskevaz were among the first wineries who started using karases in modern Armenia. As a result, today some of the best wines from the Voskevaz wine range are vinified in karases.
Voskevaz works exclusively with indigenous grapes, such as Areni Noir, Hakhtanak and Voskehat, which truly reflect the character of this ancient land. Moreover, the grapes are sourced from very old vines, some being over 120 years old. This adds incredible depth and complexity to the wines. Voskevaz wine portfolio is impressive: from whites to roses and reds; from dry to late harvest sweet wines, as well as fortified wines.
The quality of Voskevaz wine is consistently high, which is recognised by multiple international wine awards, including “Mundus Vini”, “Decanter World Wine Awards”, “Sommelier Wine Awards” etc. Indeed, Voskevaz leads in every way and undoubtedly deserves the trophies of Best of Show and Best of Armenia at prominent competitions. One of their iconic wines, Karasi Collection Areni Noir Vieille Vignes even took that trophy at Mundus Vini two years in a row for their 2015 and 2016 vintages.
Today the winery remains family-owned and David’s children Arman and Mary have recently joined him in his work.
