Armenian winemakers have started discussing with the State Tourism Committee the possibilities of developing wine routes. Varuzhan Muradyan, founder of “Van Ardi” winery (Aragatsotn region), told Sputnik Armenia.
According to him, recently representatives of wineries met with the chairwoman of the committee Lusine Gevorgyan and presented a number of organizational proposals. Earlier, the Committee jointly with the Winegrowing and Winemaking Foundation held courses for the employees of wineries, teaching them the basics of excursion support. This, Muradyan noted, allowed unifying the presentation of information and avoiding contradictions in excursion stories that tourists hear at different wineries.
“Is our wine 6,100 years old or 6,200? We have clarified this and many other points. Tourists visiting several wineries should receive not only a qualitative impression from tasting, but also holistic, coordinated information,“ he noted during the conference ”Financial Opportunities and Prospects of Small and Medium Businesses” organized by the Union of Banks of Armenia in the village of Voskevaz.
Excursion routes in Aragatsotn – to Amberd Fortress, Saghmosavank, Mughni temples and other sights – are often accompanied by visits to wineries. However, a full-fledged wine infrastructure similar to that in Italy, Spain or Georgian Kakheti has not yet been formed.
“There is potential. The number of wineries is growing, new ones are appearing, including family productions. And I am happy about it: the more points on the wine map, the higher the interest in each of us,” Muradyan added.
A few years ago, Aragatsotn winemakers, trying on the role of tourists, drove around their own enterprises to see how the wine route looks like from the guests’ point of view. However, the initiative was never developed. David Hovhannisyan, the owner of Voskevaz winery told Sputnik Armenia.
“Frankly speaking, we ourselves did not show enough consistency. We didn’t finalize the route with tour operators – the production season or current affairs got in the way. Yes, operators bring guests to us, but there are no coordinated routes with other wineries yet,” he admitted.
Ashtarak region of Aragatsotn marz is considered one of the key winemaking regions of Armenia. Over the past 10-15 years, new wineries have opened here, including with the support of the UN Development Program. Funds for the development of rural tourism were partially provided by the Russian government.