Press & Awards

Areni (sometimes called Areni Noir) is the most important red wine grape of the country. It’s sometimes blended with other grapes, but in the Vayots Dzor region, they usually make varietal wines with it. This is also a hearty grape, surviving winter cold and the wide temperature shifts because of the high altitude of many vineyards.

“Over the last 30 years, the wine industry of Armenia has awakened from a century of slumber under Soviet rule,” says Scott Stroemer of Michelin-starred Galit. “The vineyards mostly survived, so the country has some of the most intriguing old vines in the world.”

What’s old can be new, especially in winemaking. Fermentation and aging in concrete tanks — once popular in France in the 1950s and 60s — gave way to stainless steel fermentation and aging tanks in the 1980s. Today we see the use of concrete back in vogue in Europe and the U.S. Advocates for concrete cite concrete’s porosity and neutral quality to enhance the natural flavors in wine.

The Armenian wine region is home to both the world’s oldest known winery and the ex-Soviet country’s most exciting modern-day vineyards.

We are all aware of the wines and wine history of France, Spain, Germany and Italy, which extended back as far back as the first century AD. However, in the history of the world, they are newcomers. Don’t believe that? May I suggest that we turn to the Bible? After the “great flood,” Noah planted vines at the foot of Mount Ararat, which is at the border of today’s Armenia and Turkey, so he could make wine (Genesis 9:20).

After all of the eons since Noah, Armenia still produces wine, and by now, the vintners in the region definitely have winemaking down pat. If that is so, then why haven’t we heard more, or for that matter, anything about Armenian wines?

A major reason wine is highly enjoyable and interesting is the diversity of grapes. While popular grapes such as Chardonnay can be excellent, tasting less familiar grapes enhances the pleasure and understanding of wine. This column recommends diverse, outstanding selections.

Armenia has been making wine for thousands of years. Even so, many people are not aware of this mountainous country’s long, rich winemaking tradition.  This week, you can learn more about the history of winemaking in Armenia, common wine grapes there and the country’s best-known winemaking regions.

For the past five years, Storica Wines has worked to draw attention to this ancient terroir and raise awareness of Armenian wine amongst U.S. consumers. Read more.

One of Scott Stroemer, bar director, Galit, Chicago’s, earliest discoveries was the Keush Origins Brut, a traditional-method blend of Armenia’s indigenous Voskehat and Khatouni grapes that has been one of the list’s longest staples. “Both grapes are full bodied and high-acid, making them ideal for sparkling wine,” says Stroemer. “This has been our little secret at Galit since opening in 2019, but the wine is too good not to get noticed.”

All reflect what’s important in today’s wine world and where it’s headed in the years ahead.

Elin McCoy, wine and spirits columnist for Bloomberg News, chose our 2017 Keush Ultra Blanc de Noirs Brut Nature as her “discovery of the year.” Read more!

Whether you’re eating, cooking or dodging invasive questions from your extended family, you’re going to need something to drink. And while choosing a bottle (or three or four) for the occasion can be daunting, it doesn’t have to be. Let’s start with the main event: the bird. If you’re wondering what wine goes with turkey, we have eleven quaffable options (white and red, because this versatile bird can pair well with both).

In this episode of the Legends Behind the Craft podcast, Drew Thomas Hendricks and Bianca Harmon host Zack Armen, the Co-founder and President of Storica Wines, to talk about Armenian wine. Zack discusses the history of winemaking in Armenia and the renaissance of its wine industry. He shares how he was able to introduce Armenian wines to the US market and how Storica Wines expanded rapidly since its inception in 2018.

Armenia makes a statement on the global wine stage.

Storica is leading the movement to bring Armenian wines to the U.S. from the oldest winemaking region in the world. 2016 Voskevaz Karasi Collection Haghtanak is magnificent, while 2019 Van Ardi is a superb good-value wine. Both are dry reds that are available in more than 30 states. Read on to learn more.

With ancient grapes first cultivated for winemaking over 6,000 years ago, Armenian wines might be historic, but they are now becoming hip as well, thanks to New York native and co-founder of Storica Wines, Zack Armen.  Read more.

We learned about Armenian Wine the best way—by sampling five different bottles—three in the bubbly category and all worthy of your attention. A local specialist was on hand to educate us.

Flourishing in challenging conditions is possible. These pros make it look easy. But behind every seemingly easy sale and social media blitz are hundreds of hours of unglamorous and thankless research and outreach, backed by a well-oiled logistical import, distribution and sales strategy.

Raise a toast to Armenian resilience. This is important in a country with such a rich wine-making history.

What a treat this conversation was! Ara Sarkissian joined us to talk about Armenian wines.
Listen to hear about the growing conditions, history and values to be found in Armenian wines & more.

Lisa and MJ discuss her unconventional path to becoming a Master of Wine, imposter syndrome, how wine is like people. Plus, MJ tries our Zulal wines for the first time.
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Further, multiple wine regions produce these excellent bottles: Washington, Oregon, California, B.C., France, Italy, Australia, South Africa, Armenia and Argentina. Certainly, we loved all 50 of these wines.

Erin Smith, chef/owner of Feges BBQ in Houston, Texas, takes her wine education seriously. Smith is one of several barbecue professionals who are increasingly passionate about wine pairings. For instance, she suggests pairing creamy, slightly spicy Alabama white sauce—great over half chicken—with Armenian sparkling wine like Keush Origins, a blend of Voskehat and Khatouni.

Co-founder Zack Armen speaks with The Memphis Voyager on what it’s like to start a wine import business, the challenges Storica has overcome and the future of importing Armenian wines to the US and beyond.

Armenian wine is rare in the US and has a rich, ancient history, so in addition to bringing a quality bottle of wine to the party, you’ll also be bringing with you an interesting topic to share.

Explore the December 2021 Wine Enthusiast Buying Guide, including wines from Armenia.

Wine and food lovers, rejoice.
Pairing wine and ice cream might not seem intuitive, but it’s possible. Christopher Poldoian, sommelier and brand ambassador for Storica Wines weighs in.

Tune in to listen to WBZ News Radio’s Food For Thought host Billy Costa and Christopher Poldoian, sommelier and brand ambassador for Storica Wines taste and discuss Armenian wines.

“We always welcome opportunities to taste outside our usual sources of wine. This was doubly true when we received two bottles of wine from Armenia. For it is a country whose wines I had not previously tasted.”  Read Wine Travel Eats’ full review on our Armenian wines.

Through triumphs and tumult, the country’s wine industry is again on the rebound. Here’s what you need to know about Armenia’s vinous renaissance.

“For people focused on wine, however, there are plenty of places to explore, especially as destinations reopen to vaccinated travelers. Those who want to avoid crowds might consider these five alternatives to Western European wine vacations — including Armenia.”

Storica Wines, today announced the addition of two new wine brands to their portfolio: Van Ardi and Shofer.  Van Ardi is an award-winning estate winery located in Aragatsotn, Armenia; Shofer is a new brand built by the Storica team, with its flagship product a 2020 Areni Rose now available through the company’s online store and in various retail outlets across the country. Read more.

“Armenia’s top wines today include a selection of expressive whites, memorable reds, lovely rosés and stellar bubbly. In the last few years the government has begun a serious push to aid winemakers to market this ‘Sacred Land of Wine’ and this has helped with the somewhat challenging task of finding Armenian wines in stores or online. Storica Wines which is an Armenian wine import company in the U.S. is also working on making wines from Armenia more accessible and to “celebrate the soul, the history, and the song of Armenia.” One of the labels that Storica carries is Zulal, and I had the pleasure of trying three of their wines.” Read more.

Ah, summer! That is to say, it’s grilling season, and time for that special pairing of Barbecue Reds. So fire up the BBQ and bring out your favorite red wines, including Zulal Areni Reserve.

Storica Wines is located in Armenia and I was so excited to learn about long wine history (about 6,000 years of history) of Armenian wine and how the geopolitical conflict and politics affected the history of winemaking in the country. And of course we did a little tasting!  Listen to the full podcast now.