Tatevik Gabrielyan, a winemaker from Vernashen settlement in Vayots Dzor Region, Executive Director and Founder of “Krya” wine factory, told Ecolur about her dream of returning to her homeland, establishing a business on her own land, and developing the village.
Tatevik really wanted to become a winemaker and serve as an example of ecologically clean production in her village. “I got into real winemaking in 2009, when I moved to Switzerland to study. There I started working in vineyards, and I understood what effort and energy it takes to produce wine,” she said. It was there that she received the profession of a winemaker, which is a combination of a winemaker and a technologist.
The idea to return to Armenia was brought to life by her husband, Jean-Paul. “Both of us, being professionals, have always dreamed of having our own vineyards. And we couldn’t imagine a better place than Armenia. The opportunities here are great, we discover interesting new varieties, we produce very interesting wines, and, definitely, Armenia was the first place for us to start our own,” Tatevik Gabrielyan outlined. In 2020, the couple began work on establishing a factory. Today, they have a 6-hectare vineyard, 3 of which are their family’s vineyards. “In addition to our own grapes, we also purchase grapes from our neighbors, and try to direct them towards ecologically clean viticulture. Our goal is to increase the quality of “Vernashen” brand. For this, we also produce “Little Krya” wines, which are much more affordable and accessible to the public. It is wine made from grapes purchased from our neighbors.
Referring to the choice of the name “Krya”, Tatevik noted: “The name symbolizes longevity, wisdom. In general, in all nations it is considered a positive animal. It is quite typical for us, because we are moving forward with small but steady steps. Students from Yeghegnadzor College are already coming to us to exchange experience.”
Tatevik’s family was supported in establishing the business by “Living Landscapes of Armenia for Market Development” (LILA) project. Vernashen is one of the beneficiary settlements of LILA project. “Along with winemaking, we also decided to develop tourism. We had many guests. In 2024, we decided to work more professionally in that direction. With the support of LILA project, we have opened a wine tasting room in the gardens, where people will enjoy a glass of “Krya” wine, communicate with the cozy nature, and taste a delicious rural dinner,” he noted. In this regard, LILA project contributes to the development of winemaking culture and wine tourism in Vernashen.
When talking about the specifics of wine production in Vernashen, she emphasized the uniqueness of the local climate. "We are located at an altitude of 1450 m, we are in a high enough altitude zone for winemaking and this gives us even more interesting and elegant wines. If until 2008-2009 even in books it was written that grapes are grown and planted at an altitude of up to 1450 m, now all that has changed due to climate change. People are trying to plant grapes at even higher altitudes, because in high altitude zones it is easier to work with them than in low altitude zones, where grapes accumulate sugar much faster and cannot accumulate all that phenolic reserve." "Krya" factory produces white, rosé, and red wines. "We have various varieties of red wines: Areni, Sev Kharchi, Tozot, Movuz, Hakobi Ordi, and from white wines: Chillar, Vosehat, Khatun Kharchi, Spitak Areni, Meskhal. There are varieties that are not yet familiar to the public," Tatevik noted. The wines are consumed by mainly supplying to specialized wine shops and restaurants in Yerevan, export to the Russian Federation and Estonia, and soon Armenian wine will also appear on the American market.
Tatevik also touched upon the risks threatening their activities and the agriculture of the region. “One of the risks is the opening of a mine, which has been worrying us for 14 years. They are trying to open a mine in Teqsar (Gladzor polymetallic mine), which will negatively affect winemaking and viticulture. There are a lot of heavy metals in the soil, and the opening of the mine will increase them even more. We all know that the mine is uncontrollable, and it is not known what big problems it will cause for us. We try to respect nature, we do not use synthesized pesticides, herbicides, etc. We also make wine as naturally as possible and try to get an ecologically good product. We have big risks. Lead and various heavy metals can penetrate the water, which will pass into the wine. We all know that when you export wine, it undergoes very serious spectral analyzes. "If you find any heavy metals in it, you can no longer export your product," she noted.
December 09, 2024 at 11:39