Press & Awards

Wine’s true power lies in its story. Every sip connects us to the earth, to the people around us, and to something greater. ⁠
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In a recent interview, Storica CEO Zack Armen sat down with Paul Kalemkiarian on Wine Talks with Paul K. LLC. to share the journey of bringing Armenian wines to the U.S. From ancient winemaking traditions to today’s modern renaissance, Zack reveals the triumphs and challenges of introducing Armenian wines to American palates.⁠

You don’t need an excuse to share a bottle of wine with loved ones, but special occasions call for both intentional selections and reliable choices. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, it’s the perfect time to plan an intimate evening with that special someone. Whether you’re celebrating one on one or have several people coming together for the occasion, wine will elevate your evening into a soirée to remember.

Father and daughter winemakers Vahe and Aimee Keushguerian claim fame for making what has been called “the world’s most dangerous wine” at their winery, Keush. The James Beard award-winning 2024 film Cup of Salvation chronicles their quest to make a taboo wine from secret Iranian vineyards. But this isn’t the Keushguerians’ first brush with danger. They also survived harvest during a war with neighboring Azerbaijan in 2020–all while spearheading Armenia’s ongoing wine revolution.

Despite the odds, Armenians have proven resilient, with a fierce dedication to protecting their unique culture and wine heritage, proudly shared with visitors willing to make the trek.

“This film was supposed to be a very different movie,” explains Jason Wise, director of Cup of Salvation, which has been playing to sold-out crowds in theaters from Chicago to New York City since last fall and will be released by the streaming service SOMM TV on February 23. Over five years in production, the documentary morphed from a wide-ranging story about how an ancient beverage became available in every corner store to a much tighter profile of Vahe Keushguerian, the winemaker who decided to find and export grapes from Iran to his winery in neighboring Armenia.

The next time you go out to eat at a nice restaurant, ask your server if they offer any Armenian wines. The odds are high that they won’t even know what an Armenian wine is and even higher that it won’t be on their wine list. Yet, it’s just that mysteriousness that motivated one expanding winery concept to put a selection of Armenian wines at the forefront of a new initiative designed to drive sales and land new customers.

In this show we explore the world of Armenian wine, which has roots in the ancient world and may be the oldest winemaking region in Europe.

To really understand Armenian wine, these indigenous varieties are the place to start.

“All the fun and fascination of the wine world was on show in the Offbeat category of the 2023 Decanter Wines of the Year blind tasting, highlighted by a gorgeous array of Greeks, complex Italians, a stunning orange wine from Georgia and a Pinotage to change your mind. We reveal the 35 wines to broaden your horizons.” Featuring Voskevaz Karasi Collection, Voskehat 2017

“I culled my following 50 good buys from 3,243 wines from 21 countries that I sipped this year. I’ve tried to highlight what’s new, at least to me, but some are familiar labels that consistently deliver deliciousness—and they haven’t raised their prices, either. Sadly it gets harder and harder to find Champagnes that sell for $50 and under, but I did.” – Elin McCoy

Provenance aside, the high elevation nearly assures fresh acidity, while 22 months of lees aging adds a hazelnut-like creaminess to the wine’s appealing dried apple and pear flavors. This is a savory sparkler to serve with cold appetizers—from garlic-laden eggplant caviar to stuffed grape-leaves, to cured fish and salty string cheese.

“This film shows what the terroir is not just from a standpoint of the dirt, where grapes are grown,” says Wise, “but how important it is for the actual vine. Over generations these vines have been growing in the same place, which is Armenia, and what you end up with is people and the vine sort of becoming the same and can’t exist without each other.”

Whatever the case may be, many wine-producing parts of the world are worthy of far more recognition than they’ve been receiving. Whether you’re looking for your next great bottle, an unforgettable vacation destination or both, put these up-and-coming wine regions on your radar right now.

This year’s list features a new Champagne from Moet & Chandon, a wine that might be the last bottling ever of its kind, a surprisingly delicate Syrah from Napa and a dark horse from Armenia. Buy a bottle or three, dust off your Hemingway novel and raise a glass to another great year of drinking wine.

Anyone interested in understanding Armenia should look at the country’s deep history of winemaking.

It may have taken 8,000 years but Armenian sparkling wine is having a moment, writes L.M Archer.

If Zack Armen, the cofounder of Storica Wines has his way, wines from Armenia will be as popular as those from France, Italy or Napa.

Today we dive into the next and maybe most important wine region to emerge in hundreds of years, but the twist is it is also the oldest. To celebrate the next SOMM Film releasing in theaters, director Jason Wise talks with international wine professional Anush Gharibyan O’Connor about the ancient wines of Armenia and the explosion of their wines in America.

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.