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Welcome
Founded in 2000, Vayk Group Winery had the vision to bring to your enjoyment the best wines from southern Armenia. Located in the Arpa river valley, it is one of the oldest winemaking regions recorded in the history of humankind. In late 1990s we established 12 hectares of vineyards with only local grape varieties Areni Noir. Since then we have expanded to almost 33 hectares (81 acres) with addition of local and international varieties.
The northwest facing slopes, arid climate, well drained mineral rich soil and 300+ sunny days create the perfect terroir to grow Areni Noir grapes that date back to this region for over 5000 years. Over the past 20 years we have vigorously experimented and created a winemaking process that incorporates local and contemporary techniques with one goal, to create premium wines that will bring out the best flavors of our valley.
We have taken great care to ensure sustainability of the environment, such as avoiding pesticides, implementing modern irrigation systems, abstaining from intense agricultural techniques, preserving the terrain among other things. Our entire operation utilizes solar power only.
We also have a great responsibility to grow in harmony with the community we are part of. Our family owned winery utilizes the local workforce only. We are actively involved in the community events, various festivals in the region, where our wines are well liked and appreciated.
Our team is committed to consistently deliver high quality wines that will warm the hearts of our customers. The wines are mainly marketed in the local stores, bars and restaurants, but since 2018 we are exporting as well. We hope you will enjoy our wines and share with us your experience.
Who we are
The idea of creating an agricultural holding in Vayots Dzor Region of Southern Armenia with the richest agricultural heritage and unique geographical advantages came to the founder's mind in mid-90s. Ashot Zakaryan, a mechanical engineer, who had a passion and dream to work with land, started buying the cheapest and least desirable land in the region. It was located on the steep slopes of Arpa river valley and had no access to water. Using his engineering skills, he was able to utilize the scarce water resources available and implement water preserving irrigation systems.
In 1996, he started planting apricot orchards. In 1996 the first vineyards of local grape variety Areni Noir were established. Since then we have grown to become one of the largest fresh fruit producers in the region. The company currently owns roughly 60 hectares of apricot, plum, apple and walnut orchards. Our company has a modern refrigeration system, packing facility. We also produce world famous Armenian dried apricots using traditional sun driers. Most of our fruit products are sold locally and exported to Russia.
In 2000 we finished the construction of Vayk Group winery and spent the next 2 years
researching and designing the winemaking process to bring out the best qualities of the local grapes in our wines. We incorpurated the traditional techniques of local winemaking with the modern systems. First vintage from our own grapes was in 2001. Since then the wines have become well recognised and appreciated in Armenia. Ashot's youngest son, David Zakaryan, a business graduate of American University of Armenia, joined the company in 2014.
Vayk Group has been well recognised and honored as an exemplary company by the former president of Armenia Robert Kocharyan, previous prime ministers, agricultural ministers as well as famous Armenian artists and actors such as Sos Sargsyan, who have personally visited the orchards and have planted commemorative trees. Most importantly we are well accepted by the local community. Vayk Group only hires local workforce and also encourages local agricultural students to do internships with us. With our active participation and contribution in the local events and festivals, support of agricultural education and sustainable horticulture we have become an integral part of the community. We are also actively helping to invigorate agrotourism in the Vayots Dzor region.
Vineyards
The Arpa River Valley in Vayots Dzor region has been famous for winemaking for over 6000 years. About 10 miles from our winery near the village of Areni, the archeologists have unearthed an excellently preserved wine press, storage vessels and wine residues dating back 6100 years. This famous site is now considered the cradle of winemaking.When we first started developing the northern facing slopes of Arpa valley near Vayk in 2000, we discovered ancient fruit bearing vines and wine clay pots, stone presses and instruments which date back to the 11th century. This comes to confirm that winemaking in the region has been one of the mainstays of the local economy and culture.
Since 2000, we have developed about 33 hectares (81 acres) of vineyards. About 20 hectares are Areni Noir, our flagship local red variety. About 20 hectares are Areni Noir, our flagship local red variety. We also have about 5 hectares of Voskehat which bears white fruit.
The rest of the vineyards consist of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Chardonnay, Montepulciano, Malbec, Grenache, Tempranillo, Saperavi. Most of the vineyards fall between 1250-1400m above sea level. The large portion of the vineyards are located on the left bank of Arpa river. Well-drained, gravelly soils with some veins of clay running through them, 300 plus days of sun, and cold mountain spring water create the perfect terroir for growing ancient grapes. The smaller portion of the estate, about 5 hectares, is located on the right bank of Arpa river on a foothill of a 7-8th century volcanic eruption and gives mineral rich fruit.We constantly experiment and develop our clone selection process. Having a background in agriculture, we have optimized our terroir for sustainable land management and water conservation techniques. We utilize drip irrigation systems. Our vineyards are one of the largest and most sophisticated in the Arpa Valley Region. We collaborate with various government and non-government entities to promote viticulture and winemaking in Vayots Dzor Region.
Winery
1. The harvest
Areni Noir red wine grapes are harvested in late October. Voskehat white grapes are picked in mid-September. The timing is determined by daily assessment of the sugar content and acidity of the grapes, but most importantly we taste the grapes. We only hand harvest and start picking before sunrise to ensure the berries are cool. To avoid damage to the berries, we avoid large containers and use 5 kg bins to transport the grapes to the winery.
2. Destemming and crushing
By 9am the grapes are transported to the winery, where they are chilled to 10C in 2 hours to avoid any early natural fermentation. Then, the grapes are sorted and only the best quality berries pass to the next stage. After destemming, the berries are passed through a sorting line, where the best quality fruit only is allowed to go to the crusher. We use Italian made crusher with rubber rollers to avoid harsh treatment of the grape skin.
3. Fermentation
The must (for reds) and grape juice (whites) are transferred to fermenters. Fermentation process takes place in stainless steel conical tanks with full jackets to allow tight temperature control during this important process. We use imported pure yeasts that have been tested over the years and are very consistent. Reds are fermented in 20-22C, white wines in 10-12C. For red wines we ensure twice a day punch down of the must cap. We are also developing new rose wine made from Areni grapes.
4. Aging and bottling
After fermentation and clarification completed, the red wines are transferred to oak barrels where they mature at least 6 months before bottling. Semi-sweet red wine and white wines are not aged in oak barrels, as we have noticed that they lose fresh fruity and crispy aromas in oak. Instead, they are kept in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks for 4-6 months for maturation before bottling, which takes place in early spring.
About the Region
Founded in 2000, Vayk Group Winery had the vision to bring to your enjoyment the best wines from southern Armenia. Located in the Arpa river valley, it is one of the oldest winemaking regions recorded in the history of humankind. In late 1990s we established 12 hectares of vineyards with only local grape varieties Areni Noir and Voskehat. Since then we have grown to almost 33 hectares (81 acres).
The northwest facing slopes, arid climate, well drained mineral rich soil and 300+ sunny days create the perfect terroir to grow Areni Noir grapes that date back to this region for over 5000 years. Over the past 20 years we have vigorously experimented and created a winemaking process that incorporates local and contemporary techniques with one goal, to create premium wines that will bring out the best flavors of the local grapes.
We have taken great care to ensure sustainability of the environment, such as avoiding pesticides, using drip irrigation, abstaining from intense agricultural techniques, preserving the terrain among other things. Our entire operation utilizes solar power only.
We also have a great responsibility to grow in harmony with the community we are part of. Our family owned winery utilizes the local workforce only. We are actively involved in the community events, various festivals in the region, where our wines are well liked and appreciated.
Our team is committed to consistently deliver high quality wines that will warm the hearts of our customers. The wines are mainly sold in the local markets, bars and restaurants, but since 2018 we are exporting as well. We hope you will enjoy our wines and share with us your experience.
